The Lyric Theatre, Belfast, brings “Agreement” to the JL Greene Theatre at Irish Arts Center for two nights this week, Thursday and Friday. The clock is ticking. It’s April 1998 and the main political parties in Northern Ireland, the British government and the Irish government, all under the watchful eye of Senator George Mitchell, try to hammer out a deal that could pave the way for peace in Northern Ireland. This is the last chance, and no one is leaving until agreement is reached one way or another. The Irish Times described “Agreement,” written by Owen McCafferty and directed by Charlotte Westenra, as an “outstanding evening, a landmark play,” while the Times of London called it the “Northern Ireland peace process as vivid docudrama.” For tickets, email boxoffice@irishartscenter.org or call 888-616-0274.
‘The Double Bass’ debuts
The Origin Theatre Company’s 1st Irish Festival continues through the end of this month. Among the productions beginning his week is Sean Gormley’s world premiere translation of Patrick Süskind’s play “The Double Bass,” about a double bassist who confronts his shortcomings as he wrestles with the instrument that dominates his life and handicaps his efforts to attract the woman of his dreams. It’s directed by Labhaoise Magee at the Cell Theatre. For more information and tickets about this and other productions, visit origintheatre.org.
Yeats Summer in April
The Yeats International Summer School will take place over nine days in July in Sligo, but the New York version happens on one day and that’s Saturday, April 20, at Glucksman Ireland House.
The annual Taste of the Summer School in New York, hosted by the WB Yeats Society of NY, evokes the spirit of the school in Ireland. Speakers scheduled for the all-day program are: “Yeats and the Nobel Prize:” Martin Enright of Sligo, via Zoom, describes how the 1923 award came at a time that was changing Ireland and the poet; Aidan Ryan: on how he climbed Knocknarea in Sligo while attending the Summer School; James Pethica: “Yeats, 1924: Politician–and Poet"; Anne Margaret Daniels: “Two Nobel Laureates: Yeats and Bob Dylan"; Susan Wands: “Yeats and Pamela Colman Smith: Golden Dawn Magicians and Artists.”
Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan will be compared to another, W.B. Yeats.
The entire program (from 9:30 to 4:30), including refreshments, lunch and the afternoon social is $39; morning or afternoon only with refreshments $20. Send a check to WB Yeats Society of NY, National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, NYC 10003 with your name, address, phone number and email. Put the date on your calendar; your name will be on a registration list at the door. Fees are $5 more at door.
