Origin 1st Irish Theatre Festival Announces Final Week Highlights

Now in its final week, the 14th annual Origin 1st Irish Theatre Festival, running through January 31,will host two in-person events, including the world premiere of a new play by John Kearns and an online curated Irish language theater salon. Five recorded theatre productions from Cork, Dublin, Wexford, New York and DC, and two films are available for pay-per-view screening any time though next Monday.

Coming up on Sunday, the star-studded reading of Richard Norton-Taylor's "Bloody Sunday: Scenes from the Saville Enquiry" marks the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, a seismic turning point in the history of Northern Ireland. Directed by Ciaran Byrne, the reading and commemoration of Bloody Sunday take place 50 years to the day from the events in Derry, and is presented with the Irish Arts Center, at 726 11th Avenue (at 51st Street). For tickets, which are $25, visit www.origintheatre.org

The cast includes: Hamish Allan-Headley, Billy Carter, Mazvita Chanakira, Una Clancy, Roger Clark, Terry Donnelly, Grainne Duddy, John Duddy, Geraldine Hughes, Labhaoise Magee, Shane McNaughton, Colin McPhillamy, Michael Mellamphy, Shauna Pinkett, Aidan Redmond, Tim Ruddy, Christa Scott-Reed, Cara Seymour, Sarah Street, and ZOE WATKINS

The world premiere of local New York writer John Kearns' new poetic drama, "Boann and the Well of Wisdom" begins performances at Ryan's Daughter, 350 East 85th Street (bet 1st & 2nd Avenues) on Jan 29, and plays 5 times through Feb 3. Tickets are $20 and available at www.origintheatre.org

Featuring Brendan J. Mulhern and Annalisa Chamberlin (who also directs), the two-character drama is based on the myth of Boann (the Irish goddess of poetic inspiration). A young and spirited Boann yearns to be creative as she comes of age and stands to inherit the pub run by her father. Her father, Nechtan, whom she helps run the White Cow pub atop a forbidden well in pre-Christian County Kildare, would rather leave things - everything -- as they are. DATES: Sat Jan 29 @ 2pm; Sun Jan 30 @ 1pm; Tue Feb 1 @ 8pm; Wed Feb 2 @8pm, and Thur Feb 3 @ 8pm (all at Ryan's Daughter)

Also available through Mon Jan 31 are several acclaimed recorded productions that can be viewed online at any time. Five plays: The Everyman in Cork ("City"); About Face in Dublin ("Transatlantic Tales 2"); The Wexford Arts Centre ("One Voice Festival: Tales from the Quay"); from New York's the Irish Arts Center the digital premiere of ("A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing"), and, from Solas Nua in Washington DC, the digital premiere of "In the Middle of the Fields."

Also screening is the acclaimed documentary "The 8th" which artfully chronicles the final hours of the monumental battle to repeal 8th Amendment outlawing abortion in Ireland in 2018. Co-directed and produced by Aideen Kane, Lucy Kennedy, Maeve O'Boyle, with producer Alan Maher, "The 8th" shows a country ushering in a new Ireland, breaking the thrall of the Catholic church at a time when reproductive rights are being threatened around the world, especially in the US of today.

"Rising," a film by Fallen Angel Theatre's Aedín Moloney, is remarkable compendium of self-filmed reflections on the subject of regeneration, rebirth and renewal shot during COVID. Carefully assembled using her own galvanizing instincts in mixed media, Moloney asked a wide range of artists to respond to the question, "what does rising from the dark into the light mean to you right now?" ultimately synthesizing what was written, performed and choreographed in a variety of locations and personal contexts. Participants included Carlos Nunez, Katherine O'Sullivan, Ciaran O'Reilly, Ger Gallagher, Colum McCann, Aedín Moloney, Rachael Dowling, Geraldine Plunkett, Michael Mellamphy, Lisa Lambe, Luka Bloom, Caridad De La Luz "La Bruja," Seamus Moran, Deanie Richardson, Ryan Christopher Woods, Ruth Kavanagh, Keshav Moodliar, Amanda Brown, Emmett O'Malley, Clara Onymere, Tomás Doncker, Winsome Brown, Cara Butler, Jon Pilatzke, Judith Hannan, Nicola Murphy, Geraldine Hughes, Deirdre Kinahan, and Michael Brunnock