Irish Repertory Theatre Unveils Cast for ARISTOCRATS - Part of The Friel Project

Irish Repertory Theatre has revealed the cast for Aristocrats, the second production in The Friel Project. A retrospective of the work of renowned Irish playwright Brian Friel, The Friel Project celebrates Irish Rep’s 35th Anniversary and will take place October 2023 through May 2024.

Directed by Charlotte Moore (Two by Synge), Aristocrats will begin previews on Thursday January 11, 2024, with an opening night set for Sunday January 21, for a limited run throughSunday March 3, 2024, on the Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage at Irish Repertory Theatre (132 West 22nd Street).

The cast of Aristocrats will include Roger Dominic Casey (Bent), Meg Hennessy (London Assurance), Tom Holcomb (Meet Me in St Louis), Colin Lane (Three Small Irish Masterpieces),Shane McNaughton (The 8th), Tim Ruddy (A Touch of the Poet), Danielle Ryan (The Cordelia Dream) and Sarah Street (Belfast Girls).

Aristocrats will feature scenic design by Charlie Corcoran (Endgame), costume design by David Toser (A Child’s Christmas in Wales), lighting design by Michael Gottlieb (Translations), sound design and original music by Ryan Rumery (A Touch of the Poet) & M. Florian Staab (Endgame), and properties by Nicole Rozanski (Andersson). Pamela Brusoski is the Production Stage Manager and Rebecca C. Monroe is the Stage Manager.

Set in Ballybeg Hall in County Donegal, Brian Friel’s Chekhovian masterpiece chronicles the decaying home of District Justice O'Donnell, where the family congregate for a wedding, but stay to attend a funeral. Friel's tale of three sisters and their “eccentric” brother reveals the way in which the ache of one family becomes the microcosm for the ache of a society. 

Aristocrats was first produced in March 1979 at The Abbey Theatre in Dublin.

Irish Repertory Theatre hosted a revival of Aristocrats in 2009, directed by Charlotte Moore. The production featured John Keating, Geddeth Smith, Lynn Hawley, Orlagh Cassidy and Laura Odeh, and was described as a “first-rate revival” by The New York Times and praised for a “top flight ensemble” by The New York Daily News.

The performance schedule for Aristocrats is as follows: Wednesdays at 2pm & 7pm, Thursdays at 7pm, Fridays at 7pm, Saturdays at 2pm & 7pm, and Sundays at 3pm.

Tickets for Aristocrats start at $55 and are available at IrishRep.org. A 10% discount will be applied for patrons who purchase tickets to all three productions. Irish Rep members receive this discount in addition to their usual 20% discount.

The Friel Project features three of Friel’s works set in Ballybeg, a fictional town in Donegal, Ireland: Translations (1980) directed by Tony Award winner Doug Hughes (Doubt, A Parable), Aristocrats (1979) directed by Artistic Director Charlotte Moore (Two by Synge) and Philadelphia, Here I Come! (1964) directed by Producing Director Ciarán O’Reilly (Endgame). The Friel Project will also include selected concert readings from the playwright’s vast canon and additional planned events culminating in an exhibit in the Irish Repertory Gallery. Casts, additional creative team members, and further season event details will be announced at later dates.

Currently in performances at Irish Repertory Theatre is Translations, the first production in The Friel Project. Directed by Tony Award winner Doug Hughes (Doubt, A Parable). Translationsopened Sunday October 29 and will play an extended run through Sunday December 31, 2023.

Brian Friel (9 January 1929 – 2 October 2015) is widely regarded as one of Ireland’s greatest dramatists, having written over 30 plays across six decades. He was a member of Aosdána, the society of Irish artists, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Irish Academy of Letters, and the Royal Society of Literature where he was made a Companion of Literature. He was awarded the Ulysses Medal by University College, Dublin. His plays include Hedda Gabler (after Ibsen), The Home Place, Performances, Three Plays After (Afterplay, The Bear, The Yalta Game), Uncle Vanya (after Chekhov), Give Me Your Answer Do!, Molly Sweeney (Winner of the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Play), Wonderful Tennessee, A Month in the Country (after Turgenev), The London Vertigo (after Charles Macklin), Dancing at Lughnasa (Winner of 3 Tony Awards including Best Play, New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play, Olivier Award for Best Play), Making History, The Communication Cord, American Welcome, Three Sisters (after Chekhov), Translations, Aristocrats (Winner of the Evening Standard Award for Best Play and New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Play), Faith Healer, Fathers and Sons, Living Quarters, Volunteers, The Freedom of the City, The Gentle Island, The Mundy Scheme, Crystal and Fox, Lovers: Winners and Losers, The Loves of Cass Maguire, Philadelphia Here I Come!.

IRISH REPERTORY THEATRE

IRISH REPERTORY THEATRE, co-founded by Producing Director Ciarán O'Reilly and Artistic Director Charlotte Moore, is now in its 35th season after first opening its doors in September 1988 with Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the Stars. 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,” Irish Rep celebrates the very best in Irish theatre, from the masters to the new generation of Irish and Irish American writers who are transforming the stage. Nearly 50,000 audience members annually attend productions at Irish Rep’s theatre located in the heart of New York’s Off-Broadway community. Once here, they witness Irish Rep’s engaging perspective on the Irish and their unique contributions to the world of drama.

 

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