New York Premiere
in the W. Scott McLucas Studio Theatre
by Marina Carr
directed by Ciaran O’Reilly
With Pamela J Gray, Stephanie Roth Haberle, Aidan Redmond, and Dale Soules
“A blistering beauty of a play that rages with regret and pitch-black humor” – The New York Times
“Marina Carr is not only one of the finest women playwrights of her generation, but simply one of the finest playwrights of any generation.” – The Irish Times
“It’s a terrible state of affairs to arrive at the close of your life and realise you’ve nothing to confess …though, I suppose I committed the greatest sin of all… I refused to be happy”
Woman is dying. Mother to eight children and wife to an unfaithful husband, she is living her final hours with Scarecrow, her alter ego – her closest confidante and greatest critic – as death noisily interrupts from the sidelines. Together, the women revisit her life with biting humor and brutal honesty. Woman and Scarecrow is a fierce, passionate, and moving lament for a life half-lived.
Irish Repertory Theatre is proud to present the New York premiere of Woman and Scarecrow by Marina Carr, one of Ireland’s most acclaimed living playwrights. Carr is the author of more than 20 published plays, and has won numerous awards, including The Irish Times’ playwright award, the E.M. Forster Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the 2017 Windham Campbell prize. Woman and Scarecrow premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in June 2006. It is Carr’s first work to be performed at Irish Repertory Theatre.
Reviews of This Production:
“riveting; rife with poignancy, frustration, ego, anger, defiance, awareness, love, and emotional pain we rarely see in lives portrayed mid-journey. Not to be missed.” – Woman Around Town
“Exquisite, sublime, smart, and damn funny. This is one hell of a good play with an ensemble that takes your breath away, makes you think, and touches your heart…” – Front Row Center
“fiercely candid, surprisingly funny, and devastatingly poignant…delivered by a top-notch cast.” – DC Metro Arts
Reviews from Previous Productions:
“This is a play that seeps into your very bones, making you realise that in squandering love we squander the best part of ourselves” – The Guardian
“An extraordinary brew, bittersweet and totally intoxicating.” – The Times (London)
Support for this production is provided by Culture Ireland.