The Spot to present ‘A Behanding in Spokane’
BY HAYDEN SEDER
Carmichael has searched for 47 years to reconnect with his missing hand. Audiences may join him in his quest when The Spot presents a limited engagement of “A Behanding in Spokane,” from Tuesday through Saturday, Dec. 4-8.
The 90-minute play is the second The Spot has presented by acclaimed British/Irish playwright Martin McDonagh, known for penning the films “Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri,” “Seven Psychopaths” and “In Bruges.” The Spot presented his play “The Pillowman” in the spring of 2017.
Much like “Pillowman,” this black comedy also contains a bit of violence, profanity and racial tension.
Set in Spokane, Wash., the story centers around the main character, Carmichael, a man with only one hand who’s been searching for the missing hand for most of his life. He may have finally tracked it down to a small hotel room in Spokane, thanks to two twentysomethings trying to make a quick buck.
While the language and violence of the play may seem out of step within a comedy, the members of The Spot felt that at this point in their four-year body of work, and within the climate of 2018, it was the perfect time to debut the black comedy that the majority of them had seen on Broadway in 2010.
“Pretty much since we started the company four years ago, we’ve talked about doing this play,” said Brett Moellenberg, the director and a founding member of the company. “But, like anything, I think you have to earn trust with your audience before you throw something like this at them.”
The Spot took out a rare ad online to cast for the play, which prompted New York City-based actor Nick Hardin to audition for the lead role as Carmichael.
“We rarely post online, but for this role it felt important,” Moellenberg said of the posting in Backstage, a national audition database. “Nick’s the first person to come to The Spot who we’ve had absolutely no connection to.”
Returning to The Spot, also from New York City, is actor Thaddeus McCants. McCants was in The Spot’s 2016 production of “Angels in America” and returns to play Toby, a small-time weed dealer and one of the twentysomethings trying to make money off Carmichael.
“I’ve been itching to get back here since my last performance and this was a good way,” McCants said of his second Ketchum outing. “I saw the play on Broadway and it’s such a larger-than-life piece that I think hits a chord with a lot of people. I think that’s important when we think about what art we want to put in the world. Put the art that speaks loudly out there.”
Two of The Spot’s other founders, Kevin Wade and Yanna Lantz, complete the cast. Wade plays Mervyn, a hotel clerk at the hotel where Carmichael meets Toby and his girlfriend Marilyn, played by Lantz.
“I like how challenging the play is, but it is a comedy,” Wade said. “We hope people give themselves permission to laugh. And we stand behind the play and would love to talk about it, too. It has an important message and we’re here to unpack that message through the lens of comedy.”
Tickets can be purchased online through The Spot website at spotsunvalley.com.
Shows will begin at 7:30 p.m. all five nights as well as a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25 each or $13 for those under 30.