Review: In Philadelphia, Here I Come!, an Irishman Wonders If He Should Stay or Go

After its productions of Brian Friel’s 1980 play Translations and his 1979 play Aristocrats this season, Irish Repertory Theatre’s Friel Project has turned to his 1964 play Philadelphia, Here I Come! As it turns out, the play — Friel’s first major success, though not his first theatrical work — is arguably the most interesting and affecting of the three.

Certainly, the play’s central gimmick suggests a budding playwright willing to try something fresh and experimental compared with the more conventional dramaturgy of his later work. There is a main character, Gareth “Gar” O’Donnell, but instead of just having one actor play him, Friel divides him into two, with a second actor playing his “private” self as opposed to his “public” one (in this production, David McElwee plays the latter, A.J. Shively the former). Essentially, Private Gar articulates all that Public Gar thinks and feels inside but is too reserved to say aloud.

With Private Gar occasionally poking fun at the people surrounding him in ways that feel almost vaudevillian, Friel’s conceit allows him to inject bits of raucous comedy to what would otherwise be a deeply melancholic play. But the device serves deeper narrative and thematic functions. Not only does it allow Friel to cleverly establish character and backstory in an organic-feeling way, but it potently dramatizes Gar’s central conflict: Should I stay, or should I go?

As the play’s title suggests, Gar is about to leave Ballybeg — the fictional Irish village in which Friel would set many of his works — for the United States to work at a hotel in Philadelphia. Sure, as with many immigrants, Gar’s looking for a better life for himself. But much of the play’s power lies in the details of the existence Gar’s attempting to flee. At 25, he still works for his father, S.B. (played by Ciarán O’Reilly, who also directed), with whom he’s never much gotten along after his mother died a mere few days after he was born. He also backed away from marrying upper-class local girl Katie Doogan (Clare O’Malley) after meeting her senator father (Ciaran Byrne) and perceiving that he didn’t think he was good enough for her. Given those circumstances and the dead-end feel of Ballybeg life in general, it’s no wonder Gar jumps at the suggestion of his aunt Lizzy (Deirdre Madigan) that he move to Philadelphia.

And yet, as Private Gar articulates with dark humor and cutting directness, Gar still finds himself unsure of the move. Perhaps the ambivalence is the result of some lingering nationalistic fervor or a fear of stepping outside of his comfort zones. What makes Philadelphia, Here I Come! an especially rich text is Friel’s refusal to offer easy psychological answers. The closest he comes lies in a couple scenes involving S.B. — one with Ballybeg’s parish priest Canon O’Byrne (also Byrne), another with Gar — that suggest a deep-down affection for each other that neither is willing to acknowledge out loud.

According to a detailed program note offering historical context, though many emigrated from Ireland in the 1950s to escape economic hardship, by the 1960s Irish society was becoming more secular, setting up a generational clash between traditional and modern values that Gar’s personal schism illustrates. But though Friel is commenting on Irish society, even more so than Translations and Aristocrats, Philadelphia, Here I Come! feels universal in the feelings of youthful desire to break free from numbing tradition that Friel so touchingly evokes.

Sharp and varied performances among the excellent cast of this new production, which O’Reilly directs in the company’s typically no-frills house style (even the backstage walkway of Charlie Corcoran’s scenic design appears to be left over from the company’s previous two Friel Project productions). As Madge, the O’Donnell’s long-suffering maid, Terry Donnelly offers some of her own moments of comic relief with her exasperated yet patiently understanding reactions. O’Reilly himself plays S.B. as a gruff and taciturn type while managing to convey an inner warmth struggling to get out — a stark contrast to the more openhearted O’Malley as Gar’s lost sweetheart Katie. And Madigan cuts a lively profile as the gregarious American Aunt Lizzy, the catalyst for Gar’s decision and eventual inner struggle.

But the key to the success of this production lies with McElwee and Shively. Sporting the right manchild-like physical features as Public Gar, McElwee proves as adept as O’Reilly in suggesting oceans of inner emotion amid a relatively stoic exterior. And Shively provides just the right extroverted contrast as Private Gar, giving voice to the character’s inward thoughts with delicious theatrical relish without hamming it up. If you don’t know Philadelphia, Here I Come!, this Irish Rep production offers a solid way to acquaint yourself with Friel’s lightly inventive, quietly devastating play.