Irish Rep Adds MOLLY SWEENEY as Fourth Production in The Friel Project

Irish Repertory Theatre will continue The Friel Project with a fourth production, Molly Sweeney. A retrospective of the work of renowned Irish playwright Brian Friel, The Friel Projectcelebrates Irish Rep’s 35th Anniversary, running October 2023 through June 2024.

Directed by Charlotte Moore (Aristocrats), Molly Sweeney will begin previews on Wednesday May 15, 2024, with an opening night set for Thursday May 23, for a limited run through Sunday June 30, 2024, on the Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage at Irish Repertory Theatre (132 West 22nd Street). 

Molly has happily experienced the world differently since she was ten months old. When Frank, her restless, unemployed, and enthusiastic husband, makes her blindness his latest cause, he recruits Mr. Rice, a once-famous surgeon who, despite his struggles, agrees to attempt to restore Molly’s sight. When the bandages come off, Molly, Frank, and Mr. Rice discover the differences between seeing and understanding as they face the consequences of a medical miracle.

 Irish Repertory Theatre most recently produced Molly Sweeney: A Performance on Screen, which premiered on May 12, 2020, as its first digital production during the COVID-19 shutdown, directed by Charlotte Moore. Previously, Irish Rep produced a production of Molly Sweeney in 2011. Both digital and Mainstage productions, directed by Moore, featured Geraldine Hughes and Ciarán O’Reilly.

The cast of Molly Sweeney will feature Rufus Collins (Translations) as Mr. Rice, John Keating (Translations) as Frank Sweeney and Sarah Street (Aristocrats) as Molly Sweeney. 

Molly Sweeney will feature set design by Charlie Corcoran (Philadelphia, Here I Come!) and lighting design by Michael Gottlieb (Philadelphia, Here I Come!). Additional creative team members will be announced at a later date. 

The performance schedule for Molly Sweeney is as follows: Wednesdays at 2pm & 7pm, Thursdays at 7pm, Fridays at 7pm, Saturdays at 2pm & 7pm, and Sundays at 3pm. Exceptions: there will be no 2pm performance Wednesday May 15, and no performances on Wednesday June 19. The performance on Sunday May 19 will be at 7pm instead of 3pm.

Tickets for Molly Sweeney are on sale now for Irish Rep members and will go on sale to the public on March 19. Tickets start at $55 and are available at IrishRep.org.

The Friel Project features four of Friel’s works set in Ballybeg, a fictional town in Donegal, Ireland: Translations (1980) directed by Tony Award winner Doug Hughes (Doubt, A Parable); Aristocrats(1979) directed by Artistic Director Charlotte Moore (Two by Synge); Philadelphia, Here I Come! (1964) directed by Producing Director Ciarán O’Reilly (Endgame); and Molly Sweeney (1994) directed by Moore. The Friel Project also includes selected concert readings from the playwright’s vast canon and additional planned events culminating in an exhibit in the Irish Repertory Gallery. Casts, additional creative team members, and further season event details will be announced at later dates. 

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