The Fourth Walsh

Jackalope Theatre presents the remount and limited engagement of THE SMUGGLER. 

Andrew Burden Swanson is a master storyteller. Swanson plays Tim Finnegan, an unemployed Irish immigrant with a story… actually several stories… to tell. Swanson is transfixing as he weaves together a modern yarn with unexpected twists and turns. And he does it by seamlessly playing multiple characters in a variety of dialects. He becomes his wife Tina by crossing arms and assuming a Boston accent. He quarrels with her in his own Irish brogue. Swanson effortlessly goes back and forth in conversations playing everyone. Some of the interactions are humorous. Others are intense. Swanson navigates them all with charming distinction.

Playwright Ronán Noone is also a master storyteller! His smart monologue tells about the American experience from the perspective of a nonnative. He hits on multiple issues of the day… healthcare costs, unemployment, underemployment, social conscience, classism, racism, and alcoholism. And throughout the winding narrative, he represents the underlying issue in the migrant crisis: people want to look down on others as a way to feel superior. Noone presents this gut-punching truth in verse. His clever construct delivers the harsh reality playfully.            

Director Gus Menary masterfully orchestrates the storytelling. He combines Swanson’s talents and Noone’s narrative into a amusing yet powerful one man thriller. Menary stages this intimately with a few dozen chairs lining the walls of an Irish pub. He has Swanson directly address the audience. A personal connection is established as if we’ve pulled up the stool next to Swanson and offered to buy him a pint in exchange for entertainment.

THE SMUGGLER is a tour de force on all levels. Acting, writing, directing… this is masterful storytelling!

Running Time: Seventy-five minutes with no intermission

At Broadway Armory, 5917 N. Broadway

Written by Ronán Noone

Directed by Gus Menary

Performances are:

Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm

Sundays at 3pm   

Thru January 25

For more information or tickets

Production photos by Joel Maisonet

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