2014-2015 Season

Season In Union Square

“McPherson’s profoundly felt humanism makes the piece warming on some deep, maybe even soul-deep, level.” -Time Out

by Conor McPherson
directed by Ciarán O’Reilly

June 30- September 6, 2015
At the DR2 Theatre in Union Square

In a remote country pub in Ireland, newcomer Valerie arrives and becomes spellbound by an evening of ghostly stories told by the local bachelors who drink there. With a whiff of sexual tension in the air and the wind whistling outside, what starts out as blarney soon turns dark  as the tales drift into the realm of the supernatural. Then, Valerie reveals a startling story of her own….

Conor McPherson’s The Weir is a haunting evocative evening in the theatre you will never forget.

Superb… The intimacy of the production, gracefully directed by Ciaran O’Reilly, is a signal asset… this enticing production, provides audiences an evening in very good company indeed. –The New York Times

“This haunting, haunted play still smolders… a sneak attack of a play.” The New Yorker

“Conor McPherson’s The Weir provides a welcome respite from the summer heat: There’s nothing like tales of the supernatural to send chills down your spine…(It) reminds us that our memories can haunt us more powerfully than any ghosts.” -The New York Post

Some shows are even better another time around. As much as I liked the 2013 production by the Irish Repertory Theatre of Conor McPherson’s The Weir this new revival seems an improvement that has left me further in awe. –Wolf Entertainment Guide

And of the our original production…
“The Weir, invites us to re-examine the theater, and to ask ourselves what we seek from stories and those who tell them.”
– New York Times

“The Weir proves to be a profound meditation on the twin themes of loneliness and community, told so theatrically that you’ll savor each peat-scented phrase.” -The Wall Street Journal

“For shivers, laughs and a night of master storytelling, you cannot top The Weir…there’s no better A/C than the chill going up your spine” -Time Out Theater

“(It) has a power that sneaks up on you like a stealthy specter.”– New York Daily News

“an elegant, funny, moving distillation and celebration of the uniquely Irish way with words”  -The New Yorker

“an engaging ghost story that actually merits the accolade ‘haunting.’” (****) -Bloomberg News

“McPherson’s deceptively simple barroom tale-spinner—where affably damaged countryfolk (and one out-of-place Dubliner) tank up, tell ghost stories, and reveal themselves—is as potent a dram of pure theater as one could ask for”.
–New York Magazine

Season in Union Square

CRITIC’S PICK
“Nate Rufus Edelman’s winning drama [is] a pressure cooker at steam heat!” -New York Times

by Nate Rufus Edelman
directed by Claudia Weill

April 15 – June 14, 2015
at the DR2 Theatre in Union Square

In 1985 Belfast, fiery and profane Anne Malloy drinks and smokes her days away with her chubby curry chip-addicted best mate. When she turns to her parish priest, Father Reilly, seeking the comforts of the flesh in addition to the comforts of the soul, she discovers her troubles have just begun. A wry and  bittersweet portrait of a city at war, The Belle of Belfast forces us to consider what is wrong and what is righteous.

*Mature language & situations, recommended for ages 16 & up*

“It’s 1985, and Belfast is a city at war, but, remarkably, not lacking in humor….The playwright, Edelman makes fine use of the Confessional as a space of piety and flirtation….One gripping scene after another is masterfully managed by the director, Claudia Weill, and a first-rate cast.” –The New Yorker

“The characters don’t renounce their faith or their political convictions in “The Belle of Belfast.” But they question both, and that makes for very rewarding drama. –The New York Times

“The Belle of Belfast examines the extent to which religious beliefs can inspire and comfort followers… And playwright Edelman’s humanity lies in the depth of his empathy for those troubled. Directed extremely well by Claudia Weill, it is a touchingly unsettling work.” –Huffington Post

“Under the sharp directorial eye of Claudia Weill, this ninety-minute production shows impressive efficiency in developing compelling characters with whose struggles we can empathize, regardless of how far we might be removed from Northern Irish violence. Anchored by the dynamic performances of Lydic and Allan-Headley, the production approaches violent political turmoil on the level of warm and insightful personal struggle.” –Exeunt Magazine

“Doubt meets Lolita” -Onstage

Season in Union Square

by Hugh Leonard
directed by Charlotte Moore

January 20 – April 5, 2015
at the DR2 Theatre in Union Square

Set in Dublin in the 1960s, Da is Hugh Leonard’s Tony-winning classic memory play. Charlie returns to his childhood home after his father’s funeral only to find the stubborn patriarch’s ghost unwilling to leave the house.  As Charlie rummages through his father’s belongings, he surrenders to his own memories, both hilarious and wrenching, as the complexity of his upbringing comes alive before his eyes.

“a worthwhile, well-acted revival… a warm and funny valentine from a son to his late father.” –NY Daily News

“Leonard’s writing is extraordinarily pointed, and it’s played with emotional verisimilitude by the cast under Charlotte Moore’s greatly detailed direction. Any one of the scenes has the power to make patrons flinch.”–The Huffington Post

“What distinguishes Da is its refusal to settle into established categories, like comedy or drama, like happy or sad. If you have to be haunted you couldn’t ask for a nicer ghost…an opportunity for a lot of fine actors to disport themselves. As the dead they really live it up.” –The New York Times

“near-perfect… the humor and vividness of the text are front and center.” –TheaterMania

“an evocation of something true in the Irish psyche” –The New Yorker

“uniformly excellent production” –Woman Around Town

“What a pleasure… This production wraps you in the security of strong, vibrant and committed performances.” -Times Square Chronicles

Winner of Best Production at the 2014 1st Irish Festival

by Conor McPherson
directed by Ciarán O’Reilly
starring Billy Carter, Peter Maloney & James Russell

September 24- November 16, 2014
at the DR2 Theatre in Union Square<>

Port Authority is the story of three generations of Irish men: Kevin, a rudderless young man who falls for his female roommate who doesn’t reciprocate his feelings; Dermot, in middle age, who mistakenly launches into a job he cannot handle; and Joe, a widower who hoards his memories of a lifelong romantic passion. Conor McPherson, Ireland’s master storyteller, weaves an interconnected tale of love, life, and shattered dreams.

“Irish Rep revives McPherson’s moody trialogue just beautifully.” -Time Out

“a neat bit of literary magic… superb” –The New Yorker

“Solid production... At the DR2 Theater, Ciaran O’Reilly lets Mr. McPherson’s plain-spoken poetry speak for itself… the bittersweet theme, a conjugation of inaction and regret, is potent.” -The New York Times

“Ciarán O’Reilly’s production is graceful and meticulous; between this and last season’s The Weir, the Irish Rep has become the best place to see McPherson’s work.” -Time Out

“Beautifully acted revival… Under the astute direction of Ciaran O’Reilly, the stories of Kevin, Dermot, and Joe — rendered with a pitch-perfect ear for the nuances of McPherson’s poetic language by James Russell, Billy Carter, and Peter Maloney — are spun out in alternating monologues that, like any good yarn, are both funny and poignant.” -Huffington Post

“robust revival… intense and elegiac.” –Associated Press

“quite poignant” –TheaterMania