Irish Rep Extends DANCING AT LUGHNASA Thru 1/29

Off-Broadway's Irish Repertory Theatre announces an additional two-week of its hit 20th anniversary production of Brian Friel's Tony Award-winning play DANCING AT LUGHNASA, with performances now set to run through January 29, 2012 on the Irish Repertory's Francis J.
Greenburger Mainstage (132 West 22nd Street). New schedule begins December 13, with Off-Broadway performances Tuesdays-Saturdays at 8pm; plus 3pm matinees on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Charlotte Moore, who helmed the company's recent productions of Brian Friel's MOLLY SWEENEY, A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES, THE IRISH…AND HOW THEY GOT THAT WAY, ERNEST IN LOVE, WHITE WOMAN STREET, and CAMELOT IN CONCERT at Broadway's Shubert Theatre, directs.

Initially extended to run through January 15, the revival extends an additional two weeks to January 29, on the strength of its positive reviews and enthusiastic audience response, playing to sold-out houses since opening October 30. 

DANCING AT LUGHNASA opened on Broadway in October, 1991 and won the 1992 Tony Award for Best Play.

This extraordinary play, widely regarded as Friel's masterpiece, is the study of five unmarried sisters, named for Friel’s mother and sisters, ("those five brave, Glenties women") who live in a modest cottage in Donegal. On the threshold of the autumn of 1936, the household revolves around the eight year old love-child, Michael, and the Mundy brother priest, Uncle Jack, recently returned from 25 years in a leper colony in Uganda. Ancient tribal customs and Christian
beliefs clash as the autumnal fires celebrating the Harvest God, Lugh, bathe the landscape in golden light and distant music on the radio floats across the fields.

The sisters, with unfailing courage and sweet forgiveness, dance in a wild, final celebration of their way of life before it changes forever.

DANCING AT LUGHNASA features Orlagh Cassidy (PRESENT LAUGHTER, Outstanding Actress Drama Desk-nominee for Irish Repertory's production of John B. Keane's THE FIELD), Kevin Collins (THE YEATS PROJECT), Michael Countryman (Mary Stuart, Drama Desk-nominee for THE
COMMON PURSUIT), Annabel Hägg, Jo Kinsella, Aedín Moloney (HOBSON'S CHOICE, THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD), Ciarán O'Reilly (MOLLY SWEENEY, CANDIDA), and Rachel Pickup.

The production features set design by Antje Ellerman; costume design by Linda Fisher; lighting design by Richard Pilbrow and Michael Gottlieb; music by Ryan Rumery and Christian Frederickson; sound by M. Florian Staab; choreography by Barry McNabb; hair and wig design by
Robert-Charles Vallance; props by Deirdre Brennan. Production Stage Manager is Pamela Brusoski. Assistant Stage Manager is Rebecca C. Monroe.

In addition to DANCING AT LUGHNASA and MOLLY SWEENEY, Brian Friel's best known plays include TRANSLATIONS and Tony Award-nominated play PHILADELPHIA, HERE I COME! which was revived at Irish Repertory Theatre in 2005. His plays ARISTOCRATS and MAKING HISTORY were
presented at Irish Rep. in 2009 and 1991, respectively, directed by Ms. Moore. Mr. Friel's other plays include FAITH HEALER, WONDERFUL TENNESSEE, THE FREEDOM OF THE CITY, THE MUNDY SCHEME and among others, the Tony Award-nominated LOVERS. DANCING AT LUGHNASA ran for more than 400 performances on Broadway, winning the Tony Award for Best Play and garnering a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding New Play. In 1998, it was adapted for film starring Meryl Streep.

Co-founded by Producing Director Ciarán O'Reilly and Artistic Director Charlotte Moore, The Irish Repertory Theatre opened its doors in September 1988 with Sean O'Casey's THE PLOUGH AND THE STARS. The mission of the theatre was and remains to bring works by Irish and Irish American masters and contemporary playwrights to American audiences; to provide a context for understanding the contemporary Irish American experience; and to encourage the development of new works focusing on the Irish and Irish American experience, as well as a range of other cultures.

Performances of DANCING AT LUGHNASA run through January 29 at The Irish Repertory Theatre (132 West 22nd Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues): Tuesdays-Saturdays at 8pm; plus 3pm matinees on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $55 and $65, and are available by
calling 212-727-2737 or online at www.irishrep.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.