McCourts pack political punch at the Ritz

By CHARLIE BUTERBAUGH

HAWLEY, PA — The Ritz Company Playhouse was packed with residents October 16 for an evening of political wit and fluent Irish Catholic humor, courtesy of Malachy and Frank McCourt and friends.

“PA Artists for the Restoration of Democracy” began with an appearance from Claire Labine and Paul Mayer, creators of the soap opera, “Ryan’s Hope,” followed by an onstage appearance by Frank McCourt, author of the Pullitzer Prize-winning memoir, “Angela’s Ashes,” which Frank wrote in Milford, PA.

Malachy McCourt and Mickey Kelly then performed excerpts from “A Couple of Blaguards,” which the McCourt brothers wrote together.

Kelly, a native of Ireland, first met the brothers when they were performing the play some years ago in New York City.

During his appearance onstage, Frank satirized the Catholic Church for discouraging Catholics from voting for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, who has said he would not push for legislation to ban abortion.

He called the Church’s position “an appalling intrusion of religion into American politics.”

Nonetheless, the art deco theater reverberated with laughter as Frank derided the religious community in which he grew up. He said he was happy that the Catholic Church had moved into the 20th Century.

One audience member shouted, “We don’t agree with you,” to which Frank responded, “We can handle the voices of dissent.”

Malachy and Kelly then took the stage to perform “A Couple of Blaguards,” Kelly playing Frank and Malachy playing himself.

The play first presents stirring and comic vignettes in an unsentimental portrayal of the brothers’ childhood in Limerick, Ireland. The second half, which was not performed, involves their escape to America.

At points, Malachy assumed the role of dogmatic priest with impressive severity, exhibiting for the audience the frightening intensity of a young boy’s Catholic retreat in Ireland. Still, the performance seldom lost its comedy.

Malachy also played the role of Mayor of Limerick, who greets his “extinguished crowd” with an impressive collection of malapropisms.

“Half of the lies they tell about me are not true. The other half are exaggerations,” the politician exclaims.

The play turns to the wake of young Oliver, the brother of Malachy and Frank, who died when they were just boys. When they return home, the brothers join a game of soccer with their pals, who let them score “because our brother had just died.”

Malachy concluded the evening with a few words, saying that while Wayne County is seen as predominantly Republican, “There’s no reason why it can’t be Democratic in about three years.”

He then criticized the war in Iraq.

“I love my country so much, I would never kill anyone for it,” he said.

“Let’s find another way and stop this killing.” The audience erupted with applause.

After the show, when asked why humor was such a pervasive element in “A Couple of Blaguards,” Frank said, “You have to be optimistic. You have to have some humor; otherwise it’s a Russian novel.”