Terry Donnelly, A.J. Shively & More to Star in PHILADELPHIA, HERE I COME! at Irish Repertory Theatre

Irish Repertory Theatre has revealed the cast for Philadelphia, Here I Come!, the third production in The Friel Project. A retrospective of the work of renowned Irish playwright Brian Friel, The Friel Project celebrates Irish Rep’s 35th Anniversary, running October 2023 through May 2024.

 

Directed by Ciarán O’Reilly (Endgame), Philadelphia, Here I Come! will begin previews on Saturday March 16, 2024, with an opening night set for Sunday March 24, for a limited run through Sunday May 5, 2024, on the Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage at Irish Repertory Theatre (132 West 22nd Street).

 

The cast of Philadelphia, Here I Come! will include Peter Cormican (The Dead, 1904), Terry Donnelly (Two By Synge), Patrick Fitzgerald (Rebel in the Soul), Deirdre Madigan (Coal Country), David McElwee (A Man for All Seasons), Clare O’Malley (Pumpgirl), Ciarán O’Reilly (Juno and the Paycock), Tim Palmer (The Land of Promises), James Russell (A Touch of the Poet), A.J. Shively (A Man of No Importance), Emmet Smith (A Distinct Society), and John C. Vennema (A Touch of the Poet).

 

Philadelphia, Here I Come! will feature scenic design by Charlie Corcoran (Aristocrats), costume design by Orla Long (Endgame), lighting design by Michael Gottlieb (Aristocrats), sound design and original music by Ryan Rumery (Aristocrats) & M. Florian Staab (Aristocrats), and properties by Nicole Rozanski (Aristocrats). April Ann Kline is the Production Stage Manager and Jade Doina is the Stage Manager.

 

Set in 1962, this classic bittersweet comedy revolves around the young Gar O’Donnell on the eve of his departure from Ireland to America. Gar’s heartache from losing his girlfriend to a successful businessman propels him to accept an invitation to go and live with an aunt in Philadelphia. Despite the wild fantasies of what life in America might hold, and his yearning to escape the tedium of small town Ballybeg, a kind word from his taciturn father could change his mind.

 

Philadelphia, Here I Come! was Friel’s first major success, premiering in 1964 at the Gaiety Theatre Dublin, and transferring to Broadway two years later.

 

In 2005, Ciarán O’Reilly directed Philadelphia, Here I Come! at Irish Rep. The show featured Michael Fitzgerald, James Kennedy, Helena Carroll, and Edwin C. Owens, and was described by The New York Times as a “spirited production […] skillfully brought to life.” 

 

Previous to this Philadelphia, Here I Come! was produced at Irish Rep in 1990 with a cast that included Frank McCourt, Pauline Flanagan and Brían F. O’Byrne.

 

The performance schedule for Philadelphia, Here I Come! is as follows: Wednesdays at 2pm & 7pm, Thursdays at 7pm, Fridays at 7pm, Saturdays at 2pm & 7pm, and Sundays at 3pm.

 

Tickets for Philadelphia, Here I Come! start at $55 and are available at IrishRep.org.

 

The Friel Project features three 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) and Philadelphia, Here I Come! (1964) directed by Producing Director Ciarán O’Reilly (Endgame). The Friel Project will also include 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.

 

Currently in performances at Irish Repertory Theatre is Aristocrats, the second production in The Friel Project. Directed by Artistic Director Charlotte Moore (Two by Synge), Aristocrats opens this Sunday January 21 and will play a limited run through Sunday March 3, 2024.

 

Brian Friel (9 January 1929 – 2 October 2015) is widely regarded as one of Ireland’s greatest dramatists, having written over 30 plays across six decades. He was a member of Aosdána, the society of Irish artists, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Irish Academy of Letters, and the Royal Society of Literature where he was made a Companion of Literature. He was awarded the Ulysses Medal by University College, Dublin. His plays include Hedda Gabler (after Ibsen), The Home Place, Performances, Three Plays After (Afterplay, The Bear, The Yalta Game), Uncle Vanya (after Chekhov), Give Me Your Answer Do!, Molly Sweeney (Winner of the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Play), Wonderful Tennessee, A Month in the Country (after Turgenev), The London Vertigo (after Charles Macklin), Dancing at Lughnasa (Winner of 3 Tony Awards including Best Play, New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play, Olivier Award for Best Play), Making History, The Communication Cord, American Welcome, Three Sisters (after Chekhov), Translations, Aristocrats (Winner of the Evening Standard Award for Best Play and New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Play), Faith Healer, Fathers and Sons, Living Quarters, Volunteers, The Freedom of the City, The Gentle Island, The Mundy Scheme, Crystal and Fox, Lovers: Winners and Losers, The Loves of Cass Maguire, Philadelphia Here I Come!.

 

IRISH REPERTORY THEATRE

 

IRISH REPERTORY THEATRE, co-founded by Producing Director Ciarán O'Reilly and Artistic Director Charlotte Moore, is now in its 35th season after first opening its doors in September 1988 with Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the Stars. 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,” an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Achievement, and the Lucille Lortel Award for “Outstanding Body of Work,” Irish Rep celebrates the very best in Irish theatre, from the masters to the new generation of Irish and Irish American writers who are transforming the stage. Nearly 50,000 audience members annually attend productions at Irish Rep’s theatre located in the heart of New York’s Off-Broadway community. Once here, they witness Irish Rep’s engaging perspective on the Irish and their unique contributions to the world of drama.

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