By: Conor McPherson
At: The Gift Theatre Company
Phone: 773-283-7071; $20-$25
Through: July 1
BY SCOTT C. MORGAN
Can a show be simultaneously embracing as a buddy's affectionate hug and as painful as getting slugged in your gut? Conor McPherson's 1994 one-man monologue The Good Thief certainly entrances you as you shudder at the violent horror of it.
Now playing at The Gift Theatre, The Good Thief is being fleshed out by an actor perfectly matched to the title role. Equity actor and Gift artistic director Michael Patrick Thornton gives a powerhouse performance as a nameless and amiable Dublin thug haunted by his past. It's all the more amazing when you consider how Thornton almost lost his life three years ago to a series of spinal strokes.
The Good Thief is a prime example of why McPherson is a master of monologue storytelling. Escaping a thunderstorm, a battered thug opens up to his violent background while constantly taking swigs from a bottle of Jose Cuervo tequila. Although the conditions of Brian Sidney Bembridge's run-down set are off-putting, you're instantly lured in by this thug's painful tale of woe.
Stung by a two-timing girlfriend who has dumped him for his mob boss, the thug agrees to do a bit of intimidation for pay. But when the job goes horribly wrong with unintended murders and kidnapping, the thug is forced to flee with a mother and daughter as hostages in tow.
It's here that we get to see why this guy can be considered a 'good thief,' even with his violent anger bubbling up now and then. The whole tale lasts about an hour, but director John Gawlik guides Thornton to clutch you so tightly with this tale that you lose track of time.
Thornton masterfully navigates the Irish dialect and the wavering emotions as he gets lost in thought. It's painfully clear that he still loves his ex-girlfriend. It's heartbreaking to see him occasionally longing for a sense of everyday normality away from his crime-riddled world of tough-guy intimidation.
It's not too often that you can get such a heartfelt combination of compassionate caring and frightening chills in one tiny package like The Good Thief. It's also the perfect comeback vehicle for Thornton, who triumphs in all aspects of the role. Thornton and everyone involved in this amazing Gift Theatre production deserves respect and admiration for The Good Thief.