THEATER | "The Cripple of Inishmaan" 

In 1934, a Hollywood film crew arrived on the western coast of Ireland to make a documentary about life on the Aran Islands — an isolated life that at least one inhabitant, "Cripple" Billy Claven, considers barren, poverty-stricken, and boring. Billy dreams of getting a part in the documentary as his ticket out. That's the situation of Martin McDonagh's dark comedy "The Cripple of Inishmaan," a 1996 play which was revived last season on Broadway with Daniel Radcliffe as Billy. It comes to SUNY Brockport this weekend and early in December with Sean Flynn as Billy. McDonagh ("The Beauty Queen of Leenane," "The Lonesome West," "The Lieutenant of Inishmore") is not known for his sunny view of Irish life, but director Padriac Lillis calls "The Cripple of Inishmaan" "obviously, incredibly Irish with its spirit of survival."

"The Cripple of Inishmaan," will be on stage Friday, November 21, through Sunday, November 23, and Thursday, December 4, through Saturday, December 6, at Tower Fine Arts Center Mainstage, 180 Holley Street, Brockport. $16, $11 seniors, $8.50 students, Brockport.edu/finearts.