MCGOLDRICKS' THREAD Takes Three Awards at ORIGIN'S 1ST IRISH 2013; Winners Announced!

The musical "McGoldricks' Thread" sowed up three major awards at the closing ceremonies last night of the sixth Origin's 1st Irish Theatre Festival, held at Papillon Bistro & Bar, 22 East 54th Street. The crowd-pleasing show, brimming with Irish step dancing performed by a youth-dominated cast, won for Best Production, and Best Direction for Kira Simring. The production also was honored with the Festival's Special Jury Prize.

For her heartbreaking portrayal of a Bosnian farmwoman in "The International," Carey Van Driest grabbed the Best Actress Award. Michael Mellamphy, the star of "The Cure," won the award for best actor. Also for "The International," one of three plays seen in the festival's Next Generation Series, Tim Ruddy was voted Best Playwright. The award for top production design went to the designers of "The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle," produced by Dublin's multi-award winning 15th Oak. In all eight plays were seen in competition during the month-long festival which ran from September 2 to 29.

The sixth annual edition of 1st Irish, the first and only festival in the world dedicated to Irish playwrights, welcomed two productions from Ireland, and six from the U.S. by contemporary Irish playwrights from Belfast, Dublin, Boston and New York. A total of six were world premieres.

NY 1 News personality Patrick Pacheco was among the presenters who handed out awards in eight categories, including the Origin Award, recognizing special achievement by a Festival participant. This year the honor -- conferred by fest producer Origin Theatre Company -- went to Northern Irish playwright Jimmy Kerr, who, in his third Festival as a contributor, embodies the cross-boundary collaborative spirit of the Festival. The Festival's blue-ribbon jury consisted of the actresses Sarah Rice and Geraldine Hughes and the journalists Andy Lefkowitz and Leslie (Hoban) Blake.

Lefkowitz, who is the managing editor of TheaterMania.com, presented the Special Jury Prize to the choreographers of "McGoldrick's Thread" -- Joe Barros, Garrett Coleman and Jason Oremus -- for adding a unique dimension to a musical that involved dozens of young dancers and their families in a fun show.
The list of nominees is as follows: Best actress - Olivia Horton ("The Compass Rose"); Sonya Kelly ("I Can See Clearly Now (The Wheelchair on my Face)"); Fiana Toibin ("A Lady is Waiting") and Carey Van Driest ("The International"). Best actor -Ted Schneider ("The International"); Peter Cormican ("McGoldrick's Thread"); Dave McEntegart ("The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle"), David Mitchell ("The Compass Rose"), and Michael Mellamphy ("The Cure"). Best Director - Dan Herd ("The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle"); David Sullivan ("The Compass Rose"); Christopher Scott ("The Morons") and Kira Simring ("McGoldrick's Thread"). Best Playwright - Conal Creedon "The Cure;" Sonya Kelly "I Can See Clearly Now;" Ronan Noone "The Compass Rose," and Tim Ruddy "The International." Best Design -- "McGoldrick's Thread;" "The Morons;" and "The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle." Best Production -- "The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle," "The Morons," and "McGoldrick's Thread."

The Closing Night Awards Ceremony was coordinated by Ciaran Grant and Antonia Reilly.

Among the 14 Irish and American theatre and arts venues which presented or produced events at the festival this year are 59E59 Theaters; Theatre 80 St. Marks; The Cell; Ryan's Daughter Pub; The Lyric Theatre of Belfast; the New York Irish Center in Queens; WB Yeats Society; National Arts Club; the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts; Arlene's Grocery; NYU's Glucksman Ireland House; the American Irish Historical Society; The Irish Arts Centre, and ART New York.

Funding support for Origin's 1st Irish 2013 is generously provided by the Festival Sponsors: Mutual of America; McVicker & Higginbotham; the Arts Council of Northern Ireland; the Northern Ireland Bureau; Tourism Ireland; the American Ireland Fund; the Irish Consulate, New York; The Irish Examiner, and the NY State Council for the Arts.

Curated and coordinated by the New York-based Origin Theatre Company, George C. Heslin artistic director, Origin's 1st Irish, the only festival of its kind to focus exclusively on the work of Irish playwrights, is the city's only all-Irish theatre festival. Throughout the year, Origin, now in its eleventh season, produces the New York and American premieres of plays by emerging European playwrights. For festival information visit www.1stIrish.org.