The year is 1980. A former movie actor, Ronald Reagan, whose great-grandfather was an emigrant from the village of Ballyporeen in County Tipperary, is the newly-elected, 40th president of the United States. That same year another emigrant, Ciarán O’Reilly from County Cavan, was performing in an off-Broadway play called Summer by the Irish writer Hugh Leonard, where he met an … [Read more...] about Hall of Fame: Irish Repertory Theatre Founders Charlotte Moore & Ciarán O’Reilly
Theater
Long-Lost James Connolly Play May Be Found
In Nora Connolly’s 1935 memoir of her father, James Connolly, she mentions a play of his entitled The Agitator’s Wife, which scholars have never been able to find. A short story of the same name was recently discovered in an obscure journal in Warwick University’s library, leading University of Glasgow academics to believe it could be the long-lost work. The short story, which … [Read more...] about Long-Lost James Connolly Play May Be Found
O'Neill a Success in New Ross
The Eugene O’Neill Theatre Festival in New Ross, called “One Festival, Two Countries,” was a big success. The first half of the festival, the 19th Annual Eugene O’Neill Festival in Danville, was held throughout September 2018, and the second half, the First Annual Eugene O’Neill International Festival of Theatre, was held in New Ross October 11-14, 2018, with over 50 visitors … [Read more...] about O'Neill a Success in New Ross
Irish Repertory Theatre’s Seafarer Revival Lands Home
Dublin-born playwright Conor McPherson’s 2006 play The Seafarer opened in an off-Broadway revival at the Irish Repertory Theatre in April, directed by County Cavan native Ciarán O’Reilly. Starring Matthew Broderick alongside Andy Murray, who plays lead character John “Sharky” Harkin, the Dublin-set play explores the earthy issues of middle age, infirmity, and alcoholism … [Read more...] about Irish Repertory Theatre’s Seafarer Revival Lands Home
Deirdre O’Connell’s Fanatic Heart
The Bronx girl who changed the face of Irish theater. ℘℘℘ An enigma and a shapeshifter, she changed her first name each time her life entered a new incarnation. Baptized Eleanor, she was Ellie as a child, a little beauty with a bounty of red-gold hair. Her gifts – singing, dancing, and especially acting – were supported by her parents who encouraged creativity in … [Read more...] about Deirdre O’Connell’s Fanatic Heart