BC theater presents “The Pillowman”
February 24, 2020
A man sits in an interrogation room blindfolded, accused of a crime he may or may not have committed. Two detectives play mind games with him, not telling him why he has been brought in. This is the opening to the thriller “The Pillowman,” which will be presented by the Bakersfield College theater program in March.
“It’s kind of like a dark comedy. It deals with some serious issues, but it deals with them in kind of a funny way. It is for a mature audience [and] if you like thrillers,” said Brian Sivesind, director of playwright Martin McDonagh’s “The Pillowman.”
TJ Sandoval (left) and Cameron Patterson (right) playing their characters in “The Pillowman.” The production is a dark comedy thriller that will be performed by the Bakersfield College theater department.
Sivesind explained that this production is a two-cast play. Each cast will play different nights, so each night will definitely be interesting and different, because “you’ll see two very different performances.”
“[In] one cast the detectives and the writer are all male, and the other is all female, so that’s going to bring something different, a different perspective from the other side.”
“I think it’s surprising how funny it is, even though it’s so dark. You’ll probably find yourself laughing at things you probably shouldn’t laugh at,” Sivesind added.
Jeremy Swafford, who will play Michal, explained that “people will enjoy the character, but will hate themselves for it.”
“If you like witty dialogue, you’ll definitely enjoy the play,” Sivesind said. Both TJ Sandoval and April Toelle who are playing Detective Tupolski in different casts, explained that their character is a smart alec.
“It’s more of a class clown, smart [alec], it’s not really who I am. He has some racist, sexist ideologies that I’m a little uncomfortable to play … but it makes it easier for me to really pull myself out of the rehearsal,” Toelle said.
Children under the age of 12 will not be allowed in because of the content of the play. The play deals with a lot of heavy stuff, which is something that the cast and director all agreed on. “I don’t think kids should be exposed to these kinds of things, so we won’t let kids in,” Sivesind stated.
The play production will be in the indoor theater March 4 through March 7 at 7:30 p.m.
In addition, there will be two matinee performances on Saturday March 7 and Sunday March 8 at 2 p.m. Doors will open at 7 p.m. each night, and 1:30 p.m. for the matinee performance. The cost of each ticket is $12 for general admission and $8 for BC students.
