Úna Clancy Joins THE DEAD, 1904 at Irish Rep

The Dead, 1904, the immersive adaptation of James Joyce’s classic story, has announced a change in casting. Estelle Parsons has departed the production due to personal conflicts.  “Aunt Kate” will be played by Irish actress Úna Clancy, who recently won great acclaim for her roles in The O’Casey Cycle and most recently for her role as “Lady Gregory” in the world premiere of Lady G. 

The Dead, 1904 is produced by Irish Repertory Theatre and Dot Dot Productions, in association with The American Irish Historical Society.

The Dead, 1904 is an immersive adaptation of James Joyce’s classic story, “The Dead,” adapted by the Pulitzer Prize-winning Irish poet Paul Muldoon and novelist Jean Hanff Korelitz. Directed by Irish Rep co-founder Ciarán O’Reilly, previews begin November 20, 2024, at The American Irish Historical Society (991 Fifth Avenue), with an opening night set for November 26, for a limited run through January 5, 2025. 

James Joyce’s novella, “The Dead,” describes a holiday gathering on January 6, 1904, the Feast of the Epiphany, in the Dublin home of two elderly sisters, Kate and Julia Morkan, and their niece, Mary Jane. At the party are students, friends, a celebrated tenor, a lost alcoholic, and the couple, Gabriel and Gretta Conroy. Over the course of an evening, there are conversations, music, dancing, and dining. There are speeches and disagreements – polite and impolite – and when it is all over Gabriel learns something about his wife that changes his sense of who she is and who they are to each other, of what it actually means to be alive, and to be dead.

This exquisite recreation of James Joyce’s haunting story was the most sought-after theatrical event of New York’s 2016-2018 holiday seasons. We relish the opportunity to welcome you again, or for the first time.

The cast of The Dead, 1904 will be led by Tony Award nominee Kate Baldwin and Christopher Innvar, with Tony Award nominee Mary Beth Peil. The cast will also include Heather Bixler, Terry Donnelly, Karen Killeen, Michael Kuhn, Aedin Moloney, Michael Mellamphy, Jodie Sweeney, and Gary Troy.