Theater News

Off-Broadway's Irish Rep Announces Entirely Digital Summer Season

The theater will present screen versions of several classic productions.

Aedín Maloney stars in the title role of Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom, adapted from James Joyce's Ulysses by Maloney and Colum McCann, and directed by Kira Simring at Irish Repertory Theatre.
Aedín Maloney stars in the title role of Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom, adapted from James Joyce's Ulysses by Maloney and Colum McCann, and directed by Kira Simring at Irish Repertory Theatre.
(© Carol Rosegg)

Off-Broadway's Irish Repertory Theatre will launch an entirely digital summer season of theater, featuring reimagined filmed versions of some of its recent productions.

The season will kick off with the world premiere of Darren Murphy's The Gifts You Gave to the Dark, created in response to the coronavirus crisis. Seán McGinley, Tony Award winner Marie Mullen, and Marty Rea star in Caitríona McLaughlin's production, which features music by Carl Kennedy. The play follows a Belfast man who is confined to his bed with coronavirus and how he comforts his dying mother, via phone call, during the last 10 minutes of her life. It will premiere on May 27 at 6pm and will remain online through October.

On June 8 at 7pm, Irish Rep will present The Irish (Rep) … and How We Got That Way: A Celebration of Endurance and Perseverance Through Hard Times. The evening will feature a screening of Frank McCourt's The Irish … and How They Got That Way, filmed at the Irish Rep in 1998, as well as conversations with Irish Rep founders Charlotte Moore and Ciarán O'Reilly, board chair Kathleen Begala, McCourt's widow Ellen, and McCourt's brother Malachy. The video will be available through June 14. The cast includes Terry Donnelly, O'Reilly, Ciarán Sheehan, and Marian Tomas Griffin.

They'll also present three performances onscreen, followinn the success of Brian Friel's Molly Sweeney. Aedín Moloney will star in her play Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom, June 16-20; Dan Butler, Sean Gormley, John Keating, Amanda Quaid, and Tim Ruddy will star in Conor McPherson's The Weir (July 21-25); and Steve Ross and K.T. Sullivan will star in Love, Noël: The Songs and Letters of Noël Coward (August 18-22).