Irish Repertory Theatre,
in association with Wexford Arts Centre
Presents the U.S. Premiere
in the W. Scott McLucas Studio Theatre
By Michelle Dooley Mahon
Directed by Ben Barnes
Starring Michelle Dooley Mahon
“Compelling Narrative… Mahon’s lyrical monologue is delivered in a rapid-fire style… deftly directed by Ben Barnes…this astutely observed piece is well worth a look especially if hope is what’s needed” – Sunday Times
“Death by a thousand cuts” – that’s how Michelle Dooley Mahon describes Alzheimer’s disease after witnessing it strike down her mother Siobhán. As Mahon relives that time, her humorous and moving memories and rapier-like observations introduce personalities, history, and a nostalgic archive of an ordinary Irish small-town family forced to become extraordinary in their attempt to cope.
The Scourge takes audiences on a journey like no other, a beautiful dedication of a daughter giving voice to a mother sadly silenced before her time.
This is the U.S. premiere of Michelle Dooley Mahon’s The Scourge, adapted from Mahon’s critically-acclaimed autobiographical novel Scourged and directed by Ben Barnes, former Artistic Director of the Abbey Theatre. Wexford Arts Centre presented the world premiere of The Scourge in April 2018 in the Wexford Opera Fringe Festival followed by a national tour in 2019 as part of the First Fortnight European Mental Health Art and Cultural Festival. The Scourge is an official selection of the 2020 Origin 1st Irish Theatre Festival.
The Scourge is produced in association with Wexford Arts Centre as part of Origin’s 1st Irish New York’s festival of Irish Theatre. For Festival Info visit www.origintheatre.org
“beautifully written and deeply personal… The 85-minute piece is filled with rich imagery and luscious turns of Irish phrase” – Theatermania
“A deeply moving testament to the power of emotional resilience, The Scourge is a captivating tribute to the human spirit, and Mahon is an international treasure.” – Talkin’ Broadway
“A big plus of this 85-minute work at the Irish Repertory Theater is the balance of light and dark. Another key asset is Mahon’s down-to-earth likability. The story is the star, and Mahon has a gift for painting evocative pictures with words” – Theater News Online
‘Raw, witty and poetic, Michelle Dooley Mahon’s ‘The Scourge’ had a huge impact.” – Wexford People/Independent.ie
“Scourged is that most rare and wonderful creature, a book that is both entertaining and honest – like David Sedaris or Joan Didion before her, Dooley Mahon delves deep into the seam of the everyday, mining the ores of tragedy and comedy, shining a single headlamp as she digs, until the unsuspecting reader, laughed and cried out, is forced to go for a lie down” – Eoin Colfer (Author, New York Times Best Selling Artemis Fowl Series)
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