Ed Malone Directs THE BALLAD OF CHARLIE AND CATE Reading at Irish Rep Tonight

Tonight, June 24th at 1:00pm acclaimed Irish Playwright, Ed Malone, will direct a Special Industry (by invitation only) Pre-Broadway Reading of his new revolutionary play THE BALLAD of CHARLIE and CATE.

The reading will take place at The Irish Repertory Theatre, a grand theatrical institution currently celebrating its 25th Year Anniversary, located at 132 West 22nd Street - between Sixth and Seventh Avenues.

Starring esteemed Irish actresses, Joe Kinsella and Laoisa Sexton, this is the groundbreaking comedy's first public outing.

THE BALLAD of CHARLIE and CATE is a darkly comic play that traces the rise and fall and rise again of two working class sisters, Cate and Charlie Maloney, who were born and currently reside in Tallaght, a sexy, sassy, but ultimately shambolic suburb of Dublin in the romantic Republic of old Ireland. The play takes place between 1974 and 2013.

Jo Kinsella and Laoisa Sexton portray 26 characters in approximately 60 minutes at a rapid fire speed that choreographs the play's language in an exhilarating verbal ballet that includes, in it corps de ballet, everything from love, death, sex, rock 'n' roll, ghosts, Gabriel Byrne, The Beatles, Abba, The Pogues, Simon Cowell, an unwanted son, a runaway Dad, a suicidal Mam, a predatory teacher, a sadistic landlord and the River Liffey.

A large stream of flowing water that carries dreams, hopes and bodies with it on its way through Dublin to the Irish Sea where it deposits the expectations, desires, ambitions and relatives of the oppressed, downtrodden and unemployed.

Mr. Simon Cowell describes Cate, also known as Cate The Great, as a whimpering working class sentimental little Irish girl who wins the hearts and minds of millions of viewers throughout the British isles and throughout the world with her sad gaunt porcelain face and tragically earnest vocal delivery.

The author, Mr. Ed Malone, describes Charlie Maloney as a two-fisted tough who murdered fourteen-year-old Cate's heartless seducer by mistake. She's also a bit overweight, a persistent annoyance that is remedied in prison. The Maloney sisters owe back taxes, the mortgage and the grocer. They are waiting for Maggie Thatcher to die. Until that time, they remain a boil on Dublin's backside.

ABOUT ED MALONE (Author/Director): Ed is a playwright, director, actor and clown who was born and raised in Cork City, Ireland. He moved to New York in 2007 after two years of schooling in Paris - first in Ecole Jacque Lecoq and then working with the legendary French Clown Philippe Gaulier at Ecole Philippe Gaulier. His solo play The Three Irish Widows versus the Rest of the World received three sold-out runs in New York City in 2010. "Do yourself a favor, see this play" - said nytheatre.com. Ed's debut play The Self Obsessed Tragedy of Ed Malone toured Ireland and England extensively to great critical acclaim and along with it's sequel The Self Obsessed Tragedy of Ed Malone Chapter Two reveled in a sold-out run at Stage Left Studios in New York City in the spring of 2009. Mr. Malone is a member of the Dramatist's guild of America.

ABOUT Jo Kinsella (Charlie Maloney): Jo Kinsella is a native of Co. Kilkenny,Ireland. She's just back from a UK/Ireland tour of For Love which was performed at The Derry Playhouse,Grand Opera House Belfast,Theatre Royal Waterford,Axis Ballymun Dublin,The Viking Theatre Clontarf & The Town Hall Galway. Irish theatre credits include West Side Story,Theatre Royal Waterford.The Year of the Hiker and Drama at Inish The Moondarraig Players regional tour.New York theatre credits include Val in For Love at The Irish Repertory Theatre two roles in 1st IrishTheatre Festival 2012 Val in For Love and Deirdre in House Strictly Private which she won The 1st Irish Special Achievement Award for Remarkable contributions to 1st Irish Theatre Festival 2012. She played Maggie in the 20th Anniversary Production of Dancing at Lughnasa at The Irish Repertory Theatre, dazzling performances in Hamm & Clov Stage Company's productions of An Aisling Christmas,Of Pubs and Parishes,The Ring and A Touch of the Playwright(both directed by Tony Award-winner the late Theodore Mann),as well as the very first production of Ardnaglass on the Air and again in 1st Irish Festival 2010.She has also been seen as Helen in Living Quarters,Moll in Moll and Maggie in Big Maggie with PJM Production Co., as well as An Adult Evening with Shel Silverstein and The Snow Quest with ONEtime Productions at The Antonowsky Center for Performing Arts. On Bloomsday she's read Joyce's Eveline along with Colum McCann & previously with Fionnula Flanagan in NYC. TV: Eugene Pilot ,Comedy Central directed by Jon Watts.Besides her also doing stand-up comedy at various and sundry venues around the globe,her voice can be heard at Action Center to End World Hungerpresented by Tina Fey.

ABOUT Laoisa Sexton (Cate The Great Maloney): Recent theater includes the European premiere/Irish tour, of the critically acclaimed For Love, which she also wrote. The play toured to the UK City of Culture Festival as well as six theaters across Ireland. The play also received its Off-Broadway premiere at the Irish Repertory Theatre directed by Tim Ruddy. Long Days Journey into Night directed by Joe Dowling at The Guthrie Theater. The US premiere of For Love for 1st Irish Theater Festival NYC, Rebecca, Bonnie Bob (NY Theatre Ensemble) NY & Irish/European premiere of John Paul Murphy's acclaimed The Prophet of Monto at The Flea Theater NYC and Dublin premiere for Axis, Ballymun, Laoisa won the Ist Irish Theater Festival Best Actress Award for her role as Zoe, and the play was directed by Des Kennedy (Out of Joint Theatre Company) Other NY Theater credits include Oh The Power by David Bar Katz directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman for LABryrinth Theater Company Barn Series. TheUS premiere of Cell by Paula Meehan. The critically acclaimed NY/US premiere of Ladies & Gents by Paul Walker and Karl Shiels, produced by the Irish Arts Centre which was performed in the public toilets of Central Park. Conor Mc Pherson's Shining City at Studio Theatre, DC directed by Joy Zinoman. Gaslight at Irish Rep Theatre, directed by Charlotte Moore. Laoisa also received rave reviews for her role as the smack hungry lap dancer, in the European premiere of Dirtyworks, directed by Kevin Kittle for Stiff Upper Lip Theatre, also toured to Edinburgh Theatre Festival. Also, for Stiff Upper lip, Some Voices by Joe Penhall, directed by Kevin Kittle. Irish/ UK theatre credits include, The Pitchfork Disney, The Hostage, Fool For Love, Abigail's Party, An Ideal Husband, Lovers. Films include: The Standard Man, The Beatle Fan, Blur. Short films include: The One Time, Last Stop Paradise, Right Now Ladies & Gents. Irish TV, a few roles on the prime time soap opera Fair City. As playwright, she has written For Love, Bridget, and The Last Days of Cleopatra

ABOUT THE IRISH REPERTORY THEATRE (25th Anniversary Season): The Irish Repertory Theatre provides a context for understanding the contemporary Irish-American experience through evocative works of theater, music, and dance. This mission is accomplished by staging the works of Irish and Irish-American classic and contemporary playwrights, encouraging the development of new works focused on the Irish and Irish-American experience, and producing the works of other cultures interpreted through the lens of an Irish sensibility. Founded by Ciarán O'Reilly and Charlotte Moore, The Irish Repertory Theatre opened its doors in September 1988 with Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the Stars. In 1995, the theater made its permanent home in Chelsea on three completely renovated floors of a former warehouse, allowing for both a Main Stage theater and a smaller studio space, the W. Scott McLucas Studio. The Irish Repertory Theatre is currently the only year-round theater company in New York City devoted exclusively to bringing Irish and Irish-American works to the stage. Recognized with the 2013 Outer Critics Circle Special Achievement Award, the 2007 Jujamcyn Theatres Award, a special Drama Desk Award for "Excellence in Presenting Distinguished Irish drama," and the Lucille Lortel Award for "Outstanding Body of Work," The Irish Repertory Theatre has celebrated the very best in Irish theater for twenty-five years, from the masters to the new generation of Irish and Irish-American writers who are transforming the stage. More than 40,000 audience members annually attend productions at The Irish Rep where they experience the company's engaging perspective on the Irish and their unique contributions to the world of drama.

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