Twins find a lot to uncover in search for father’s grave

Estranged twin brothers who killed their father return to his Appalachian shack to move his body before it can be discovered in “Dirt.”

Red Herring Productions is presenting the world premiere of Creighton James’ dark comedy, which previews Thursday and opens Friday at the Franklinton Playhouse.

“It’s a twisted, witty and macabre kitchen-sink play dealing with the brothers’ relationship, their power struggle, family secrets and family loyalties,” said director Amanda Phillips, the playwright’s wife.

Set in Appalachia, the 95-minute two-act revolves around the brothers’ efforts to remove the body of their father, whom they killed seven years ago, before the state government tears down the shack through eminent domain to build a highway.

“In terms of the language rhythms, complicated family relationships, violence and dark humor, ‘Dirt’ is Sam Shepard ('True West') meets Martin Mcdonagh (‘The Lonesome West’) meets the Coen brothers,” Phillips said.

In the play, the brothers’ actions are motivated by fear of being arrested for murder, but they view their act as a mercy killing because their father was dying of black-lung disease from working in coal mines.

“You can’t have dark comedy without big tragedy,” said James, a Youngstown native and Ohio State University graduate.

“My sense of humor is very dry and dark. Nothing is sacred.”

Although his plays have been produced at New York’s International Fringe Festival and “Dirt” received a New York workshop in 2008, James had trouble finding a company willing to tackle the script’s technical challenges.

“I knew it would be hard to stage the play, with so much fighting and so much dirt to be dug up. I love that (Artistic Director) Michael Herring was willing to take a chance on this,” said James, 43, who returned to Ohio in 2016 after working 15 years in New York and Los Angeles.

The play’s title refers to more than the dirt onstage.

“The brothers are digging up dirt, literally and figuratively, with skeletons coming out of the closet,” James said.

“This play is more about their relationships . ... They’ve never had a chance to connect and have a lot of catching up to do.”

Benjamin Turner plays Jimmy, Rusty’s brother.

“Jimmy, the wayward son who left town, is a bit of a bully,” Turner said.

“He’s had a wild life, and he thinks he’s got it all together. His downfall is his naivete and ignorance of the world.”

A native of Springfield, Turner grew up with two brothers and worked in agricultural jobs. Turner found it easy to relate to his role.

“I’ve been able to draw quite a bit from that,” Turner said. “I’m playing the role that my older brother played in our family, so it’s been interesting to step into his shoes.”

New Zealand native Samuel Bowen Partridge plays Rusty, an Appalachian resident, husband, churchgoer and mine worker.

“They’re fraternal twins, emotionally compromised, but Jimmy is a little more aggressive while Rusty tries to be a good person,” Partridge said.

“Growing up, the brothers weren’t good communicators and had conflicts at school. Rusty was probably the favorite at home, but Jimmy was the popular one at school . ... When they get together again, they have to deal with their old conflicts. So much has changed that they’re renegotiating their relationship.”

Although the brothers hope to dig up their father’s corpse quickly, they were drunk when they buried him and don’t recall the exact location.

“They end up having to dig a lot more holes than they thought they did,” Partridge said.

“All that digging will be hard work. I think we’ll be covered in dirt and sweat by the end.”