1st Irish 2011 Hits Midway Point

1st Irish 2011, the world's only all-Irish theatre festival, hits the midway point this weekend with all eight plays-in-competition running simultaneously, and the festival's panels and special events set to begin next week. Coordinated by the New York-based Origin Theatre Company (artistic director George C. Heslin), the fourth annual edition of month-long festival features four productions from Ireland and four from America, with six American premieres and one New York premiere. Two of the eight full productions - "Bogboy" at the Irish Arts Centre and "Lucia's Chapters of Coming Forth by Day" from Mabou Mines -- end their runs on Sunday September 25. The others play through Sunday October 2. 1st Irish 2011 concludes on Monday October 3 at 7pm with an Awards Ceremony hosted by Papillon Bistro & Bar, 22 East 54th Street.

Next week's three special events include: "The North Face" -- a panel discussion about Northern Ireland's impressive success in establishing a thriving theatre and cultural scene (Tuesday September 20 at 6:30pm hosted by the NY Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center at the Bruno Walter Auditorium); and "Challenge for the Actor," a free-wheeling conversation about what makes Irish plays Irish with 1st Irish 2011 actors (Thursday September 22 at 7pm, hosted by NYU's Glucksman Ireland House). Both of these panel events are free.

Also out of competition, on Saturday September 24 at 3:15pm at A.R.T. Studios at 520, Origin Theatre Co. presents a one-day laboratory event, "Breaking Ground," in which six young writers present their ideas for new work in a rehearsal room setting. Building on its three-year program of commissioning new plays for 1st Irish, this unique interactive studio event allows the participants to interact with each other and the audience as they "pitch" their projects. For information about these events visit www.1stIrish.org.

Serving on the 1st Irish 2011 jury are Jacqueline Davis, the executive director of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts; Playbill's Harry Haun; film and theatre critic and historian Bernard Carragher; the Irish theatre columnist Kate Kennon, and Sean Noonan, an executive at Mutual of America, where he serves as liaison to New York's professional theatre.

At the Awards Ceremony on October 3, coordinated by Ciaran Grant, the jury will honor the outstanding performances and productions, handing out awards for acting, directing, design and best production. The panel is also expected to hand out a special jury prize for a unique contribution to the Festival, while the festival's audience members are choosing the Best Play, in online voting on www.1stirish.org that concludes on Sunday October 2.

Among the 18 Irish and American theatres and arts organizations presenting or producing events at the festival are the prominent local non-profits 59E59 Theaters; The Mint; The Irish Arts Centre; PS 122; the NY Public Library at Lincoln Center; NYU's Glucksman Ireland House; the American Irish Historical Society, and the New York Irish Center in Queens. The four American premieres from Ireland (productions from Fishamble in Dublin, Brassneck Theatre Co. in West Belfast, Cirque de Légume in Sligo, and Tall Tales of Navan) are part of Imagine Ireland, Culture Ireland's year of Irish arts in America.

This year 1st Irish welcomes newest title sponsor, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, which joins these other vital festival sponsors: the Irish Government, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht; the Arts Council of Northern Ireland; the Northern Ireland Bureau; the Irish Consulate NY; Tourism Ireland; the Irish Arts Council - An Chomhairle Ealaíon; Imagine Ireland, Culture Ireland's year of Irish arts in America; the American Ireland Fund; Mutual of America; The Irish Examiner; McVicker & Higginbotham; NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and the NY State Council for the Arts.

1st Irish, powered by Origin Theatre Company, runs from September 5 through October 3. 1st Irish is the first and only festival in the world dedicated to Irish playwrights. For festival information and to learn how to vote for this year's Audience Choice Award for Best Play, visit www.1stIrish.org.

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