Irish Rep Hosts NEW WORKS READING SERIES, Next Reading 2/27

The Irish Repertory Theatre (132 West 22nd Street) is hosting a NEW WORKS READING SERIES to support new plays and emerging playwrights. As part of its mission statement, The Irish Repertory Theatre "encourages the development of new works focusing on the Irish and Irish American experience, as well as a range of other cultures." The next of the free staged readings is Rosemary by Jim O'Connor. The reading is on Friday, February 27th at 3 PM, tickets are free, and the event is open to the public. An RSVP to 212-727-2737 is required.

Rosemary will be read by John Behlmann* (Journey's End, Ghosts) Kristin Griffith* (The Master Builder, Stretch (a fantasia)), Lisa Joyce* (That Pretty Pretty or The Rape Play, Red Light Winter), Greg Keller (That Pretty Pretty or The Rape Play, The Seagull), Brian Kerwin* (August Osage County, "Big Love") and Laura Odeh* (Aristocrats, A Body of Water). *courtesy of AEA.

Rosemary is the story of a girl who only wants to fit in, and to please her father. The girl is Rosemary Kennedy. Her father, Joseph P. Kennedy, faces tough decisions as his daughter's fragile and unpredictable temperament continually disrupts his vision for the future. Innocence and ambition clash in this elemental family struggle. Rosemary's mother, Rose, and her siblings, Joe, Jr., Jack, and Kathleen, are all drawn into the family's unease. When war comes, the young Kennedys enter service. But Rosemary disappears from the family, forever. Rosemary Kennedy was given a lobotomy in 1941, and she remained in seclusion until her death in 2005. Rosemary dramatizes the world of her imagination and memory, and her place in the family before and after her brother Jack's presidency. We see her in her youth, in her solitude, and in a final tragic pact her father never bargained for.

An earlier draft of Rosemary won the 2002 Joseph Jefferson Citation for "Outstanding New Work" for the PROP Theatre production at Victory Gardens Theatre, Chicago. 


Jim O'Connor (playwright) has seen his full-length work produced in small professional theatres in New York, Chicago, LA, and Philadelphia, and in NYC workshops and readings at the Chelsea, the Lion, Abingdon, Actors Studio, Working Man's Clothes, Capital Rep, and others. His One-Acts, The New Communications Policy, and The New Arts Policy, won awards at American Globe, NYC, and at Stageworks in Hudson, NY. Productions: Glomar, Dig Here for Money (Actors Playhouse, and Al's Theatre, LA), Deep to Center (Actor's Outlet, NYC), Rosemary (Victory Gardens, Chicago, and Interact, Philadelphia). Rosemary won Chicago's 2002 Joseph Jefferson Citation for "Outstanding New Work." Jim is a graduate of St. Ignatius High School and John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. He also received degrees from Kent State and Hunter College, and is a member of the Dramatists Guild.

Kara Manning, Literary Manager, hopes that the reading series will "give playwrights, both emerging and more established, the invaluable opportunity to develop their new work in a supportive, safe environment and will also introduce some Irish playwrights, especially those who might not yet have the New York recognition they merit, to an American audience." The Irish Repertory Theatre's 2007 production of Stuart Carolan's Defender of the Faith was an alumnus of the 2006 New Works Reading Series. Charlotte Moore, Artistic Director, Ciarán O'Reilly, Producing Director, Jeffrey Chrzczon, General Manager

Winter/Spring 2009 readings are scheduled for March 27th and May 29th. There is no April reading. All readings are at 3 PM unless otherwise noted and are located at The Irish Repertory Theatre (132 West 22nd Street). Tickets are free and the reading is open to the public. Seating is limited. RSVP by calling The Irish Repertory Theatre Box Office at (212) 727-2737. For more information visit www.irishrep.org.

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 and is celebrating its 21st Season. The 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," and the Lucille Lortel Award for "Outstanding Body of Work," The Irish Rep has celebrated the very best in Irish theatre for over twenty years, from the masters to the new generation of Irish and Irish American writers who are transforming the stage. Nearly 38,000 audience members annually attend productions at our theatre located in the heart of New York's Off Broadway community. Once here, they witness The Irish Rep's engaging perspective on the Irish and their unique contributions to the world of drama.

 

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