A fae, featherless biped… behold, a Dol-Man! Publisher Nadia Lam and Deputy Arts Editor Sydney Kaufman attended The Dol-Men on February 28.

The Dol-Men, written and directed by Sebastian Bader (CC ‘26), ran for three performances as part of The Chain Theatre’s One-Act Fest. It follows the story of three Irish sprites, Ordach, Cael, and Laslo (Frankie Fidler, CC ‘28). The show was stage managed by Jada Mirabile (BC ‘28) and produced by Shea Rathburn (CC ‘26) and Frankie DeGiorgio (BC ‘24). Despite being trapped in a fairy circle, our three heroes encounter a wannabe monk (Ryan Puterbaugh, SEAS Grad), a saint (Morgan Johns, GS ‘26), and a bog witch.

The show opens with the titular Dol-Men lamenting their plight. Having sworn their lives in servitude to the fairy king, they find themselves trapped in his dolmen tomb after his death. Ordach, the former royal spear tester, finds himself at odds with Laslo, the mischievous former royal taster from an English manor. They are down a fourth compatriot after Ordach told her to attempt stepping out of the fairy circle, resulting in her demise. Cael, the voice of reason among the three, has the idea to pray to the Christian god for a miracle to escape from their situation, which goes sideways when Laslo disrupts their attempt by espousing his disbelief in the deity.

Shortly thereafter, the clerically-dressed Jimmy Gorman appears, and recommends the three try ascending to sainthood as it should allow them to be assumed into Heaven. They subsequently discover he is not, in fact, a man of the cloth, but rather has purchased the robes in order to fool his mother, who is pressuring him to take a wife. He recalls hearing stories of “little men” when he was younger, but cannot remember which ones. Before he is on his way, the three ask him to tell others that he met them. Next, they encounter Christina the Astonishing, a saint (canonized, according to our research, in 12th-century Belgium) whose offerings lack any flavor. As compensation for her assistance in escaping, she asks for some magic to solve her problem. Cael offers her garlic powder from his coat. Upon realizing she may soon run out, she goes back on her deal, stealing Cael’s coat right off his person and making off with it hastily. 

Ordach and Laslo begin to question Cael’s former occupation, becoming suspicious of the circumstances surrounding the king’s death. Their infighting attracts the attention of the bog witch (a figure reminiscent of the Junk Lady from Labyrinth). She scolds them for their petty arguing and reminds them of what they still have. Cael reveals he was the court magician, and indeed responsible for the king dying. The fairy king had heard tell of other fairy communities vanishing, a result of humans ceasing to tell stories about magic and fairy folk. Not wanting to fade away, he ordered Cael to assist him in a nobler end. The three reconcile with a renewed resolve to make something of their lives and find a way out of the circle.

With an exemplary set designed by Matthias Pridgeon (CC ‘29), memorable costumes by Vera Pankevich (CC ‘27) and assisted by Zoe Banta (CC ‘28), phenomenal lighting and sound by Isabelle Cowan (BC ‘26) and Jake David (CC ‘28) respectively, props by Jonathan Pankauski (SEAS PhD), and exquisite fights choreographed by Melañia Horowitz (CC ‘26), this was certainly one of the most lovingly produced one-acts either of these writers has seen. The Dol-Men is appropriately diverting and heartfelt, with well-paced comedic beats and refreshingly quirky characters. Not a moment was wasted or dull, and its message of perseverance is healthily conveyed (as well as unhealthily, through characters being whacked with the bog witch’s staff). The direction makes exceptional use of the space, with our heroes helplessly watching other characters enter and exit through the aisles of the theater while they stay trapped onstage, and the humor is disarmingly zany. (Our Deputy Arts Editor saw at least one exchange as being inspired by the Ace Attorney franchise… which could mean nothing, due to her liability to see its influence in many places).

Fidler does well as the impish Laslo, giving an endearing performance that adds great personality to the character’s antics. His sincerity meshes well both with that of the poser priest and the thieving saint, characters whose actions might have easily risked coming off as totally unsympathetic otherwise. Taking on a more earnest portrayal enables the audience to connect more fully with the story, which is to the play’s great advantage, as it is ultimately not a physical journey but an emotional one. The undeniably charismatic and humorous deliveries of Puterbaugh and Johns also create excellent dynamics with the three leads. Though the fairies’ goal of escaping the dolmen remains unchanged and ambiguous in success, their newfound shift in attitude is palpable thanks to what these expertly-performed interactions have taught them.

When asked for comment, Bader praised the wonderful cast and crew of the production, and cited Tibetan Buddhism as his inspiration. (Is this a Religion degree finally paying off?) “I was on an archaeological dig in Ireland and I noticed that seemingly all of the portal tombs that I visited didn’t have markings,” said Bader, in regards to his choice of setting. “Now, by the way, this professor was about [five] foot [three], had a long bushy red beard, and wore all green tweed (he might have been a leprechaun). But I asked him why no one ever did any graffiti and he told me that in every Irish person’s heart, they know that there’s a chance there might be fairies. Now, he made it clear that [it’s] not a rational thing, and no one says it, but there’s something that they believe in there.” (Our Publisher confirms, from her Irish side, that this is correct, and commends Bader for his thoughtful research of Irish folklore).

The Dol-Men is charming, earnest, and chock full of skilled performances from the lead and supporting cast alike. The play impressively tackles a lot of ground in only a little time. We may have caught its final showing, but we hope to see The Dol-Men performed again soon!

Header via Sebastian Bader