Tennessee Shakespeare Company Explores The Life And Legacy Of An Irish Literary Icon In Its Next Literary Salon Series

Tennessee Shakespeare Company brings from the Irish page to the Tabor Stage its next installment of its Literary Salon Series: Lady Augusta Gregory: Revivalist of a Country on Sunday, March 2 at 3:00 pm.

TSC's Literary Salons are unique, fun social hours of curated readings, scenes, and discussions that explore authors and their works, with a signature cocktail or two.

Co-founder of the Irish Literary Theatre and The Abbey Theatre in Dublin, Ireland at the dawn of the 20th Century, Lady Augusta Gregory was responsible for her country's literary revival – an awakening that would prove the birth of Ireland's fight for independence.

A friend and supporter of writers W.B. Yeats, J.M. Synge, Sean O'Casey, George Bernard Shaw, and Henry James, Lady Gregory was an inspired dramatist, poet, and correspondent in her own right. She collected and adapted Irish folklore, wrote plays rooted in Irish history and culture, and championed the work of emerging Irish writers. Her letters and writings offer a profound insight into Ireland's literary and political landscape in the early 20th century.

The cast includes TSC company actors Shine, Dan McCleary, Lauren Gunn, and Marquis Dijon Archuleta. The actors will read and play Lady Gregory's literary creations, bringing to life moments from her published works and her correspondence. John Albertson, who most recently joined TSC for the Literary Salon on Kate Chopin in 2015, will greet guests prior to the Salon and accompany the reading of Lady Gregory's works with live fiddle music.

There will be an original fine art photography show featuring the works of Rose Mieras of Wild Blue Rose Photography. The subject of the show is “The Irish Landscape.” The pieces also will be available for sale that day. For more information: https://wildbluerosephotography.com/

“Lady Gregory is an especially inspiring person to explore right now,” says Shine. “She discovered the value of bringing ancient Irish culture and its fading language to the forefront of the island's psyche. This allowed Ireland's daughters and sons, living for centuries under an oppressive rule, to move their culture into literary prominence. Lady Gregory and W.B. Yeats mourned the absence of a distinct Irish Dramatic Tradition. All of Ireland's great playwrights: Wilde, Congreve, Goldsmith, Farquar, and even G. Bernard Shaw wrote for the English Stage. Through Lady Gregory's vision and support, Irish theatre was born. 

“I am fascinated by how she navigated masculine spaces and achieved so much. She was a great playwright herself and the author of international best sellers. She did it all during her 40-year widowhood, living during an immensely turbulent and frightening time. Her story is not to be missed.”

Tickets are $29. Seniors (62+) are $26; Students (+/-22 with I.D.) are $22. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the TSC Box Office at (901) 759-0604, which is open Tuesday-Friday from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, and one hour prior to curtain. 

TSC is located near the northeast corner of Shelby Farms Park at 7950 Trinity Road, Memphis, TN 38018-6297. 

Need more Memphis Theatre News in your life?
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...