“The Smuggler” Sneaks Up on You in a Good Way
“The Smuggler” is an award-winning one-man show by playwright Ronán Noone, currently performing at the Jackalope Theatre in a tour de force brilliantly acted thought by thought, verse by verse, with impeccable timing and precision by Jackalope’s co-founding member, actor Andrew Burden Swanson. It wouldn’t be possible without the brilliant director Gus Menary who brought together all of the artistic elements to this show in a seamless tapestry of accuracy, creativity, and most of all the achievement of keeping everyone’s attention for 75 minutes.
“The Smuggler” is a thriller in rhyme, set in 2023. Tim Finnegan is a clever and enterprising Irish immigrant tending bar on the island of Amity, an affluent summer enclave off the coast of Massachusetts. When his child falls ill and he loses his job, Finnegan is drawn into the dark world that exists only in the shadows of the wealthy island in a modern tale of corruption and morality, exploring ideas and concepts in the struggles of what it’s like to have come to America, and how this dream unfolds and plays out differently for many through circumstances, opportunities, and choices. It is the story of an Irish immigrant who shares his experience en route to becoming a full-fledged member of this nation event by event, intimately and with humor.
Tim Finnegan, who aspired to be a writer, gets this chance through the flesh and mind of Mr. Swanson, who owns and tells Tim’s story as in a novel that comes to life right before us in a powerhouse performance. To have a one person show succeed to this very high level, one must have a perfect trifecta of author, director, and actor coming together to deliver their talent to an audience, and they do – great work everyone! If you have any cell of Irish blood in you, go and experience this show. It would be an intimate visit with our ancestors who made the journey of a lifetime, which is delivered to you here and now. “The Smuggler” only runs until January 25th, so move swiftly to arrive in rhyme for this production – for tickets or more information, please visit www.jackalopetheatre.org.
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