Pumpgirl: It's Not You, It's Us

By Julienne Bilker in Arts & Entertainment on May 14, 2009 7:30PM

It’s been over a month since Pumpgirl opened at A Red Orchid Theatre, but we finally made it to the little theater in Old Town for what we’d heard would be a great performance. And it was. The acting is stellar, the language is poetic even at its dirtiest, the story is compelling, and yet, we left…unsatisfied.

Set in Southern (near the border of Northern) Ireland, Pumpgirl is a glimpse into the lives of married couple Sinead and Hammy, and the title character, a tomboy who works at a local gas station with whom Hammy is having an affair. The story is told through intertwining monologues - the characters relate, but never directly speak to each other as they describe different sides of the same scenarios. It’s a clever but tiring conceit. For the most part everything flows well, but we found ourselves on the verge of yelling “TALK TO EACH OTHER!” toward the end of the play.

Perhaps we’re not as open-minded as we thought.

Sinead has “a whole family full of women who settled for fucking bastards,” and she is no exception. Kirsten Fitzgerald is powerful and funny with the kind of rich voice we'd like to hear narrate bedtime stories. As Hammy, an amateur racecar driver who prides himself on not wearing a helmet and takes full advantage of Pumpgirl’s love for him, Sean Bolger manages to evoke disgust and pity in the same breath. This role is usually played by Larry Grimm, but we wouldn’t have known Bolger was an understudy if we hadn’t, well, known. As the title character, deluded into believing she is Hammy’s girl and in love with him despite his emotional and physical abuse, Grace Rex channels a complex set of circumstances into a crystal clear portrayal.

Good story, top-notch acting, dark humor laced with beautifully descriptive language, and the best articulation of the word “fuck” we’ve heard in a good long while (all three actors have solid Irish brogues). Then why didn’t we love it? We just couldn’t get past the style. So, we’re back to the beginning: Pumpgirl, it’s not you, it’s us.

Pumpgirl, through May 24 at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells. Tickets $20-$25, student/senior/group rates available, 312-943-8722.