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Writing for Us
A CurtainUp Review
Tom Crean: Antarctic Explorer
Can you imagine standing where no one had stood before? ---Tom Crean


Aidan Dooley as Tom Crean
Aidan Dooley as Tom Crean
With his twinkling eyes, enthusiastic manner, self-deprecating grin and charming accent, Aidan Dooley is the consummate Irish storyteller. Dooley uses all these talents as both author and star of the one-man show now playing at the Irish Rep. And what a story he has to tell.

Tom Crean: Antarctic Explorer is an old-fashioned, swashbuckling adventure about the Antarctic in the early 20th century, which is now dubbed the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Crean took part in two of that era's most famous expeditions: Terra Nova and Endurance, each of which is given its own act. Since Crean never kept a diary, the play serves as the memoir he never wrote himself.

Tom Crean is more of a storytelling than a theatrical experience so it's a good thing that Dooley is such an appealing tale-teller. The show's educational rootsas a 15-minute Living Exhibit at London's Maritime History Museum have left their mark on the play. As Dooley details and demonstrates what exactly it was like as an Antarctic explorer, one begins to get the sense of being at an interactive museum exhibit.

When Dooley segues into Crean's actual adventures, however, the story becomes incredibly involving and exciting. Crean served under two of the more charismatic explorers of the day, and brought incredible stories from both experiences. The first act is about the tragic Terra Nova expedition in which Captain Robert Scott lost his life in a futile attempt to be the first to the South Pole. Tom Crean was sent back to base camp when were only 150 miles left to go, but his journey was was nearly as deadly as his commander's.

The second act brings an even livelier tale: Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton's disastrous attempt to traverse Antarctica itself. He and Crean ended up slogging through 800 miles of icy waters in a life raft and hiking through the glaciers of South Georgia to reach civilization.

This play is so unapologetically dependent on its storyteller that there's no credit for a director, set or costume designer. All of the credit (and all of the blame) here is to go to Aidan Dooley. Thankfully, Dooley has relied on his strengths as a storyteller and actor. He gives us a fascinating history lesson that brings the dangers and glories of another era to life.

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TOM CREAN: ANTARCTIC EXPLORER
Playwright: Aidan Dooley
Managing Director: Patrick A. Kelsey
Cast: Aidan Dooley (Tom Crean)
Lighting Design: Brian Nason
Running time: 2 hours, includes one intermission
Irish Repertory Theatre, 132 West 22nd Street, (212) 727-2737
www.irishrepertorytheatre.com
From 7/17/07 to 9/9/07; opens 7/22/07
Tues to Sat @ 8pm, Sat and Sun @ 3pm
Tickets: $60 and $55
Reviewed Julia Furay based on July 22 performance.
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©Copyright 2007, Elyse Sommer.
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