Five Notable Irish Plays To Receive Their New York Premieres During 1st Irish 2009 Fest

Five notable productions, among a total 21, will r eceive their New York and world premieres beginning next week as part of the five-week all-Irish theatre festival 1st Irish 2009. The five plays, all by contemporary Irish playwrights with casts consisting of Irish and American-based actors of Irish descent, are the Olive Theater and Orphanage Productions' "Walking the Road," by Dermot Bolger; Ormond Road Productions' "The Good Thief," by Connor McPherson; Inis Nua Theatre's "Trad," by Mark Doherty; The Bronx Company and Whole in the Wall's "Blood Guilty," by Antoine Ó Flatharta; and Fallen Angel Theatre Company's "Cell," by Paula Meehan.

Directed by John Brant, Christopher Hamilton's "Walking the Road" is a re-imagining of the life and death of real-life Irish Poet Frank Ledwidge, who was killed in action at the battle of Passchendaele in World War I. Irish actor Mark Noonan (Off Broadway: "Rum and Vodka," "Someone Who'll Watch Over Me") and the American actor David Beck ("The Long Ride Home") star in this American Premiere. This production is dedicated to the memory of US Marine JulIan Brennan who was killed on active duty in Afghanistan in January 09.

"The Good Thief," by the Tony-nominated Conor McPherson, features Dublin native, Sean Gormley, who began his career in Seattle and recently relocated to New York City. He most recently appeared in the critically acclaimed "Aristocrats" at The Irish Repertory Theatre. Winner of the 1994 Stewart Parker Award, "The Good Thief" follows a Dublin thug who is sent on a routine job and unwittingly finds himself a fugitive for kidnapping and murder.

Inis Nua Theatre, a Philadelphia-based theatre company whose mission is to produce contemporary plays from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales, bring us "Trad." Associate artistic director Jared Michael Delaney, Charlie DelMarcelle, and 2002 Barrymore Award-winner (Best Supporting Actor in a Musical) Mike Dees perform in "Trad," by playwright Mark Doherty, who won the 2004 BBC Radio Drama Award for "Trad," and is the writer and star of the film "A Film With Me In It," soon to be released in America.

Irish Repertory Theatre alum Kevin Collins and Aidan Redmond have formed an ensemble-based company to produce Antoine Ó Flatharta's "Blood Guilty" which brings together several generations of Irish acting talent, including renowned actor/director Vincent Dowling, who is the former artistic director of The Abbey Theatre; Christopher Joseph Jones; Aidan Redmond and Paul Nugent. Best known as the creator of the ultra-successful Irish TV drama, Ros na Run
, Antoine Ó Flatharta writes in both the Irish and English languages.

Founded by Aedin Moloney, Fallen Angel Theatre Company is committed to presenting the most outstanding and daring new plays written by British and Irish female playwrights. The cast of "Cell" features New York-based Irish actors Aedin Moloney, and Laoisa Sexton, and is led by director John Keating in this American premiere. Award winning playwright and poet Paula Meehan, a native of inner-city Dublin, attributes this work to the voices and sprit of the women she met during her twenty years teaching creative writing to inmates in Irish prisons.

Performance schedule is as follows:

"Walking the Road"
The Players Loft Theatre, 115 MacDougal Street
September 10, 11, 12, 19 & 25 at 9pm, September 17, 23 & 24 at 7pm, September 13, 20, & 27 at 2pm, October 2 & 3 at 7pm, and October 4 at 2pm. For tickets, which are $18, call 212/352-3101 or visit www.theatermania.com

"The Good Thief"
The Players Loft Theatre, 115 MacDougal Street
September 10, 16, 18 & 19 at 7:00 pm, September 23, 24, 26 & 30 at 9:00pm, September 13, 20 & 27 at 5:00pm, October 1 & 2 at 9:00pm & Oct 4 at 5:00pm
For tickets, which are $18, call 212/352-3101 or visit www.theatermania.com

"Trad"
Manhattan Theatre Source, 177 MacDougal Street
September 6, 13 & 20 at 3:00pm, & September 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 & 22 at 8:00pm
For Tickets, which are $20, call 212/352-3101 or visit www.theatermania.com

"Blood Guilty"
The Players Loft Theatre, 115 MacDougal Street
September 11, 12, 25, 26 & 30 & Oct 1 at 7:00pm, September 16, 17 & 18 & Oct 3 at 9:00pm, September 13, 20 & 27, & Oct 4 at 3:45pm
For tickets, which are $18,=2 0call 212/352-3101 or visit www.theatermania.com

"Cell"
The Gene Frankel Theatre, 24 Bond Street
September 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17 & 18 at 8:00pm, September 13 at 2:30pm & 7:30pm, September 19 at 3:00 p.m. & 8:00pm, & September 20 at 5:00pm.
For tickets, which are $18, call 212/868-4444 or visit www.smarttix.com