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2 men, multiple roles in 'Stones'

December 5, 2005
Neil Necastro, left, and Paul Riopelle star in the two-man play, "Stones in His Pockets." —

It takes audience members at BoarsHead Theatre about 10 minutes to figure out that Paul Riopelle and Neil Necastro aren't playing the part of two schizophrenic Irishmen.

Instead, they're part of a two-man show called "Stones In His Pockets" in which they play all 14 characters.

"Once the audience keys into that, it becomes really fun for them," Riopelle said. "They are waiting for that next character shift."

"Stones In His Pockets" is set in County Kerry, Ireland when a major motion picture company comes to town to film an American movie. Many of the locals are cast as extras.

The story follows the main characters Jake Quinn (Necastro) and Charlie Conlon (Riopelle). Jake and Charlie form a friendship that carries them through filming, especially when Jake has a brief romance with the movie's starlet and then during a major town tragedy.

"It has some very poignant undertones," Riopelle said. "There is that classic Irish melancholy."

The play has a sophisticated, grown-up feeling, but is also rich with cussing and sexual innuendoes.

The best part was watching the actors switch between characters with little to no costume change. Subtle identifiers clued in the audiences, such as the addition or removal of caps, posture or a headband.

It wasn't difficult to figure out which character was speaking, either. Riopelle and Necastro did a wonderful job presenting each character's personality and the transitions were flawless. It felt like there was a variety of actors on stage, even when you watched one of them change between characters.

Riopelle and Necastro said they put in extra time working on the show to achieve the subtle transitions and to hone in on the characters. Luckily for them, they have a history of working together and with director John Peakes.

"I can't imagine this with anyone else," Riopelle said.

In addition to the great acting and direction, the script itself is a combination of humor and somber real-life situations. It was beautifully written by Marie Jones, who is Irish herself. The highs and lows poetically tell the story of the two main characters and the tragedy they encounter.

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