MAZ & BRICKS Comes to Corrib Theatre This Month

Corrib Theatre presents the West Coast Premiere of Eva O'Connor's Maz & Bricks, directed by Melody Erfani. The limited run dates for Maz & Bricks are February 18 through March 13, at The Boiler Room, Lincoln Hall, Portland State University, 1620 SW Park Ave, in Portland, Oregon.

A chance encounter changes two strangers forever.

Two strangers meet on a train in Dublin. Maz is on her way to a demonstration protesting the Eighth Amendment, Catholic Ireland's blanket ban on abortion. Bricks is hoping he will get to see his young daughter after a wild night on the town. The two are an unlikely pair, and yet the course of a day will change them both forever. A tender and timely tale about listening, learning, and coming to terms with our past.

"This play was written as a rallying cry," says Melody Erfani, Maz & Bricks director, "for the people of Ireland to repeal the Eighth Amendment to their Constitution which stated that an unborn child's right to life was equal to that of the mother, regardless of whether or not the mother's life was in danger. The play toured all over Ireland in 2017 and the following year the amendment was repealed by an overwhelming majority. The arts played a pivotal role in changing the political landscape for women's reproduction rights in Ireland.

"With the introduction of draconian new anti-abortion measures recently in Texas, and with many other states attempting to follow suit, Maz & Bricks feels like a vitally important inclusion in Corrib's season. And yet this play is far from being just another issue play. Maz and Bricks are two very different people with contrasting views, yet they change each other's lives in ways they never thought possible. Set against the backdrop of a March for Choice, the play is first and foremost about two people making a connection. Playwright Eva O'Connor mentions in one of her interviews, 'I wanted to show that if you meet someone on a human level so often you surprise yourself. You can find a connection with someone on the complete opposite side of the fence to you.' Our ability and need for understanding, love and community is at the heart of this play."

"I'm absolutely thrilled that Maz & Bricks is being produced by Corrib Theatre," writes playwright Eva O'Connor. "It's a huge privilege that the play is having a life in Portland. I wrote the play in the run up to the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment in Ireland but its themes, sadly, remain as pressing as ever. I really wanted to write about how big an issue (reproductive health care) was for people and to capture how polarized people were. And yet, how, when people meet and there's a spark between two individuals, you can... be united by chemistry, or personality, or friendship, or love. I wish I could be there to see the Corrib production come to life. Instead, I am sending my warmest wishes to cast crew and audiences all the way from Ireland."

Learn more at corribtheatre.org.