St. Ann's Warehouse and Landmark Productions Livestream Performances Of Mark O'Rowe's THE APPROACH

St. Ann's Warehouse, Landmark Productions, and Project Arts Centre present Mark O'Rowe's enigmatic play The Approach, live-streamed from the Project Arts Centre stage in Dublin (January 21, 23, & 24) and then offered on-demand for a limited time only (January 25-31).

The Approach is a "psychological thriller that brings together a dream team of actors at the top of their game" (The Sunday Times): Cathy Belton, Derbhle Crotty, and Aisling O'Sullivan. With this virtual presentation, St. Ann's unwaveringly maintains its commitment to introducing New York audiences to invigorating international theater amid the pandemic. The Approach reunites St. Ann's with longtime collaborator Landmark Productions (Arlington, Ballyturk, Misterman), making an acclaimed work accessible to viewers in the U.S. and around the world.

O'Rowe's ("Normal People") work was last seen in New York in 2014, when BAM and Irish Arts Center co-presented Landmark's production of his play Howie the Rookie. Alexis Soloski wrote a Critic's Pick review for The New York Times that said the star of the show was O'Rowe's "live-wire language-lyrical and dirty and riotously imaginative." O'Rowe wrote The Approach specifically for Belton, Crotty, and O'Sullivan, having dreamed of creating a platform for them to appear on stage together for the first time. In this emotional depth-charge of a play, they portray three women - two of them sisters - who were once best friends but have drifted apart and are now catching up over coffee. Over the course of three conversations spanning five years, we learn that they have allowed relationships with their partners to come between their relationships with each other-and gradually, a common secret of tragic consequence is revealed. Propelled by the actresses' "breathtaking performances" (The Observer), The Approach is an exploration of betrayal, and an appeal to listen before it's too late.

When The Approach first premiered in Dublin in 2018, re-teaming O'Rowe and Landmark Productions after their hugely successful production of Howie the Rookie, it was hailed by audiences and critics alike. With the support of Culture Ireland, it garnered critical praise in a month-long, sold-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

O'Rowe's play, "a work in which every nuance counts and in which the unsaid is at least as important as the spoken lines" (The Scotsman), rewards the kind of intimate viewing uniquely afforded by a production broadcast to audiences' homes. And in a moment where many of us are only seeing the people with whom we are most intimate, the layered, aching performances reveal the chasms and hidden sides even of the closest relationships.

Written and directed by O'Rowe, The Approach features set and lighting design by Sinead Mckenna, costume design by Joan O'Clery, and sound design by Philip Stewart.

Tickets start at $20 and are available now at www.stannswarehouse.org and 718.254.8779.

In connection with the production, St. Ann's Warehouse presents a conversation among Mark O'Rowe, the cast members, and Irish author Louise O'Neill following the performance on Saturday, January 23, at 2:30pm EST.

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