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    Give the Boy a Hand

    90 minutes of climax may be too much in Second Thought Theatre's A Behanding inSpokane

    Lauren Smart
    Jan 9, 2013 | 2:18 pm
    • Van Quattro as Carmichael in A Behanding in Spokane at Second Thought Theatre.
      Photo by Karen Almond
    • Barrett Nash and David Jeremiah in A Behanding in Spokane.
      Photo by Karen Almond
    • Drew Wall in A Behanding in Spokane.
      Photo by Karen Almond

    The season opener for Second Thought Theatre, A Behanding in Spokane, takes the audience on a frenetic journey into the depths of a man’s obsession with finding the severed hand he lost 27 years ago. But 90 minutes of climax may prove to be too much.

    The script isn’t the finest written by renowned playwright Martin McDonagh, who is also known for films such as In Bruges. Behanding moves at an erratic pace: One minute all the characters flail their arms and scream; the next, hotel clerk Mervyn delivers a five-minute monologue about zoo monkeys and high school massacres.

    In this production, disapproving laughs redeem the play from a cockamamie plot that only grows more ridiculous with each twist.

    In this production, director Alex Organ gives in to the show’s volatile whimsy. And the set and costume designs are nearly exact replicas of the 2010 Broadway production with Christopher Walken. Played here by Van Quattro, the lead character, Carmichael, is more of a maverick mama’s boy than a raving lunatic. By the end of the play, he grows nearly avuncular toward Mervyn (Drew Wall).

    Like most McDonagh scripts, the violent overtones in Behanding carve out space for disapproving laughter. Here the folly of Toby (David Jeremiah) and Marilyn’s (Barrett Nash) attempt to con Carmichael into buying a hand they swiped from a museum provides a critical snicker. And Wall daydreaming about “giant gibberish talking pandas” earns a hearty chuckle.

    In this production, those laughs redeem the play from a cockamamie plot that only grows more ridiculous with each twist. The occasional swipes at philosophizing on the human condition reveal a universal pathos. And the sometimes static scenes are punctuated with colloquial chatter.

    The play’s more amusing banter comes from Wall’s Mervyn. Wall, whose talent for straight acting exceeded expectations in Second Thought’s 2011 production of Red Light Winter, seems forever typecast as the fop.

    Avid theatergoers will recognize his Mervyn from Undermain Theatre’s The Dog Problem and, more recently, Kitchen Dog Theater’s production of McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane. He adds new idiosyncrasies to this character (and a remarkable mustache), but I’m ready to see him do more.

    Despite their characters’ lack of rich dialogue, Jeremiah and Nash bring an incredible sense of playfulness and energy to the script. Nash’s ability to fully realize the fecklessness of her character without losing her humanity is impressive.

    And there may not be another Dallas actor, particularly one with Jeremiah’s limited experience, willing to take a role further than the script demands. Here he throws himself into the action, reaching the melodious point where the musicality of his voice meets the script’s brash language.

    As the 90 minutes of aggression slows to a halt, the questions inadvertently asked of the characters pile up. But the play pulls its punches and chugs along into the night.

    ---

    A Behanding in Spokaneruns through January 26 at Second Thought Theatre.

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    Theater news

    Dallas' Theatre Three asks public for urgent help to keep lights on

    Stephanie Allmon Merry
    May 13, 2025 | 5:13 pm
    Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 Off Broadway.
    Photo by Chad Batka
    "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" ran Off Broadway.

    A longtime Dallas theater company is asking for urgent help. Theatre Three (T3) has made a plea to the community for $200,000 in donations to stay in business.

    In a Facebook post on May 13, they say, "Without immediate and substantial help from our community, we will be forced to close our doors."

    They say they've suffered several years' worth of financial hardships, including effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and more recently, cuts in arts funding.

    The post says, in part:

    "For 64 years, Theatre Three has been a cornerstone of Dallas’ creative spirit — bringing bold, innovative productions to life and showcasing the extraordinary talent of our local artists, designers, and creatives. We have been an intimate stage for everyone. But now, we face the greatest challenge in our history.

    "After mourning the loss of our beloved Jac Alder, and then, under the leadership of the incredible Jeffrey Schmidt, surviving the immense toll of the COVID-19 pandemic, we find ourselves once again at a significant crossroads. The ongoing erosion of support for the arts has dealt a devastating blow to our funding ...

    Our goal is $200,000. This is not the news we want to share, but it is news that we believe you all would want to know."

    The post is signed by board members Jessica Turner Waugh, Suzanne Burkhead, Rosa Medina-Cristobal, Scott T. Williams, Robert McCollum, Harrison Herndon, David G. Luther, Mia Glogau, and Jon Collins.

    Donations, they say, will help support local artists, staff and creatives to produce their next show, Xanadu; counter the rising costs of rent, insurance, and production; and allow them to retain staff.

    "We know times are tough. But we also know what this theater and its people mean to our city and to the generations who have found meaning, joy, and belonging within its walls," they say. "And that is why we are making this urgent plea. Help us preserve this Dallas institution."

    They end the post with a link to their donation page: https://www.theatre3dallas.com/support/.

    T3's black-box theater Theatre Too's final show of the season is The Mystery of Irma Vep, a fast-paced and campy parody that is on stage now through May 18.

    Theatre Three will close out its current season with Xanadu, a high-energy, roller-skating extravaganza that brings the 1980 cult film to life. Douglas Carter Beane is behind the hilarious book, and music and lyrics are by John Farrar and Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) founding member Jeff Lynne. It is set to run June 5-July 6, 2025.

    In addition to a full season of mainstage productions, Theatre Three offers additional programs for the community throughout the year.

    Monday Night Playwright features unique and affordable opportunities for local writers to showcase their works. Fight Night provides the community and artists alike with movement and other physical skills through monthly stage combat classes.

    The Norma Young Advanced Acting Lab, a collaboration with Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, is in its fifth year. Students have access to masterclasses hosted by industry professionals and exclusive insight on the professional production process at Theatre Three, then the course concludes with a professionally produced showcase.

    Theatre Three is located at 2688 Laclede St. in the Quadrangle in Uptown Dallas. For more information in productions and programs, visit their website.

    ---

    Lindsey Wilson contributed to this story.

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