Irish Rep Will Celebrate 30th Anniversary With Public Block Party

Irish Repertory Theatre, the New York home for Irish and Irish-American theatre, will celebrate their 30th Anniversary this fall with a special public block party. The event, which is free and open to all ages, will be held on Saturday, September 15, 2018, 30 years to the day from the first-ever Irish Rep performance. Featured performers at the block party will include Tony Award winner Bill Irwin (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) and Leenya Rideout (War Horse), each of whom have conceived and will star in their own respective solo shows at Irish Rep this fall.

From 11am-2pm on Saturday, September 15, 22nd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, the block Irish Rep (132 W 22nd Street) has called home for the past 23 years, will be closed off to accommodate the festivities. The event will include a live Q&A with Charlotte Moore and Ciarán O'Reilly, face painting, McManus Irish Dance / Jiggy Tots Step Dancing workshop for children, Adult Step Dancing workshop with choreographer Barry McNabb, guided tours of the Irish Rep venue, and a public-participation poetry reading.

Along with Irwin and Rideout, performers will include Master of Ceremonies Paul Keating, plus music by The Bloom of Youth Céilí Band; Lúnasa Lite with Kevin Crawford, Cillian Vallely, and Patrick Doocey; Christine Tobin; The Green Fields of America with Mick Moloney, Billy McComiskey, Dana Lyn, Liz Hanley, Brenda Dolan, and Niall O'Leary, and more!

All programming is free and open to the public. Food will be available for purchase from the DUB Pies food truck and the Anhelado ice cream cart.

Currently in performances on the Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage is On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, starring John Cudia (The Phantom of the Opera), Ben Davis (Violet, A Little Night Music), and Tony Award-nominee Melissa Errico (Finian's Rainbow). On A Clear Day features music by Burton Lane and book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. Adapted and directed by Charlotte Moore (Finian's Rainbow), On A Clear Day opened on June 28 and will run through September 6, 2018.

Next on the Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage is the New York premiere of On Beckett, conceived and performed by Tony Award winner Bill Irwin (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?). On Beckett begins performances on September 26, with an opening night set for October 3 and a run through November 4, 2018.

Coming to the W. Scott McLucas Studio Stage this fall is the world premiere of Wild Abandon by Leenya Rideout (War Horse). Directed by Lisa Rothe (Hold These Truths), Wild Abandon begins performances on September 19, with an opening night set for September 25 and a run through October 21, 2018.

For more information about Irish Repertory Theatre visit www.irishrep.org.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos