Irish Rep to Stage THE BALLAD OF CHARLIE AND CATE Reading, 12/6

On Friday, December 6th at 3:00pm, the Irish Repertory Theatre's 2013-2014 reading series will present a staged reading of Irish playwright Ed Malone's THE BALLAD of CHARLIE and CATE, directed by the playwright.

The Irish Repertory Theatre (132 West 22nd Street) continues its eighth season of the Irish Rep Reading Series with the reading of Mr. Malone's play.

Tickets are free, and the event is open to the public. An RSVP to 212-727-2737 is suggested.

The Ballad of Charlie and Cate is a darkly comic play that traces the rise and fall - and rise again - of two working class sisters, Cate and Charlie Maloney. The Maloney sisters currently reside in Tallaght, a sexy, sassy, but ultimately shambolic suburb of Dublin in the romantic republic of old Ireland. The play's language is choreographed as an exhilarating verbal ballet that includes love, death, sex, rock 'n' roll, ghosts, Gabriel Byrne, The Beatles, Abba, The Pogues, Simon Cowell, an unwanted son, a runaway Dad, a suicidal Mam, a predatory teacher, a sadistic landlord and the River Liffey.

Ed Malone (Playwright/Director) directs this reading of The Ballad of Charlie & Cate. He is also an actor and clown who was born and raised in Cork City, Ireland. He moved to New York in 2007 after two years of schooling in Paris-first at L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq and then working with the legendary French clown Philippe Gaulier at École Philippe Gaulier. Ed's solo play The Three Irish Widows versus the Rest of the World received three sold-out runs in New York in 2010. Ed's debut play, The Self Obsessed Tragedy of Ed Malone, toured Ireland and England extensively to great critical acclaim and along with its sequel, The Self Obsessed Tragedy of Ed Malone Chapter Two, reveled in a sold-out run at Stage Left Studios in New York in the spring of 2009. Mr. Malone is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America.

Jo Kinsella (Charlie Maloney) is a native of Co. Kilkenny,Ireland. She's just back from a UK/Ireland tour of For Love which was performed at The Derry Playhouse,Grand Opera House Belfast,Theatre Royal Waterford, Axis, Ballymun Dublin, The Viking Theatre Clontarf and The Town Hall Galway. New York theatre credits: For Love and Dancing in Lughnasa at The Irish Repertory Theatre and and two roles at the 1st Irish Theatre Festival - Val in For Love and Deirdre in House Strictly Private which she won The 1st Irish Special Achievement Award for remarkable contributions to 1st Irish Theatre Festival 2012. Also, Hamm & Clov Stage Company's productions of An Aisling Christmas, Of Pubs and Parishes,The Ring and A Touch of the Playwright (both directed by Theodore Mann),as well as the very first production of Ardnaglass on the Air at the 1st Irish Festival 2010. Other credits: Living Quarters, Moll and Big Maggie with PJM Production Co. An Adult Evening with Shel Silverstein and The Snow Quest at The Antonowsky Center for Performing Arts. On Bloomsday she read James Joyce's Eveline along with Colum McCann and previously with Fionnula Flanagan. TV: "Eugene" Pilot (Comedy Central). Jo also does stand-up comedy at various international venues andher voice can be heard via "The Action Center to End World Hunger," presented by Tina Fey.

Laoisa Sexton (Cate, The Great Maloney). Recent theater credits include the European premiere/Irish tour, of the critically acclaimed play, For Love, which she also wrote. The play toured to the UK City of Culture Festival as well as six theaters across Ireland. The play also received its Off-Broadway premiere at the Irish Repertory Theatre directed by Tim Ruddy. Other credits include Long Day's Journey into Night directed by Joe Dowling at The Guthrie Theater, the US premiere of For Love for 1st Irish Theater Festival NYC, Rebecca, Bonnie Bob (NY Theatre Ensemble) the NYand Irish/European premiere of John Paul Murphy's acclaimed The Prophet of Monto at The Flea Theater NYC and Dublin premiere for Axis, Ballymun, Laoisa won the Ist Irish Theater Festival Best Actress Award for her role as Zoe, and the play was directed by Des Kennedy (Out of Joint Theatre Company) Other NY Theater credits include Oh The Power by David Bar Katz directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman for LABryrinth Theater Company Barn Series, Cell, Gaslight, Ladies & Gents. Regional: Conor Mc Pherson's Shining City at Studio Theatre, DC. Laoisa also received rave reviews in the European premiere of Dirtyworks, directed by Kevin Kittle for Stiff Upper Lip Theatre and the Edinburgh Theatre Festival. Also, for Stiff Upper lip: Some Voices. Irish/ UK theatre credits include, The Pitchfork Disney, The Hostage, Fool For Love, Abigail's Party, An Ideal Husband, Lovers. Films: "The Standard Man," "The Beatle Fan," "Blur." Short films include: "The One Time," "Last Stop Paradise," "Right Now" and "Ladies & Gents." Irish TV: "Fair City." As a playwright, Laoisa has written For Love, Bridget, and The Last Days of Cleopatra

About the Irish Repertory Theatre: Founded by Ciarán O'Reilly and Charlotte Moore, The Irish Repertory Theatre opened its doors in September 1988 with Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the Stars. The Irish Rep is currently the only year-round theatre company in New York City devoted to bringing Irish and Irish American works to the stage. Recognized with the Jujamcyn Theatres Award, a special Drama Desk Award for "Excellence in Presenting Distinguished Irish Drama," and the Lucille Lortel Award for "Outstanding Body of Work," The Irish Rep has celebrated the very best in Irish theatre for over twenty years, from the masters to the new generation of Irish and Irish American writers who are transforming the stage. Nearly 38,000 audience members annually attend productions at our theatre located in the heart of New York's Off Broadway community. Once here, they witness The Irish Rep's engaging perspective on the Irish and their unique contributions to the world of drama.

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