Performer-writer Mikel Murfi has concocted one or three theater pieces, depending on how one counts. Mikel Murfi’s trilogy, a one-man piece, follows the life of a cobbler from Sligo, Ireland. Not surprisingly, Sligo is where the playwright-performer Murfi hails from.
A simple man, Pat Farnon, wants to live out his life simply, without excitement. Then, one day, a magnificent woman comes into his life. She is Kitsy Rainey, and Pat’s life is forever changed. They marry. And Pat experiences a love he never thought possible.
‘The Mysterious Case of Kitsy Rainey’
As the play begins, we learn that Kitsy Rainey has actually died, and Pat is deep in mourning. He moans, “She was the sun and the moon and the universe to me.”Pat notices a small suitcase onstage. In it, he finds a tape recorder and tape. Turning it on, we hear Kitsy’s voice. She has left a lengthy letter—to be heard by Pat after her passing. She speaks of her love for him but also that he must learn to function without her; he must learn to go on alone.
She also speaks of their “sky talk,” when they would lie on the grass together and just look up at the sky and let their thoughts wander. They would speak of their hopes, their dreams. Sadly, these would be dashed, due to Kitsy’s untimely passing.
But now Huby, a friend, appears, possibly in Pat’s imagination, to help fill up Pat’s time. Huby—talky, to say the least—attempts to cheer Pat up. Huby remarks that Pat’s greatest gift is his gift for silence.
A Subtle Performance
Murfi, a skilled actor, subtly but sharply conveys the differences in the various characters. With a slump of his shoulders, he shows us the aging Pat. With a spirited hand gesture, he conveys the vivacity of the delightful Kitsy.All in all, “The Mysterious Case of Kitsy Rainey” is a theater piece that is both unusual and heartwarming.
The Irish Arts Center, located in the center of the area in Manhattan affectionately known as Hell’s Kitchen, continues its mission of presenting the finest and most intriguing projects in all art forms.
