Irish Rep's Immersive THE DEAD, 1904 Slates Off-Broadway Return

Irish Repertory Theatre and Dot Dot Productions, in association with The American Irish Historical Society, have announced the return of THE DEAD, 1904 - an immersive adaptation of James Joyce's classic story, "The Dead," adapted by the Pulitzer Prize winning Irish poet Paul Muldoon (Moy Sand and Gravel) and novelist Jean Hanff Korelitz (Admission, You Should Have Known).

Directed by Irish Rep co-founder Ciarán O'Reilly, THE DEAD, 1904 was one of last season's most sought-after tickets with a fully sold-out run and will now return for seven weeks only. Previews begin November 18th, 2017, with opening night set for November 30th, for a limited run through January 7th, 2018.

THE DEAD, 1904 is staged in the c. 1900 townhouse of The American Irish Historical Society (991 Fifth Avenue, New York) on the Upper East Side for an audience of just 57 people per night. The production travels over three floors of the building, which has been restored to period decoration. Rooms used include the lobby, parlor, dining room and upstairs library.

A holiday meal, inspired by descriptions of the feast in Joyce's story, has been created by Great Performances, one of the city's most celebrated caterers, to be served to cast and audience alike in the townhouse's elegant dining room. Wine, stout, and spirits will be served with the meal.

The menu for THE DEAD, 1904, prepared on-site daily for each show by Great Performances, features: Roast Turkey Breast Stuffed with Sprigs of Parsley & Herbs; Beef Tenderloin with Fig & Cocoa Glaze; Mashed "Floury" Potatoes; Cranberry & Pineapple Relish; Dried Figs; Artisanal Raisins served on the vine & Smoked Almonds; and Bread & Butter Pudding with Vanilla Custard.

THE DEAD, 1904 was adapted from the final novella in James Joyce's 1914 short story collection, Dubliners, and tells of a disillusioned man named Gabriel Conroy, who, along with his wife Gretta, attends a holiday party in 1904 Dublin, thrown at the home of his two elderly aunts. Throughout the evening guests sing, dance, eat and drink while outside snow gently falls, and Gabriel and his wife contemplate their pasts, futures, happiness, life and ultimately, death.

Full casting for THE DEAD, 1904 will be announced at a later date.

The production team features costume design by Leon Dobkowski (The Weir), lighting design by Michael Gottlieb (The Home Place), sound design by M. Florian Staab (Curvy Widow), properties & interior design by Deirdre Brennan (The Burial at Thebes), and hair and wigs by Robert-Charles Vallance (Jitney). Choreography is by Barry McNabb (Finian's Rainbow), with Stephen Gabis (Present Laughter) serving as dialect consultant and Mark Hartman (Pageant - The Musical) as music consultant.

One of the most acclaimed short stories of all time, "The Dead" was previously adapted as a film by John Huston (The Dead, 1987) and as a 1999 Broadway Musical (James Joyce's THE DEAD) which won the 1999 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical. This production is the first immersive adaptation.

The performance schedule for THE DEAD, 1904 is as follows: Tuesday at 7:00PM; Wednesday at 8:00PM; Thursday at 7:00PM; Friday at 8:00PM; Saturday at 5:00PM & 8:30PM; Sunday at 7:00PM. Exceptions: there will no performances on Saturday, November 18 at 5pm; Thursday, November 23 (Thanksgiving Day); and Sunday, December 24 (Christmas Eve). There will be additional performances on Sunday, November 19 at 5pm and Wednesday, December 20 at 5pm. The evening performance on Saturday, November 18 will be at 7pm; the evening performance on Sunday, November 19 will be at 8:30pm; and the evening performance on Wednesday, December 20 will be at 8:30pm.

Tickets to THE DEAD, 1904 begin at $150 for performance-only seating, with tickets including dinner and drinks available for $300. Four VIP premium tickets will be available at each performance, allowing audience members to be served dinner at the main table with the cast as they play the dinner scene--a once in a lifetime experience for lovers of immersive theatre and James Joyce. Tickets go on sale September 26 through Irish Rep's box office by calling 212-727-2737, or online at www.irishrep.org. THE DEAD, 1904 is also available for group bookings.

In addition, tickets to THE DEAD, 1904 will be made available for $19.04 exclusively through the TodayTix mobile lottery. TodayTix lottery winners will receive general admission tickets, which include dinner and drinks.

TodayTix allows you to enter the mobile lottery via the app, available in the App Store or Google Play Store. The entry period will begin each day at 12:01am, and will continue until winners are notified via email and push notification between noon-3pm on the day of performance. Winners will be offered the opportunity to purchase $19.04 tickets, after which their names will be added to the 'guest list' for that evening's performance. Winners should check in with the staff at the American Irish Historical Society 30 minutes before show time to claim their seats. Lottery tickets are subject to availability.

THE DEAD, 1904 is produced by Irish Repertory Theatre and Dot Dot Productions in association with the American Irish Historical Society, Kathleen Begala and Laurie Eustis.

Additional sponsorship provided by the Northern Ireland Bureau, British Council Northern Ireland, and Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

IRISH REPERTORY THEATRE, co-founded by Producing Director Ciarán O'Reilly and Artistic Director Charlotte Moore, opened its doors in September 1988 with Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the Stars. 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," an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Achievement, and the Lucille Lortel Award for "Outstanding Body of Work," the Irish Rep has celebrated the very best in Irish theatre for over twenty-five 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. For more information about Irish Repertory Theatre visit www.irishrep.org.

DOT DOT PRODUCTIONS was created in 2015 to bring THE DEAD, 1904 to life in New York City. The vision of Jean Hanff Korelitz and Nina Korelitz Matza, two theater-loving sisters and native New Yorkers with backgrounds in literature and marketing, Dot Dot has several innovative theater projects in development.

THE AMERICAN IRISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY is an international center of scholarship, education, and cultural enrichment dedicated to promoting the significant, ongoing contributions to the United States of America made by Irish immigrants and their descendants. Visit www.aihs.org for more.

Paul Muldoon AND Jean Hanff Korelitz (Adapters). Muldoon, winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for MOY SAND AND GRAVEL, is the author of 12 major collections of poetry, and served as poetry editor of The New Yorker from 2007 to 2017. He holds the Howard G.B. Clark '21 chair in the Humanities at Princeton University. Jean Hanff Korelitz is the author of six novels, including Admission, You Should Have Known and The Devil and Webster. THE DEAD, 1904 is the first collaboration for Muldoon and Korelitz, who are married. (www.paulmuldoon.net, www.jeanhanffkorelitz.com)

CIARÁN O'REILLY (Director) has helmed Irish Rep's productions of Shining City; The Weir (Lucille Lortel and Callaway Award nominations); The Emperor Jones (Callaway Award; O'Neill Credo Award; Drama Desk, Drama League and Lucille Lortel Award nominations); The Hairy Ape (Drama Desk, Drama League and Callaway nominations); Philadelphia, Here I Come! (Drama Desk nomination); the world pre­miere of Banished Children of Eve; as well as the recent productions of Sea Marks, Port Authority, and The Quare Land, among others. As an actor, he has been seen in the Irish Rep productions of Da, Juno and the Paycock, Dancing at Lughnasa, Molly Sweeney, Aristocrats, A Whistle in the Dark, The Shaughraun, and The Irish and How They Got That Way. He also appeared in the Roundabout Theatre Company's production of A Touch of the Poet with Gabriel Byrne; at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin; and made his Broadway debut in The Corn is Green. He has been honored three times by Irish America Magazine with the Irish America "Top 100 Irish" Award.

Founded in 1980, Great Performances (GP) is a New York City based catering and events company, known for its celebration of contemporary American cuisine. One defined by crafting food that utilizes locally sourced ingredients, while taking inspiration from the global foodways and devising innovative, visually arresting presentations. Dedicated to sustainable food practices, GP's menus reflect its commitment to delicious seasonal food, reduction of food waste and the creative application of full-food utilization. For more information about GP, visit www.greatperformances.com. For more information about GP's role in THE DEAD, 1904, recipes from and / or a tasting of the production's feast, contact Shelley Clark, sclark@platformcomm.com.

To post a comment, you must register and login.