{"id":410472,"date":"2026-09-25T16:34:33","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T16:34:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/410472\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T16:34:33","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T16:34:33","slug":"lab-theatre-presents-high-stakes-mystery-the-pillowman-oct-8-25-wgcu-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/410472\/","title":{"rendered":"Lab Theatre presents high-stakes mystery &#8216;The Pillowman&#8217; Oct. 8-25 | WGCU News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In a police station interrogation room, two detectives question a fiction writer about a series of incidents that resemble his short stories. What ensues is a clever cat-and-mouse game filled with quick-witted banter, unexpected plot twists and the intricate storytelling that makes top-tier detective dramas like \u201cLaw &amp; Order\u201d and \u201cSVU\u201d so addictive.<\/p>\n<p>But there\u2019s so much more to the \u201cThe Pillowman\u201d said Director Nykkie Rizley.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s about four profoundly broken human beings in a pressure cooker where no one is purely good or evil, and the line between monster and victim is constantly shifting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Laboratory Theatre presents Martin McDonagh\u2019s high-stakes mystery \u201cThe Pillowman\u201d Oct. 8-25.<\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image\" alt=\" Ariel (Ryan Adair) and Tupolski (Christian Rivera) interrogate fiction writer Katurian (Jon Declet). \"  width=\"880\" height=\"586\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790354071_435_.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Courtesy of The Laboratory Theatre of Florida<\/p>\n<p>\/<\/p>\n<p>Paula Sisk,  Director of Media Relations, The Laboratory Theater of Florida<\/p>\n<p>Ariel (Ryan Adair) and Tupolski (Christian Rivera) interrogate fiction writer Katurian (Jon Declet). <\/p>\n<p>MORE INFORMATION:<\/p>\n<p>Director Nykkie Rizley highlights the razor-sharp wit and psychological chess match at the heart of this play to deliver an engaging theatrical mystery where every clue counts.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Listen, if you love \u2018Law &amp; Order: SVU\u2019 or \u2018Criminal Minds,\u2019 this show is going to hit you right in the chest,&#8221; said Rizley. &#8220;On the surface, \u2018The Pillowman\u2019 is an edge-of-your-seat crime procedural: a tense interrogation room, brutal mind games, and a twisted mystery that keeps you guessing until the absolute last second. But Martin McDonagh\u2019s writing is so brilliant because it goes way beyond a typical detective story. It\u2019s darkly funny, it\u2019s raw, it\u2019s razor-sharp, and it\u2019s going to leave you breathless.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Pillowman\u201d features Jon Declet (Katurian), Chris Noonan (Michal), Christian Rivera (Tupolski), Ryan Adair (Ariel), Madelaine Weymouth (The Mother), Aseem Upadhyay (The Father), and Magnolia Gallant (The Boy &amp; The Girl).<\/p>\n<p>Rated 18+ for mature content, including explicit descriptions of harm to children, simulated violence, and sudden loud gunshots.<\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image\" alt=\"'Pillowman' cast members Chris Noonan, who plays Michal, and Magnolia Gallant, who plays The Boy and The Girl.\"  width=\"880\" height=\"587\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790354072_319_.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Courtesy of The Laboratory Theater of Florida<\/p>\n<p>\/<\/p>\n<p>Paula Sisk, Media Relations, The Laboratory Theater of Florida <\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Pillowman&#8217; cast members Chris Noonan, who plays Michal, and Magnolia Gallant, who plays The Boy and The Girl. <\/p>\n<p>Performance dates<\/p>\n<p>Performances of \u201cThe Pillowman\u201d are:<\/p>\n<p>Oct. 9, 10, 15, 16, 22, 23 &amp; 24 at 7:30 p.m.; andOct. 11, 17, 18, 25 at 2 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>There is also a half-price preview at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 8. [Note: previews are considered final dress rehearsals. Thus, the director may, in her discretion, pause the action if necessary to make adjustments or give the actors notes or other direction.]<br \/>Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for students. Tickets may be purchased at www.laboratorytheaterflorida.com or by calling the box office at 239-291-2905.<\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image\" alt=\"Director Nykkie Rizley highlights the razor-sharp wit and psychological chess match at the heart of the play to deliver an engaging theatrical mystery.\"  width=\"880\" height=\"1320\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790354072_52_.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Courtesy of The Laboratory Theater of Florida<\/p>\n<p>\/<\/p>\n<p>Paula Sisk, Media Relations, The Laboratory Theater of Florida <\/p>\n<p>Director Nykkie Rizley highlights the razor-sharp wit and psychological chess match at the heart of the play to deliver an engaging theatrical mystery.<\/p>\n<p>About The Laboratory Theater of Florida<\/p>\n<p>The Laboratory Theater of Florida is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of the performing arts through live performance, education, community outreach, experimentation, and the development of ensemble work. The company features ensemble productions, produces classic works, and takes artistic risks which both feature and challenge local performers.<\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image\" alt=\"The Laboratory Theater of Florida\"  width=\"880\" height=\"535\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790354073_552_.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n<p>\/<\/p>\n<p>WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n<p>The Laboratory Theater of Florida is dedicated to the promotion of the performing arts through live performance, education and community outreach.<\/p>\n<p>For more information, visit www.LaboratoryTheaterFlorida.com or the physical location at 1634 Woodford Ave., in the Fort Myers River District.<\/p>\n<p>Support for WGCU\u2019s arts &amp; culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.<\/p>\n<p>!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)<br \/>\n{if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?<br \/>\nn.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};<br \/>\nif(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=&#8217;2.0&#8242;;<br \/>\nn.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;<br \/>\nt.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];<br \/>\ns.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,&#8217;script&#8217;,<br \/>\n&#8216;https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js&#8217;);<br \/>\nfbq(&#8216;init&#8217;, &#8216;138417744929891&#8217;);<br \/>\nfbq(&#8216;track&#8217;, &#8216;PageView&#8217;);<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In a police station interrogation room, two detectives question a fiction writer about a series of incidents that&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":410473,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210],"class_list":["post-410472","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410472","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=410472"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410472\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/410473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=410472"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=410472"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=410472"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}