NYC's Irish Arts Center Announces Fall Featured Artists

Grammy Award winners Bill Whelan (Riverdance) and Susan McKeown, actress and TONY nominee Kathleen Chalfant and Man Booker nominee Emma Donoghue, are among the featured artists this Fall at the Irish Arts Center.

In a 16-week program that includes the US Premiere of new Irish theatre, live music, a graphic exploration of James Joyce's Ulysses, dance, film, comedy and literary events as well as the 2nd annual PoetryFest, the Irish Arts Center's jam-packed Fall Season reflects the exciting and changing landscape of Irish arts and culture here in the U.S. and across the Atlantic.

The intimate Donaghy Theatre and gallery space on Manhattan's West Side (51st and 11th Ave) showcases Ireland and Irish artists to New York City and beyond. And, as well as featuring the best of traditional and contemporary Irish arts, many of the Fall Season artists are using other cultures in their work and are exploring Brazil, Cuba, Japan, Scandinavia and Tibet among other cultures.

Highlights of the Fall Season 2010 include:

MUSIC: Singer songwriter Susan McKeown in concert with special guests; and the first New York performance since the phenomenal success of Riverdance by composer Bill Whelan.

THEATRE: The US premiere of TRANS-EURO EXPRESS, a Euro-rail adventure by Gary Duggan, one of Dublin's most exciting new playwrights, as part of the 1st Irish Festival.

LITERATURE: The 2nd annual two-day festival of contemporary Irish poetry; a reading with Man Booker long-list nominee Emma O'Donoghue; and the New York premiere of the graphic exploration of James Joyce's Ulysses.

DANCE: Darrah Carr Dance's Annual New York Season featuring live music from James Shipp's Nós Novo.

FILM: Monthly film nights exploring various themes including an Irish director's biography of a mythical Tibetan creature; the relationship between Samuel Beckett and his photographer John Minihan; and the gay and lesbian movement in Ireland.

VISUAL ART: Cork-based photographer David Creedon's stunning, large-scale photographs document Cuba's small population of piano tuners and technicians at work in Havana's National Workshop of Instrument Repair.

The Irish Arts Center, from its base on 51st Street in Manhattan, reaches far across the city and is delighted to be collaborating with a wide range of cultural institutions and partners this Fall including Lincoln Center; New York Public Library; Glucksman Ireland House at New York University; Poetry Society of America; Poetry Ireland; Fountain House; Peter Norton Symphony Space; the Kimmel Center at NYU, the National Alliance on Mental Illness; the Mood Disorder Support Group, the 1st Irish Theatre Festival and Fundamental Theatre Project.

Work being presented at Irish Arts Center this Fall is made possible with the generous support of public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts, a public agency, and by Culture Ireland, a government agency dedicated to promoting Irish arts worldwide.

Irish Arts Center FALL 2010: CHRONOLOGICAL LISTINGS

September 16 - January 9

VISUAL ART - WORLD PREMIERE
Una Corda: photographs by David Creedon

Cork-based photographer David Creedon's stunning, large-scale photographs document Cuba's small population of piano tuners and technicians at work in Havana's National Workshop of Instrument Repair. UNA CORDA is inspired by the work of the Irish group of the same name, which transports Irish experts and supplies to Cuba to mentor and train this new generation of piano tuners, bringing life to music schools throughout the country. Artist Talk and Opening Reception on September 16, 6:00pm. Reserve through 212-757-3318 ext 203

September 16 - October 3

THEATRE - US PREMIERE
TRANS-EURO EXPRESS by Gary Duggan
Wed-Sat at 8pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 7pm (Sun Oct 3 only 3pm)

A new play by award-winning playwight Gary Duggan and directed by Chris Henry. An aspiring filmmaker, a singer-songwriter, an actress and an artist embark on a fast-paced Euro-rail mission to shoot a debut music video - an epic journey that will test the limits of friendship, allowing no one to return home the same. A fast, funny and heartfelt exploration of the pursuit of happiness. Tickets: $27general /$23 IAC member from www.smarttix.com or 212-868-4444

September 21

FILM: IAC Film Series: A Prayer for the Wind Horse
2010, 75 minutes | Directed and Filmed by John Murray | 8pm

The Wind Horse is a mythical Tibetan creature that combines the power of the wind and
the strength of the horse to carry prayers from Earth to the Gods. Every year, it is called
on by villagers living on the Tibet-Nepal border to give them the courage and stamina to
undertake a journey through some of the wildest terrain in the Himalayas. Shot over
three months in full High Definition, filmmaker John Murray follows one man, Kharma
Tshering, as he guides his wife and children on a race against time and climate as they leave their mountain home before the winter snows cut them off without enough food to survive until spring. Tickets $10 general/$8 IAC member from from www.smarttix.com or 212-868-4444

 

September 28

LITERATURE: An evening with author Emma Donoghue
Tuesday, September 28 | 7:30 pm

Join us for an evening with Irish-born novelist and recent Man Booker prize long list nominee Emma Donoghue (Slammerkin) as she reads from her newest novel, Room. Tickets: $10 general / $8 IAC member from Smarttix.com or 212-868-4444

October 3

THEATRE: Brendan; A Staged reading of a new play by Ronan Noone
Directed by David Sullivan. Featuring Kathleen Chalfant and Dashiell Eaves

Brendan is a funny and touching coming of age story about a recent Irish immigrant to Boston. Brendan misses his family, but works hard to fit-in in his adopted country, earn his American citizenship, and find love and meaning in his new life. IAC members only can reserve through 212-757-3318 ext 204

October 7

LITERATURE: Ulysses Seen: A Graphic Novel Exploration of Joyce's Ulysses
With Robert Berry, Cartoonist of ULYSSES SEEN, A Graphic Novel Exploration of James Joyce's Ulysses
Thursday, October 7 | 7:30pm

Just in time for ComiCon, experience Robert Berry's graphic novel adaptation of the 1922 edition of James Joyce's epic novel, with commentary by the cartoonist and Mike Barsanti, editor, moderated by Karen Green, curator of the Columbia University Library collection of graphic novels. Be part of the creative process, with a special preview of pages from the newest chapter, and learn tips on how to use the website and readers' guides to not only better understand the novel's text, but suggest settings, props and character types for the remaining chapters of the comic. For more information visit http://ulyssesseen.com. Tickets: $10 general / $8 IAC member from Smarttix.com or 212-868-4444

October 10, November 7, December 12

COMEDY: Sundays at Seven - 7pm

Producers Ann Design and Fiona Walsh continue to assemble the best and brightest of New York City's rising stars of comedy. Join us on the second Sunday of every month with featured performers from Comedy Central, Gotham's Comedy Club, David Letterman and Conan O'Brien.
Tickets: $10 general / $8 IAC member from Smarttix.com or 212-868-4444

October 19

FILM: IAC Film Series: The Man Who Shot Beckett
2008, 80 minutes | Directed by David Bickley| 8:00 pm

From Soho in London to St Germain du Pres in Paris, and on to Athy, County Kildare, The Man Who Shot Beckett charts the remarkable artistic journey of acclaimed Irish photographer John Minihan, and the surprising friendship that blossomed with Nobel laureate Samuel Beckett. The Man Who Shot Beckett is both an intimate portrait of one of our greatest photographers, and the intriguing story behind two of the twentieth century's great photographic bodies of work. John Minihan's iconic portraits of Samuel Beckett were exhibited at IAC in 2006. In July 2008, IAC commissioned John to photograph To Love Two Countries, a black-and-white study of the Irish who immigrated to New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania in the early half of the twentieth Century. This moving exhibition is now traveling to the communities in which its subjects live, and a new chapter of the exhibition is already underway in New England.

October 30

LIVE MUSIC: Singing in the Dark
Creativity, Suffering, and the Pursuit of Happiness
Saturday, October 30 | 8 PM
Peter Norton Symphony Space | 2537 Broadway at 95thStreet

A moving musical exploration of the link between creativity and mental health featuring Grammy-Award winning singer-songwriter Susan McKeown with special guests, including author Kay Redfield Jamison (Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament). Hosted by Paul Holdengräber, from Live from the NYPL, this concert sets the lyrics of some of the world's best known poets writing through the lens of depression, mania and addiction - Theodore Roethke, Anne Sexton, James Clarence Mangan, Lord Byron, Violetta Parra, Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill - to McKeown's signature mix of original and world music.

Tickets: Tier 1: $48 general / $40 IAC members
Tickets Tier 2: $38 general / $30 IAC members, Student price $28 with valid ID
Tier 2 only from www.symphonyspace.org or 212-864-5400

 

November 5-6

LITERATURE : IAC PoetryFest 2010
presented in association with Poetry Society of America and Poetry Ireland

IAC PoetryFest is our second annual showcase of the best of Irish poetry from around the world, presented in the intimate setting of our Donaghy Theatre. Featured poets: Paul Durcan, Alan Gillis, Eamon Grennan, Vona Groarke, Sinead Morrissey, and Caitriona O'Reilly. Curated by Belinda McKeon and Aengus Woods. Tickets: Suggested donation, single event: $10. Suggested donation for PoetryFest Pass (all activities): $23. Reserve seats through Irish Arts Center at 212-757-3318 ext 202

November 9

FILM: If You Like It Then You Should Be Able To Put A Ring On It short and Stand Up: My Best Friend
Tuesday, November 9 | 8pm

Combining voiceovers and interviews with footage from rallies, photo montages, and animation, If You Like It Then You Should Be Able To Put A Ring On It (Directed by Cara Holmes and Ciara Kennedy 2010, 15 min) provides a brief introduction to the Civil Marriage campaign in Ireland. Stand Up: My Best Friend (Directed by Maurice Linnane 2010, 40 min) presents a series of interviews with Irish lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people and their straight best friends and family.

November 12-14

DANCE: ModERIN: Darrah Carr Dance's Annual New York Season
Friday-Saturday, 8:00pm; Sunday, 3:00pm; Family Show - Saturday, 11:00am

Darrah Carr Dance returns to the Irish Arts Center with evocative new choreography set to live performances of the Brazilian jazz stylings of James Shipp's Nós Novo. Rooted in ModERIN - Artistic Director Darrah Carr's signature blend of traditional Irish step and contemporary modern dance - this bold new piece is sure to delight. Tickets: $25 general sale / $20 IAC members. Family Show: all tickets $15 from SmartTix.com or 212.868.4444

November 20 -21

LIVE MUSIC: Masters in Collaboration IV
Bill Whelan Meets Athena Tergis
November 20-21 | 8pm

The fourth annual installment of the acclaimed Masters in Collaboration Series pairs the Grammy award-winning Riverdance composer and pianist Bill Whelan with world-renowned Irish fiddler Athena Tergis for a week of music-making as IAC artists-in-residence, culminating in three exclusive performances in the Donaghy Theatre. Masters in Collaboration IV marks Bill Whelan's first New York performances since the phenomenal success of Riverdance. As in previous series, audiences can join the collaboration during a live mid-week interview with the artists, moderated by Mick Moloney, on November 17 at 8pm.
Tickets: $50 from www.smarttix.com or (212) 868-4444

December 4

MUSIC: SILVER ROOTS: Ancient Dances
December 4 | 8pm

Julliard-trained violinist Maria Millar and flutist Shawn Wyckoff headline a mind-bending, sonic adventure spanning multiple traditions. Silver Roots: Ancient Dances features performances inspired by the up-tempo music and dances of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Hungary, Ireland and Renaissance England. Tickets: $20 general / $18 IAC member Smarttix.com or 212-868-4444

December 9-19

MUSIC: AN IRISH CHRISTMAS
A Musical Solstice Celebration with Mick Moloney and Special Guests
December 9-19 | Thursday-Saturday 8 pm | Saturday - Sunday, 2pm

The Irish Arts Center's joyous and much loved annual seasonal celebration hosted by musician and folklorist Mick Moloney, featuring an eclectic mix of tunes ranging from the traditional to the contemporary, including such titles as The Holly, She Bears a Berry and The Wren Song to sing-along favorites including The Bushes of Jerusalem and Miss Fogarty's Christmas Cake. Along with Moloney on banjo, mandolin and vocals, An Irish Christmas features star Irish fiddlers Athena Tergis (Riverdance) and bluegrass sensation Rhys Jones, button accordionist Billy McComiskey, pianist Brendan Dolan, and dancer Niall O'Leary. With live interviews and performances from special guests, that in past years have included Gabriel Byrne, Christine Quinn, Colum McCann, Ellen McCourt, Isaiah Sheffer, Susan McKeown, Michael Patrick McDonald, and Bill Whelan. Tickets: $45 general sale / $35 IAC members through SmartTix.com or 212.868.4444

BOOKING AND FURTHER INFORMATION

Booking for most events is via SmartTix.com or 212.868.4444

For more information on the Irish Arts Center please visit www.irishartscenter.org

ABOUT Irish Arts Center

Irish Arts Center, founded in 1972, is a New York-based arts and cultural center dedicated to projecting a dynamic image of Ireland and Irish America for the 21st century, building community with artists and audiences of all backgrounds, and preserving the evolving stories and traditions of Irish culture for generations to come. Our multi-disciplinary programming is centered around three core areas: Performance - including live music, dance, theatre, film, literature, and the humanities; Exhibition - including visual arts presentations and cultural exhibitions that tell the evolving Irish story; and Education, with dozens of classes per week in Irish language, history, music, and dance. Located in New York City, a world capital of arts and culture, Irish Arts Center serves as a dynamic platform for top emerging and established artists and cultural creators to reach a New York, national, and global audience, and as a gateway for other institutions to access first-rate Irish and Irish American culture. www.irishartscenter.org <http://www.irishartscenter.org> .

THE NEW Irish Arts Center

The Irish Arts Center's historic effort to build a new state-of-the-art facility received another major momentum boost with the City of New York's announcement in July of an additional $4.5 million toward the centre's capital project. Led by City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, with key support from Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Borough President Scott Stringer, the City has now committed more than $12 million toward the project. The City's increased investment followed the Irish government's announcement of a grant of $3.5million last December. 

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