FOR THE 2022 PRODUCTION OF YES! REFLECTIONS OF MOLLY BLOOM, SEE HERE.
From the novel Ulysses by James Joyce
Adapted for stage by Aedín Moloney & Colum McCann
Music by Paddy Moloney
Directed by Kira Simring
Performed by Aedín Moloney
World Premiere presented by
Irish Repertory Theatre,
in association with Gabriel Byrne
in the W. Scott McLucas Studio Theatre
“exuberant…an unforgettable affirmation of life and joy” – Theatermania
“a veering, vivid, ribald monologue expertly performed by Ms. Moloney” – The New York Times
A daring theatrical journey into the mind and heart of James Joyce’s most sensual hero – a woman of women, a soul of souls, the indomitable Molly Bloom.
It is Ireland in the early hours of June 17th, 1904. Molly Bloom’s husband – the wandering philandering Leopold “Poldy” Bloom – has just come home & fallen asleep in their Dublin row house. Molly – a daughter, a mother, a lover and a long suffering wife – patrols the pathways of her wild and leaping consciousness. She is lustful. Scared. Exuberant. Heartbreakingly lonely. Vivaciously reckless. And profoundly funny.
With an empty nest, an unfulfilling affair and a marriage long past its prime, Molly must find a way back to the rock-bed of love that she and Bloom once shared. Her unsentimental stream of consciousness is a song of songs that reaches backwards and forwards across the centuries. Written one hundred years ago, Joyce’s words seem carved not just for today, but tomorrow too. Time ticks within time, dreams are upended, and life is thrown off balance. Molly seeks to reanimate love, and ends up discovering herself. Dublin becomes Gibraltar, age becomes youth, and a small room in Dublin becomes the world.
A beautiful and honest celebration of womanhood, written by James Joyce, adapted by Aedín Moloney and Colum McCann, and directed by Kira Simring, Moloney’s one-woman performance is a tribute to the enduring mysteries of loss and love – and the affirmation found, yes, in between.
“Yes, that was why I liked him. Because I saw he understood or felt what a woman is … Yes!”
Free post-show discussions have been organized for Friday, July 5 with Director Kira Simring and after the evening performance on Saturday, July 6 with Peter Quinn and Colum McCann. These discussions are free for all performance attendees who wish to stay.
“exuberant…an unforgettable affirmation of life and joy… an affirmation of female strength, liberation, and self-determination that we need to hear.” – Theatermania
“a veering, vivid, ribald monologue expertly performed by Ms. Moloney” – The New York Times
“In her dynamic portrayal, Moloney offers a portrait of woman burning to be seen and celebrated” – BroadwayWorld
“One of the best acting performances currently on stage in New York.” – Wolf Entertainment Guide
“strikingly presented…Moloney’s enthralling performance makes for an entrancing 80 minutes…Without being a Joycean scholar or just having slight or even no knowledge of its source material, one can still marvel at Moloney’s lyrical gutsiness and Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom’s power.” – Theaterscene.net
“Moloney’s performance is, quite simply, a masterpiece.” – Theatre is Easy
Moloney dives into the monologue with passion and verve – CurtainUp
“this 75-minute monologue brings to full-bodied life one of Irish author’s James Joyce’s most indelible and interesting characters… say, “Yes! Yes! Yes!’” – Theater News Online
Production History:
After reading Ulysses as a young girl, Aedín Moloney began developing her unique interpretation of James Joyce’s Molly Bloom. In 2003, renowned author and Joyce enthusiast, Colum McCann, invited her to perform passages from the Penelope chapter at his annual Bloomsday celebration. With McCann’s encouragement, Moloney released “Reflections of Molly Bloom” in 2017, an audio recording of the unabridged text, accompanied with music by Paddy Moloney (The Chieftains). This will be the world premiere of Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom, adapted for the stage by Aedín Moloney and Colum McCann from James Joyce’s novel, Ulysses.
Please note: Due to nudity and explicit language, audience members must be at least 16 years old to attend this production.