Corktown '39 (Rogue Machine's 2025 Production) Theatre Review

The Rogue Machine Theatre (located within the Matrix Theatre) is currently hosting the world premiere of Corktown '39, a powerful and often funny play that centers on a family of Irish immigrants and their involvement in the struggle for an independent Ireland. It takes place in an Irish section of Philadelphia in the days just before World War II, a time that has been on the minds of many people in this country lately, as certain parallels are too striking and frightening to ignore (those parallels were not lost on the audience at Sunday's performance). The play is part political thriller, part family drama, and it deals with questions of authority in both realms. It was written by John Fazakerley, who also wrote Corktown '57, which premiered a decade ago. This new play is a prequel to that one, though you don't need to have seen that play to enjoy and appreciate this one. One of the major draws, at least for me, is the participation of Peter Van Norden, who plays Joe McGarrity, a character we hear a lot about before meeting. Peter Van Norden in 2022 gave the best Polonius I've ever seen in any medium. He is an extraordinary talent, though, truly, the entire cast of this production is excellent, with a particularly riveting performance given by Ann Noble as Kate. Another draw is the subject matter itself.

Almost the entire play (with the exception of one brief scene) takes place within the parlor of the home of Mike Keating (Ron Bottitta, known to television viewers for his roles in Lost, Suspense and Criminal Minds). The set (designed by Mark Mendelson) has a fairly warm feel to it, with wood, carpets and thick drapes, and a chaise lounge at its center. A large radio set is upstage center. There is a welcoming vibe to this home, though the stage left section is where certain business is conducted, adding a different element. And we soon learn that this home is actually mostly about business, that business being the aid to fellow Irish people, done through a variety of means. "No need to thank me," Mike says to someone on the phone early in the play. "We look after our own." Looking after one's own people is something that initially sounds commendable, laudable; but as the play goes on, and we learn that looking after one's own might mean putting other innocent people in danger, our thoughts are not so clear on the subject. The family is going to be hosting the head of the IRA and a man brought in to carry out an assassination plot.

There is a lot of humor, particularly in the opening scene, as when we learn that Mike's daughter Kate is dating a cousin, Tim Flynn (Thomas Vincent Kelly, known for his work on 24 as well as appearances on JAG and The Closer), and Mike worries what will happen if she gets pregnant. We have enough idiots in the family already, he reminds her. But beneath the humor, something very serious is unfolding. The fact that there is such humor makes the whole thing all the more real, and perhaps the more sinister. The radio set does play a part in the performance, and as a recording of "God Bless America" comes on, we see Mike strapping on a pistol before the lights fade out, a striking image. When the action resumes, the radio is broadcasting an unsettling speech. Martin Connor (Jeff Lorch), the man hired for a job he is as yet unaware of, asks Mike's son Frank (Tommy McCabe) how they let people spew such fascist garbage on the radio. "Welcome to America," Frank replies. That is a line that received an audible reaction from the audience. A segment of this country did support Hitler and the Nazis in the 1930s, just as a segment of the country now embraces the fascism of Trump and his gang of rat bastards. This play is based on a true story, and the history of it is fascinating (such as the fact that the Irish largely supported the fascists in Spain, and were possibly supporting Hitler as well). But how it applies to our current situation is also part of what intrigues the audience.

Tim Flynn is a rather joyful character that the audience immediately likes and identifies with. He provides a voice of reason, a voice of caution, a voice of humanity, and we can't help but wonder if there is such a voice in the current administration of this country. It is through this character that the main question of the play is posed, which is how far can you go in the name of a good and just cause before you too become a villain. JD Cullum (who had parts on Grey's Anatomy and Bones, and who gave a really good performance as Caliban in 2023) plays Sean Russell, the IRA leader who is one of the faces of power in this story. And he uses his position even to try to force himself on Kate, at which point all sympathy the audience had for him disintegrates. Frank steps in to defend his sister, and Mike is clearly torn, which is fascinating. We want to like him, we want for him to stand up for his own daughter. And when he doesn't, we know that he is capable of dark deeds. Or at least that he will stand by while they are committed, which is almost just as bad. The other face of power, though we learn a waning power, is Joe McGarrity, a man who has become more reasonable in recent days. "When you find out you're dying, you rethink your positions," he says at one point. We can't help but wonder if that's what it takes, again applying the tale of this play to the nation's current situation. But he is also naive, offering the opinion that the courts in Germany will sort things out, something we hear uttered a lot in this country now. Are we too being naive?

The person caught in the middle of everything is Martin, who is at first prepared to go through with the plot, but who begins to have doubts. Kate too, as she becomes romantically involved with Martin, has to question a position she's never questioned before. And, even more difficult for her, has to question her father. This play is fascinating and frightening, with a powerful conclusion you won't likely forget. And the phenomenal cast makes this a production you won't want to miss.

Corktown '39 is directed by Steven Robman, who has a long list of credits both in the theatre and on television. The performance is approximately an hour and forty-five minutes and plays without intermission. The play runs through May 25, 2025. Visit the theatre's website for the complete schedule. The Matrix Theatre is located at 7657 Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles, California. There is no parking lot, but there is a good amount of street parking.