IU Theatre production of 'Pillowman' questions violence, censorship

Students in the IU Theatre and Drama Department will bring frightening, twisted and darkly humorous “The Pillowman” to life at 7:30 p.m. Friday when the Wells-Metz Theatre opens its doors to thrill seekers.

Be warned that “The Pillowman” is not a play for the faint of heart, as it contains mature content revolving around violence and unsettling, twisted murders.

With the plot styled in a fashion similar to “Law and Order” and “Dexter,” the play documents short-story writer Katurian as he undergoes an interrogation concerning the grotesque murders of children after he writes stories featuring similarly gruesome murders.

Katurian will be played by fine arts graduate student Jaysen Wright.

The playwright of the award-winning production, Martin McDonagh, raises the question: Is it right to censor the works of artists, and to what degree?

Most people involved with the play think that, to a certain extent, censoring art is censoring reality, Wright said.

Freshman and Assistant Director Katherine Taylor said it is the responsibility of the audience to understand what they are absorbing and how they react to it. However, artists should take into consideration how their works will be portrayed to an audience.

“Artists should create what they feel that they should,” she said.

The role of Katurian in the play takes the spectators on a journey through the complicated world of censorship, art and how the two concepts can harm each other.

As the protagonist, Katurian is meant to be relatable to audience members, Wright said, yet no one knows if Katurian is truly to be blamed for the murders. Can his guilt lie in influence from his stories or in actual murder, and can he truly be trusted at all?

Director and fine arts graduate student Mark Kamie said the conflicts of interests are relatable to today’s society in many ways, including the prominent debate about violence in video games and movies. The play helps viewers question whether violence in art is the cause of violence in society, he said.

Chris Kleckner, a senior who plays the role of one of the interrogation police officers, Ariel, said it is essential for audiences to realize that stories can affect people.

“(This play) speaks a lot about the power of writing,” Kleckner said. “There are a lot of things out there that people don’t necessarily want to hear.”

Kleckner said it is good for people to be exposed to other opinions and ideas.

McDonagh’s play, as much as it raises the conversation about how stories can affect people, is a stab at censorship and what audience members should and shouldn’t be exposed to. Audience members will be subjected to the concepts of disturbing violence with no real censors.

“(McDonagh) has crafted a play about storytelling, so the play has a way of looking in on itself,” Wright said. “It’s a self-aware play.”

Kamie said he hopes audience members consider how censorship can affect them and if torture is the right way to receive information.

“I think that by explaining and examining the darker parts of a person’s soul, it could help us to understand humanity,” Kamie said.