BLACK IRISH to be Presented at Emerson Theater Collaborative

In celebration of American history and cultural identity, Emerson Theater Collaborative will present Black Irish, a sharp, funny, and quietly gut-punching one-act play by Jeffrey Kagan-McCann, running February 6-8, 2026, at Sedona United Methodist Church in The New Room, located at 110 Indian Cliffs Road, Sedona, AZ 86336.

Black Irish follows Ruairí Phelan, a young African-American man who crosses the ocean to a small Irish farming town in search of the Phelans-his grandfather's family-who believe Uncle Patrick died decades ago, unaware he has been alive in America all this time. The play weaves heart, humor, and unexpected twists with the ease of a seasoned storyteller. The Seattle Times called the script "as intoxicating as a slug of good whiskey," and the play won Best Play at the 2019 Hartford Fringe Festival, earning audience-favorite status.

Black Irish is written and directed by Jeffrey Kagan-McCann, the Artistic Director and Founder of Pearwater Productions and the Hartford Fringe Festival. He has worked at numerous theaters nationally, including Goodspeed at Chester, Company One, Actor's Attic, Hartford Stage Company, Protean Theater, TheaterWorks, Northwest Actors Studio, Seattle Fringe Festival, A Contemporary Theater, Millbrook Playhouse, and Lucid Stage Company.

The cast of Black Irish features James Yaw, Nicole Morin, Elijah Manning, Audrey Young, Joel Austin, Joan Westmoreland, and Sean Spencer. Michael Vernon Davis performs the voice of Patrick Phelan.

Black Irish is produced by Camilla Ross. The creative team includes Sedona Digs, Sarah Woods, Izabella Lam, Ginny Burkitt. Terra Shelman, Karen Loomis, and Craig Schneider. Sedona UAS provides videography.

There will be a special opening night pre-event on opening night, Friday, February 6, beginning at 5:30 pm. Limited to 50 with 20 tickets sold, The Sights, Sounds & Samplings of the Irish-American Experience, an immersive pre-event featuring light traditional music, small bites, one drink ticket, and a festive atmosphere that sets the tone for the evening.

Chef David's Irish-American menu includes Irish meatballs with Guinness glaze, beef tips in an African tomato stew, Irish whiskey and maple chicken skewers, stuffed cabbage rolls with potato, beans, carrots, and herbs, and savory caramelized onion and fig mini pastries, accompanied by mashed potatoes and jollof rice.

There are no door sales for the pre-event or the February 6 performance. When ordering tickets, patrons must select the 6:00 PM ticket time, which includes both the pre-event and performance for $60. Seating is limited; tickets are non-refundable. For additional information, contact Camilla Ross at (860) 705-9711.