Philadelphia, Here I Come!

on the Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage

By Brian Friel
Directed by Ciarán O’Reilly

Starring Ciaran Byrne, Peter Cormican, Terry Donnelly, Patrick Fitzgerald, Deirdre Madigan, David McElwee, Clare O’Malley, Ciarán O’Reilly, Tim Palmer, James Russell, A.J. Shively, and Emmet Smith

March 16 — May 5, 2024

GRACEFUL PRODUCTION directed by Ciarán O’Reilly, who also portrays Gar’s taciturn father, is acted with LUMINOUS GRACE and ultimately devastating stolidness…The two Gars are TERRIFIC and nicely contrasted. McElwee renders the public Gar with buoyancy and sensitivity, Shively is vigorously funny, and Madge is played to perfection by Donnelly. — Charles Isherwood, Wall Street Journal

Irish Rep’s Brian Friel season continues with a tender rendition of Friel’s ‘Philadelphia, Here I Come!’…NOTE-PERFECT PRODUCTION. — Helen Shaw, The New Yorker

Ciarán O’Reilly has staged a STELLAR, stinging revival…it is the work of a director who understands the play in his very bones. At its center is an impeccable double act: David McElwee and A.J. Shively. The play’s whipsaw emotional balance is complex, delicate, subtle. This SUPERB PRODUCTION delineates it all. — Laura Collins-Hughes, New York Times

Sharp and varied performances among the EXCELLENT CAST of this new production — Kenji Fujishima, Theatermania

Shively zings between references and impressions…he’s soft and he’s mean, inconsistent and charming, a creature of pure impulse — Sara Holdren, Vulture

DEEPLY FELT production…PITCH-PERFECT performance — Charles Passy, The 100 Word Review

FLAWLESS company is MASTERFULLY HELMED by producing director Ciarán O’Reilly who delivers a performance that is harrowing in its discretion…standouts in the company include Deirdre Madigan, as well as Terry Donnelly, who is MARVELOUSLY dry and, in the end, poignant — Elisa Gardner, NY Sun

★★★★★ David McElwee and A.J. Shively work BRILLIANTLY in tandem…Ciarán O’Reilly captures the great play in all its tragicomic glory — Roma Torre, New York Stage Review

Irish Repertory Theatre’s moving new production brings sophistication under the hood of this on-the-surface classic Irish emigrant’s tale. — Cahir O’Doherty, Irish Central

Set in 1962, this classic bittersweet comedy revolves around the young Gar O’Donnell on the eve of his departure from Ireland to America. Gar’s heartache from losing his girlfriend to a successful businessman propels him to accept an invitation to go and live with an aunt in Philadelphia. Despite the wild fantasies of what life in America might hold, and his yearning to escape the tedium of small town Ballybeg, a kind word from his taciturn father could change his mind.

Philadelphia, Here I Come! was Friel’s first major success, premiering in 1964 at the Gaiety Theatre Dublin and transferring to Broadway two years later.

In 2005, Ciarán O’Reilly directed Philadelphia, Here I Come! at Irish Rep. The show featured Michael Fitzgerald, James Kennedy, Helena Carroll, and Edwin C. Owens, and was described by The New York Times as a “spirited production […] skillfully brought to life.”

Previous to this Philadelphia, Here I Come! was produced at Irish Rep in 1990 with a cast that included Frank McCourt, Pauline Flanagan and Brían F. O’Byrne.

Read the performance program here!

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:

Under O’Reilly’s gentle direction, all the actors have a chance to glow. Shively is thoroughly charming, David McElwee shines,Terry Donnelly’s performance is beautifully calibrated, and standouts include Patrick Fitzergerld and Deirdre Madigan — Ron Fassler, TheaterPizzazz

Phenomenal, MUST-SEE revival… a perfect pairing — Sandy MacDonald, New York Stage Review

The nimblest double act in town — David Barbour, Lighting and Sound America

OUTSTANDING production…Philadelphia, Here I Come! is a timeless, quintessentially Irish drama…Terry Donnelly gives a tender, poignant performance as Madge — Mark Rifkin, This Week in New York

RATING 95% Irish Repertory Theatre is “a solid organization, in business since 1988, where every play I’ve been to gives a satisfying theatrical experience, and Philadelphia, Here I Come! is no exception — David Walters, The Front Row Center