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Michael Mellamphy Announced as New Artistic Director of Origin Theatre Company
Mellamphy’s first moves will be to produce three events and productions taking place in May and June.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Apr. 21, 2021
Origin Theatre Company has appointed the actor and producer Michael Mellamphy to serve as its new artistic director, replacing Origin's founder George C. Heslin, who became the new executive director of the New York Irish Center in October last year.
Mellamphy, who co-curated (with the actor Sarah Street) the 13th annual Origin 1st Irish Theatre Festival in January, takes over the artistic leadership of the New York-based company, now in its 18th consecutive season, with a strong mandate from the board to continue to develop Origin's unique mix of shows and events that introduce consequential contemporary voices from Europe to New York audiences.
Mellamphy's first moves will be to produce three events and productions taking place in May and June which are familiar components of Origin's seasonal programming, but which will bear his unique stamp as a New York-based actor, theatre producer, and business owner.
"Having worked with the Origin team on an all-virtual 1st Irish Festival, which far-exceeded expectations and reached a significantly wider audience than past festivals, I am confident we can produce powerful theatre under these very unique and changing pandemic circumstances," Mellamphy reports.
Starting May 9, Origin will produce a scaled-down version the 3rd annual European Month of Culture in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union to the United States; on Sunday June 13, an innovative live-and-virtual version of Origin's immersive Bloomsday Breakfast celebration will be produced with Blooms Tavern (the 7th annual edition did take place last year in a virtual format); and later in June a thoughtful and highly relevant new play from the Netherlands about racial profiling, "A Kid Like Rishi" -- that was scheduled to premiere last fall -- will be brought to life for its American premiere as a radio play production cast and produced in New York.
"Michael Mellamphy's expert curation -- with Sarah Street -- of this year's Origin 1st Irish, proved beyond a shadow of a doubt what a masterful producer, instigator and team builder he is," commented Carletta Downs, Origin's board chair. "We know from first-hand experience of his commitment to Origin, to our community and of his always good-natured approach to his fellow artists and collaborators. We couldn't be happier to have convinced Mick to lead Origin and to continue the incredible legacy of the company's founder George C. Heslin."
A native of Cork Ireland, Mellamphy is a busy New York actor who is a member of the Irish Repertory Theatre and a founder of The Pigeon Theatre Company, as well as a former owner of the Irish bar Ryan's Daughter where he produced a number of immersive theatre productions. Before helming (with Street) the 13th annual Origin 1st Irish, which hosted 20 virtual events and showcased the work of 34 contemporary Irish playwrights, Mellamphy had already become a familiar 1st Irish presence, winning two Best Actor awards in previous years. In addition to making numerous television appearances over the years he is also the performance capture artist of the cheeky Irish gunslinger Sean MacGuire from Rockstar's hugely popular video game "Red Dead Redemption 2."
"Using technology in theatre production is at the forefront of my thinking now," says Mellamphy. "Covid 19 has thrown many challenges at our community and many of us, including Origin, have responded creatively. I feel strongly we must get back to in-person productions but in the meantime we can use everything we've learned over the last 12 months + to create new paradigms, mix live and recorded elements, even mix formats like social media with live theatre."
Mellamphy's first initiative as artistic director will be to stage a deeply resonant, if truncated, edition of the European Month of Culture. In events coordinated between Washington DC and New York starting on Europe Day, Sunday May 9, the mini festival will explore the theme "getting outside." Four European plays, which were meant to be seen in readings last year, will now be performed in staged, site-specific mini-productions overseen by Mellamphy in a number of unique New York City locations. The dates, times and locations, and the plays and creative teams will be announced on April 26.
The 8th annual immersive Bloomsday Breakfast, known popularly as "Origin's 8th Bloom... @ Bloom's Tavern of Course!" produced with Blooms Tavern will also be a mix of live-stream components and distance-safe outdoor elements. As always a who's who of Irish theatre luminaries and popular figures in music, politics and the arts will be take part. "Origin did a fully virtual Breakfast last year," says Mellamphy, "which was packed with great performances and heartfelt messages, but this time we feel emboldened to really push the virtual limits to try to join festivities in Ireland and New York in a shared experience that will do real justice to this unique and important literary holiday. James Joyce after all was all about setting new rules in art." Details will be announced on Monday April 26.
The American premiere of Kees Roorda's explosively relevant "A Kid Like Rishi" -- a critically acclaimed docu-play based on a true story -- will be produced by Origin in late June. Directed by Erwin Maas, the project, that incorporates journalistic and forensic investigatory elements, will layer on conversations and commentary informed by the current world-wide racial justice movement. Says Mellamphy, "We are certainly interested in learning how these issues are seen in Europe, but most of all we will want the conversations to be eye-opening and cathartic for participants on both sides of the Atlantic." Project details will be announced on April 26 as well.
Since its founding in 2002, Origin Theatre Company, whose overall mission is to present new works by writers from across Europe, has introduced plays by over 300 playwrights to US audiences.
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