Blood By The Gallon Spills In Dark Comedy

Tribune photo by JASON BEHNKEN

Things get a little messy for Kari Goetz and the other actors in Jobsite Theater's production of "The Lieutenant of Inishmore."

By KATIE CORONADO | News Channel 8
Published: March 19, 2009

Dismembered bodies, gunfire and bloodied cats combine in a black comedy that, according to its director, may be offensive to some.

Others, particularly those unfazed by stage gore that requires 6 gallons of fake blood per show, will be in for a unique theater experience at "The Lieutenant of Inishmore," which opened Thursday and runs through April 12 at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center's Shimberg Playhouse.

The play is set on a small island off the west coast of Ireland and features a lieutenant who goes on a rampage when he receives bad news about his beloved cat.

"We actually have three full bodies that get dismembered on stage, and four cats," director David Jenkins says. Not to worry, he adds -- they are all props.

About 13 people work on the Jobsite Theater production of a show written by the award-winning Martin McDonagh ("In Bruges"). In addition to actors, special effects artists, set designers and backstage helpers, there's even a weapons master. The dark comedy uses a half-dozen stage firearms.

"I mix the blood almost every night," notes actor and special-effects director Chris Holcom. "I get some Karo syrup, some food coloring and some detergent and chocolate syrup, and a couple of other secret parts of the recipe, and just mix it up."

The gunshots and blood may seem real, but Holcom wants people to know there's no danger to the actors or the audience. The guns don't use real gunpowder; the only thing they discharge is sound.

"You don't have to have all this special training for" the guns, Holcom says, "and they work just as well."

If "The Lieutenant of Inishmore" were a movie, Jenkins says, he would rate it R. So "consider that before bringing your children," the director warns.