BWW Interviews: CHARLOTTE MOORE and Irish Repertory Theatre

Charlotte Moore is the Artistic Director and co-Founder of the highly acclaimed Irish Repertory Theatre along with Producing Director, Ciarán O'Reilly. The Irish Rep is currently the only year-round theatre company in New York City devoted to bringing Irish and Irish American works to the stage. Recognized with the Jujamcyn Theatres Award, a special Drama Desk Award for "Excellence in Presenting Distinguished Irish Drama," an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Achievement, and the Lucille Lortel Award for "Outstanding Body of Work," the Irish Rep has celebrated the very best in Irish theatre for over twenty-five years, from the masters to the new generation of Irish and Irish American writers who are transforming the stage. The theatre is currently producing Da, written by Hugh Leonard and directed by Charlotte Moore through March 8th.

Ms. Moore's recent directing assignments include A Christmas Memory, Juno and the Paycock, Donnybrook!, It's A Wonderful Life, New Girl in Town, Dancing at Lughnasa, Molly Sweeney, Aristocrats, Oliver! starring Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Camelot starring Jeremy Irons and Melissa Errico. Her New York stage appearances include Major Barbara, A Perfect Ganesh, Meet Me in St. Louis, The Perfect Party, Morning's at Seven, Private Lives (with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton), Love for Love, Holiday, Chemin de Fer, The Great God Brown, A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur, and many performances with the New York Shakespeare Festival. Ms. Moore has directed all of the Annual Broadway Benefit Galas. She has received two Tony Award nominations, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Drama Desk Award, the Drama League Award, the Irish America Top 100 Irish Award, The Eugene O'Neill Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2008 Irish Women Of The Year Award. She is the recipient of the St. Patrick's Committee in Holyoke's John F. Kennedy National Award, and has twice been listed as one of the "50 Most Influential Women" in the Irish America Magazine/Irish Voice newspaper. Moore was named "Director of the Year" by The Wall Street Journal in 2011.

Broadwayworld.com had the opportunity to interview Moore about her fascinating career and the Irish Rep.

We asked Moore when she first realized her interest in theater.

Coming from a small farming town in the Midwest, I got my first theatrical experiences from the movies, and then from my mother, who loved having me recite Christmas stories for her local clubs and at school when I was five years old.

I had two mentors in school at Washington University in St. Louis...the head of the Drama Department and a teacher who directed the productions. They told me I should try professional theater, and I was off like a shot.

With such an impressive career, we wanted to know who Moore has admired in the theatrical community.

My list of admired actors and performers is huge....I was especially lucky to have had the opportunity to work closely with Stephen Porter and Ellis Raab as directors....and to watch actors such as Rosemary Harris perform. I was once chastised by a critic in Sarasota for attempting to imitate Rosemary.

Moore is clearly proud of the success of Irish Rep starting with its inception.

Ciaran O'Reilly and I met when we were cast in a Hugh Leonard play directed by the great Brian Murray. We began by doing what we thought would be one or two plays...but that has blossomed into over a hundred.

Co-incidentally, we are doing one of our favorite Hugh Leonard plays at the moment ...Da, a Tony winning memory play with an excellent Irish cast.

Previously this season, we presented a contemporary Conor McPherson work (PORT AUTHORIY), and the New York Premiere of a musical taken from the Truman Capote short story (A CHRISTMAS MEMORY).

We asked Moore about working with Ciarán O'Reilly, the Producing Director and Co-founder of Irish Rep.

Ciaran is such a fine actor, and is he currently playing one of the leading parts in DA. He's a native of County Cavan, Ireland, and has a distinguished record of leading parts in the Irish Rep Company.

Irish Rep's permanent theater space in Chelsea is currently under renovation. Moore shared a little bit about the plans.

Our renovation plans...a renovation that is currently happening....are extensive. We are looking forward to our state of the art new plant, which we hope will be ready in under a year. This new performing space -- if I live to see it (LOL) -- will be the culmination of our years of joyous hard work in an art form which does not always offer such rewards.

We asked Moore to share with us any other information that she wanted Broadwayworld.com readers to know.

Irish Rep is currently the only year-round New York City theatre company that's devoted to bringing Irish and Irish American works to the stage. The theater has celebrated the very best in Irish theatre for over twenty-five years, from the masters - such as James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, and Sean O'Casey -- to the new generation of Irish and Irish-American writers who are transforming the stage. Almost 40,000 people come to our intimate theater to see our productions each year. I invite everyone to come witness an engaging perspective on the Irish, and to experience their unique contributions to the world of drama.

For ticketing and information about Irish Repertory Theatre, visit their web site at www.irishrep.org or call them at (212) 727-2737. Da by Hugh Leonard and directed by Charlotte Moore will be on stage through March 8th. Irish Rep is currently performing at DR2 Theatre, 103 East 15th Street, NYC during the renovation of their home at 132 West 22nd Street, NYC.