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Chilling tales in a warm pub The story takes place in some remote and unnamed stretch of northern Ireland, but for the next three weeks the action takes place in Ashland's Black Sheep Pub, as Oregon Stage Works puts on The Weir, Conor McPherson's celebratory play of Irish story telling. "In Ireland," says Director Caroline Shaffer, "storytelling is not really an art form, something that performers do. It's more of a community expression, a living room thing. It's cold in Ireland, and it costs too much to heat the house, so everyone goes to the pub. And storytelling is the entertainment. "We don't really have anything like it here in America. Our storytelling takes place in the theater, so this play is a natural. I pushed for this play; I love the play." Pat O'Scannel, who is putting together music for the production, concurs. "When I first read the play I was blown away," she said. "It has a lot of dialect and is trying to relate a specific place and time. There's a lot of fairy lore and ghost stories and how you absorb that when you're part of the culture." McPherson, born in Dublin in 1970, has written a series of plays based on Irish culture, including Rum and Vodka, The Good Thief, St. Nicholas, A Dublin Carol, and This Lime Tree Bower. The Weir, his "breakthrough" play, was first produced in Dublin in 1997, then moved on to London and Broadway, winning an Oliver Award in 1999. While placing a play that takes place in an Irish pub in an English pub might present some ironies, Shaffer says OSW jumped at the opportunity. "Peter Alzado [OSW's Artistic Director] wanted to produce something while they were waiting for their new A Street Theater to come together, and Susan, the owner of the Black Sheep, offered the use of the pub. She's been wonderful." "The play takes place in a small and rustic Irish pub and the Black Sheep as a space isn't really comparable: It's large and roomy. But it has the same spirit, the ambiance and heart of a community pub, so it works. And it has great site lines." During the showings of The Weir, the Black Sheep's two English Union Jack flags will be covered up with small Irish flags, and the tables and chairs will be re-configured to allow for the action, which takes place in the fireplace area and at the bar. The restaurant's full menu, including its famed Irish stew, will be available to play-goers before the show, and "you'll be able to drink your Guinness while watching the play," says Shaffer. "The audience will be part of the action. There's a lot of drinking in this play; it's all about drinking." "It's a little different to be putting this on at the Black Sheep," Shaffer continues. "The actors have to work harder to establish who they are, at being in control of the space." To meet the challenge, Shaffer has brought in actor Andy Peterson. "I worked with him down in the Bay Area, and he did the Fringe Festival is Seattle. It's a different style of theater; back in the day we called it the 'fly by the seat of your pants' theater. We had great people, great text, but not a lot of resources. "There's something to be said for having support, believe me," said Shaffer, herself an actor at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. "But it's something else to have to do a lot of work, and make do with what you have." OSF actor Tim Blough is also in the production. "He's understudying for several roles at OSF," explains Shaffer. "He has many, many scripts in his head, but he's on hold with all this pent-up energy, so we're making use of it." Other actors include Alzado, Kate Sullivan and Jim Bowen. O'Scannel adds a musical element to the production. Currently the Artistic Director of Terra Nova Consort and the Music Director of OSF's Green Show, O'Scannel is second-generation Irish on both sides of her family. "I was brought up with the traditional music," she says, "and as an adult I pursued it further." O'Scannel formed the Celtic group Criona, which played throughout Oregon for some ten years. "As we were getting into this," she says of The Weir, "we decided that underscoring this play wouldn't be a really good idea. So we'll play to lead into the play, and at the end of the play. We set the feeling for being in the space that we're in, creating a session atmosphere." O'Scannel will be joined by Sue Carney, who sings and plays the balron; Kevin Car on pipes, fiddle and button accordion; and Barbara Mendelssohn on keyboard. "The one proviso," says O'Scannel, "was that as we're leading into the play we want a haunty air on the penny whistle. I'll either write something or improvise, or maybe I'll choose a piece on the spot. I'll be unaccompanied in the Sean Nos style." Other musicians may join in after the play, and the Black Sheep will serve up a dessert. The Weir shows at the Black Sheep Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights, Oct. 13-15; Oct. 10-22; and Oct. 27-29. 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