Two productions as different as night and day opened in San Diego the weekend of Jan. 18. Known for its gritty productions, Ion Theatre opened Martin McDonagh’s dark and enigmatic tragicomedy, “The Pillowman,” at The Lab at the Academy of Performing Arts; and Diversionary Theatre, San Diego’s gay and lesbian/bisexual transgender theater, opened “Daddy Machine,” a charming, family-friendly musical by Patricia Loughrey and Rayme Sciaroni based on the book by Johnny Valentine.
The contrast between the two, seen during the course of one day, is remarkable. Don’t take the kids to “Pillowman.” Do take the kids to “Daddy Machine.”
Be informed that a grown man rose and left the Lab following the first scene of “Pillowman,” in which a short story writer is tortured by a relentless detective (Matt Scott) and his anger-filled henchman (Jamie Effros). The setting is an unidentified totalitarian state. Katurian, the writer (edgy, affecting, dangerous actor Jeffrey Jones) is arrested and interrogated because his short stories, which seem to advocate the murder of children (and may or may not be a metaphor for the people and the government), are similar to actual recent crimes. Being held and possibly tortured in the next room is Katurian’s mentally challenged brother Michal (an amazing performance by John Polak).
In a series of scenes that spiral through the past, into fantasy and back to the interrogation rooms, the audience learns possibly true, possibly fictional facts that seem to shed light on who is guilty, who is culpable and why. Where one abhors the violence, one comes to understand and even feel empathy for this disparate, damaged group of men.
As usual with Claudio Raygoza’s direction, he evokes their utmost from the aforementioned company and forces onlookers to witness the unspeakable and come away awestruck, in retrospect examining the work’s meaning and humanity, partly the genius of the playwright, of course, but also due to Raygoza’s taut, unflinching production, beautifully and miraculously designed by Raygoza and Scott and lighted with eerie intensity by Raygoza. Additional acting contributions are made by Kim Strassburger and Bill Dunnam as Katurian and Michal’s parents, and Ari Lerner, Zev Lerner and Jessalyn Hernandez as various children whose scenes are performed without the least bit of self-consciousness, another virtue of the production.
By contrast, the fantasy and joy of “Daddy Machine” is pure, overt and involving, thanks to the performances and Sciaroni’s appealing music. The production introduces adorable Jacob Caltrider, who plays the family dog, Stonewall. Krista Page and Susan Hammons play the Mommies, and Benjamin Shaffer and Haley Heidemann, who alternate with Lirenza Gillette and Max Oilman-Williams, played the kids, Harry and Sue, Sunday afternoon. Beloved musical theater veteran Andy Collins plays one of the two Dads, manufactured by Harry’s electronic Daddy Machine, and an extremely appealing newcomer, Sven Salumaa, is the second dad.
This production is highly recommended for all audiences and contains not one moment of preaching about the acceptance of, and the exceptional parents found in, households maintained by same-sex partners. Joy is infectious and the toys are adorable.
“The Pillowman” plays at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday through Feb. 16 at The Lab, 4580-B Alvarado Canyon Rd., San Diego, www.iontheatre.com or (619) 374-6894.
“Daddy Machine” plays through Jan. 27 only at various times, including daytime matinees, at Diversionary Theatre, 4545 Park Blvd., San Diego, www.diversionary.org or (619) 220-0067.