Two Irish Plays Worth Seeing

 Last weekend we enjoyed Brian Friel's terrific play, Translations, at the Irish Repertory Theatre in New York. For me, it was a special treat, in that I had just completed a four-play course led by Chris Griffin, who taught Irish lit at George Washington Univ., and presented by our independent bookstore, Politics & Prose, in which this Friel play was the final one we read and discussed. Somehow I'd never seen one of his plays and now I know what I've missed. The Irish Repertory Theatre will be doing two more, including his first big success on Broadway, Philadelphia, Here I Come!, this spring as part of their Friel Project.

The play is set in 1833 in Donegal, which is in some parts further north in Ireland than Northern Ireland. The Brits--their army--are documenting and Anglicizing place-names; most of the locals have nothing to do with another exercise of the colonial power but one man who's made a success in Dublin comes back to serve as their translator and interpreter. As he becomes friendlier with the young British officer who is the cartographer, he fails to see that this will not end well.

It's a well-crafted play that allows the audience (and readers) to consider the implications of what each of the characters is conveying. The performances are excellent and their accents impeccable. Friel grew up in Derry, Northern Ireland, and was present on Bloody Sunday there during "the Troubles".

Today we saw Conor McPherson's The Seafarer at Round House in Bethesda. This drama features five men--no women--all of whom are hanging on in a house where the only consistent activity is drinking. The first act was tedious and at least one friend had told us that she departed at the intermission. I'm glad we resisted doing that because the second act turned everything around and presented a clever dramatic conflict, with all five roles playing important parts.

It was amazing to see how the play came to life. You immediately begin to appreciate how each man fits into the drama. They all perform well and unlike the first act, you don't find yourself wondering when the act will end. McPherson also throws in some nice curveballs to heighten the impact. It was definitely worth coming back after the interval.