1. “The Cripple of
Inishmaan”
By Martin McDonagh
Project by Matt Blezow
2. A quick synopsis...
About a crippled boy named Billy who
wants desperately to leave his home
town, and get to America!
He gets his chance when a filmmaker,
filming a documentary on a nearby
island, is looking for people to come
back to Hollywood with him.
However, for Billy, America isn’t all it’s
cracked up to be...
3. Dramatic Needs in the Play
Billy has a few dramatic needs:
He needs friendship... in the play it is very obvious that he
really has no true friends.
He needs a change in his life; he needs to get out of
Inishmaan at the beginning.
He needs family. Billy is an orphan, and although he has his
“aunties,” they’re not technically related to him.
4. Dramatic Time in the Play
This play is episodic, meaning it takes place at different
places at different times, and it’s not over a very long period
of time.
The play itself has nine scenes, and one act.
It’s not considered an epic, because although it takes place
over about four months, it’s not over the period of a specific
event, such as a war or someone’s life.
5. Theatricality in the Play
There are some parts, one in particular, that are very theatrical.
In one part of the play, Helen breaks eggs on the head of her
brother, Bartley.
In another part, Billy is carrying a heavy bag of canned peas,
which the reader can assume he is going to use to drown
himself.
In yet another part, Bobby beats Billy severely with a lead pipe.
