Acting Irish International Theatre Festival
Encyclopedia
The Acting Irish International Theatre Festival (AIITF) is an annual festival of full-length Irish plays performed by North American Irish community theater companies. The festival was started in 1994 and is performed in a different city each year. The host city for the AIITF in 2010 is Chicago
, Illinois
and for 2011 it is Calgary
, Alberta
.
. The Tara Players of Winnipeg participated in the Milwaukee Irish Fest in 1992 and 1993 as well, but because that festival was dedicated primarily to Irish music, the three groups co-founded the theater-only AIITF in 1994. The first festival was held in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, Canada
March 10–13, 1994 and presented at the Tara Players' theater at the Irish Association of Manitoba. One of the founders of the festival was Geoff White of the Tara Player of Ottawa.
, USA. Five organizations participated, hosted by Na Fianna of Minneapolis-St. Paul. The adjudicators were Mona Poehling, Dan Sullivan and Ethna McKiernan.
, Alberta
, Canada May 15 to 19, 1996 at the Irish Cultural Center. The festival adjudicators were Christopher Foreman, Pat Benedict, and Dr. Richard Wall. Six groups participated:
In addition to these formal festival productions, two "showcase" (non-adjudicated) productions were presented: Winners (from Lovers: Winners and Losers) by Brian Friel
, presented by the Liffey Players of Calgary, and Bag Lady, by Frank McGuiness, presented by Patabesin Productions, Calgary.
, USA at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, 790 N. Van Buren St. May 14–17. Adjudicators for this festival were Milwaukee actress Laura Gordon; Christopher Foreman, former artistic director of the Northern Arts and Cultural Center in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
, Canada; and Ray Yeates, who was the youngest director in the history of Dublin's Abbey Theatre
.
The Best Production award in 1997 was presented to Tara Players of Winnipeg, for their production of The Field
. Tadhg McMahon of the Tara Players was also presented with the Best Supporting Male award for his performance as Tadhg McCabe.
Note: The 2004 AIITF program lists the New York participant at the 1997 AIITF as the John Fitzgerald Theatre; the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article of May 14, 1997 lists the group as the Thomas Davis Players.
, Ottawa
and Chicago
joined the festival.
, Illinois
May 25–30, 1999.
, brother of Sinéad O'Connor
.
, USA, at the Courtyard Theatre, Auraria Campus
, the University of Colorado Denver
, on May 15–19, 2001. The festival was hosted by Tir Na nOg, whose name mean in Irish (Gaelic) "everlasting youth". A special performance by PHAMALy
(Physically Handicapped Actors and Musical Artists League), as guests artists, was also presented at this festival.
The Best Production award in 2001 was presented to Innisfree Irish Theatre for their production of The Cripple of Innishmaan, by Martin McDonagh
. Sean Mac Donnchadha, of Innisfree Irish Theatre, received the acting award for Best Lead Male Actor as JohnnyPateenMike in The Cripple of Innishmaan
, in 2002.
The Best Production award was presented to the Toronto Irish Players for their production of Da
by Hugh Leonard
The Best Production award was presented to the Tara Players of Winnipeg for their production of Paddy Irishman, Paddy Englishman, and Paddy. . .? John Bowman won the award for Best Actor in the same production. The Irish Players of Rochester, an invitational group at this, their first festival, were awarded "Best Invitational Production" for Someone Who'll Watch Over Me
.
The scheduled performance of the Gaelic Park Players was canceled due to weather problems.
, featuring nine transplanted Dubliners in the cast.
Special Adjudicator Award: Gaelic Park Players "For a very entertaining, if completely insane, romp through the upper regions of Irish lunacy, confirming the old showbiz adage of 'leave them laughing when you go.'"
Honourable Mention: Costume Design for Holding Court Theatre for their production of Summer by Hugh Leonard and also for Toronto Irish Players for their production of At the Black Pig's Dyke by Vincent Woods.
In addition to the seven adjudicated productions, the 2007 Festival included two special presentations:
Townlands, by Dermot Bolger; a reading presented by the students of the Theater Department of the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.
Sneak preview of Walking the Road, also by Dermot Bolger. This play about Francis Ledwidge, a young Irish poet who lost his life in Flanders fields in 1917, while serving with the British army in World War I, had its world premiere at Axis Arts Center in Dublin June 9, 2007.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and for 2011 it is Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
.
1994 Festival; Winnipeg
The concept of the Acting Irish International Theater Festival (AIITF) was originated by three Irish community theater groups: the Tara Players of Winnipeg, Milwaukee Irish Arts, and Na Fianna Theatre of Minneapolis-St. Paul). These three groups held several invitational performances in each other's city between 1990-93, and all three groups participated in the 1991 Milwaukee Irish FestMilwaukee Irish Fest
Milwaukee Irish Fest is a yearly ethnic festival held at the Henry Maier Festival Park, on the Lake Michigan, USA, every third weekend in August. More than 130,000 people attend the Fest each year to take in nearly 250 acts on 17 stages. The four-day festival in downtown Milwaukee started in 1981...
. The Tara Players of Winnipeg participated in the Milwaukee Irish Fest in 1992 and 1993 as well, but because that festival was dedicated primarily to Irish music, the three groups co-founded the theater-only AIITF in 1994. The first festival was held in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
March 10–13, 1994 and presented at the Tara Players' theater at the Irish Association of Manitoba. One of the founders of the festival was Geoff White of the Tara Player of Ottawa.
| Company | City | Production | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Irish Arts | Milwaukee, WI | The Poker Session | Hugh Leonard Hugh Leonard Hugh Leonard was an Irish dramatist, television writer and essayist. In a career that spanned 50 years, Leonard wrote more than 18 plays, two volumes of essays and two autobiographies, one novel and numerous screenplays and teleplays, as well as writing a regular newspaper column.-Life and... |
| Ashling Productions | Calgary, AB | (a pair of one act plays) | |
| Tara Players | Winnipeg, MB | Remembrance | Graham Reid Graham Reid (writer) Graham Reid is a playwright from Belfast, Northern Ireland.-Background:Born into a working class family in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Reid left school at age 15, served in the British army, married young, but returned to education and graduated from Queen's University in 1976... |
| Na Fianna | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN | Translations | Brian Friel Brian Friel Brian Friel is an Irish dramatist, author and director of the Field Day Theatre Company. He is considered to be the greatest living English-language dramatist, hailed by the English-speaking world as an "Irish Chekhov" and "the universally accented voice of Ireland"... |
1995 Festival; Minneapolis
The 1995 AIITF was held March 9–11 at the Weyerhaeuser Auditorium in Landmark Center, 75 W. 5th St., St. Paul, MinnesotaMinnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, USA. Five organizations participated, hosted by Na Fianna of Minneapolis-St. Paul. The adjudicators were Mona Poehling, Dan Sullivan and Ethna McKiernan.
| Company | City | Production | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Irish Arts | Milwaukee, WI | I Do Not Like Thee, Dr. Fell | Bernard Farrell Bernard Farrell Bernard Farrell is an Irish dramatist, best known for his play I Do Not Like Thee, Doctor Fell, which parodies American psychobabble and the Irish reaction thereto.... |
| Ashling Productions | Calgary, AB | Dancing at Lughnasa Dancing at Lughnasa Dancing at Lughnasa is a 1990 play by dramatist Brian Friel set in Ireland's County Donegal in August 1936 in the fictional town of Ballybeg. It is a memory play told from the point of view of the adult Michael Evans, the narrator... |
Brian Friel Brian Friel Brian Friel is an Irish dramatist, author and director of the Field Day Theatre Company. He is considered to be the greatest living English-language dramatist, hailed by the English-speaking world as an "Irish Chekhov" and "the universally accented voice of Ireland"... |
| Tara Players | Winnipeg, MB | Away Alone | Janet Noble Janet Noble Janet Noble is a Playwright living in New York city and Narrowsburg, New York.-Works:*Away Alone , which was presented by the Tara Players of Winnipeg at the 1995 Acting Irish International Theatre Festival.*Gold in the Street... |
| Na Fianna | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN | Famine | Tom Murphy Tom Murphy (playwright) Tom Murphy is an Irish dramatist who has worked closely with the Abbey Theatre in Dublin and with Druid Theatre, Galway. He was born in Tuam, County Galway, Ireland... |
| Lartigue Theatre | Listowel, Ireland | The Estuary and The Tentmaker | Paddy Fitzgibbon |
1996 Festival; Calgary
In 1996, the AIITF was held in CalgaryCalgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada May 15 to 19, 1996 at the Irish Cultural Center. The festival adjudicators were Christopher Foreman, Pat Benedict, and Dr. Richard Wall. Six groups participated:
| Company | City | Production | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Irish Arts | Milwaukee, WI | Moll | John B. Keane John B. Keane John Brendan Keane was an Irish playwright, novelist and essayist from Listowel, County Kerry.-Life and career:... |
| Ashling Productions | Calgary, AB | The Death of Humpty Dumpty | Graham Reid |
| Tara Players | Winnipeg, MB | The Sea Horse | Edward J. Moore |
| Stage Éireann Dramatic Society | Vancouver, BC | The Love of Cass McGuire | Brian Friel Brian Friel Brian Friel is an Irish dramatist, author and director of the Field Day Theatre Company. He is considered to be the greatest living English-language dramatist, hailed by the English-speaking world as an "Irish Chekhov" and "the universally accented voice of Ireland"... |
| St. Albert Irish Society | St. Albert, Alberta | Time Was | Hugh Leonard Hugh Leonard Hugh Leonard was an Irish dramatist, television writer and essayist. In a career that spanned 50 years, Leonard wrote more than 18 plays, two volumes of essays and two autobiographies, one novel and numerous screenplays and teleplays, as well as writing a regular newspaper column.-Life and... |
| Prince George Theatre Workshop | Prince George, BC | Someone to Watch Over Me | Frank McGuiness |
In addition to these formal festival productions, two "showcase" (non-adjudicated) productions were presented: Winners (from Lovers: Winners and Losers) by Brian Friel
Brian Friel
Brian Friel is an Irish dramatist, author and director of the Field Day Theatre Company. He is considered to be the greatest living English-language dramatist, hailed by the English-speaking world as an "Irish Chekhov" and "the universally accented voice of Ireland"...
, presented by the Liffey Players of Calgary, and Bag Lady, by Frank McGuiness, presented by Patabesin Productions, Calgary.
1997 Festival; Milwaukee
In 1997, the AIITF was held in Milwaukee, WisconsinWisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, USA at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, 790 N. Van Buren St. May 14–17. Adjudicators for this festival were Milwaukee actress Laura Gordon; Christopher Foreman, former artistic director of the Northern Arts and Cultural Center in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, Canada; and Ray Yeates, who was the youngest director in the history of Dublin's Abbey Theatre
Abbey Theatre
The Abbey Theatre , also known as the National Theatre of Ireland , is a theatre located in Dublin, Ireland. The Abbey first opened its doors to the public on 27 December 1904. Despite losing its original building to a fire in 1951, it has remained active to the present day...
.
| Company | City | Production | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Irish Arts | Milwaukee, WI | The Broken Jug | John Banville John Banville John Banville is an Irish novelist and screenwriter.Banville's breakthrough novel The Book of Evidence was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and won the Guinness Peat Aviation award. His eighteenth novel, The Sea, won the Man Booker Prize in 2005. He was awarded the Franz Kafka Prize in 2011... |
| Tara Players | Winnipeg, MB | The Field | John B. Keane John B. Keane John Brendan Keane was an Irish playwright, novelist and essayist from Listowel, County Kerry.-Life and career:... |
| Na Fianna | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN | John Bull's Other Island John Bull's Other Island John Bull's Other Island is a comedy about Ireland, written by G. Bernard Shaw in 1904. Shaw himself was born in Dublin, yet this is the only play of his where he thematically returned to his homeland.... |
George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60... |
| Gaelic Park Players | Chicago, IL | The Year of the Hiker | John B. Keane John B. Keane John Brendan Keane was an Irish playwright, novelist and essayist from Listowel, County Kerry.-Life and career:... |
| Irish Players of Prince George | Prince George, BC | The Bold Girls | Rona Munro Rona Munro Rona Munro is a Scottish writer. She has written plays for theatre, radio, and television; was the author of the screenplay of Ken Loach's Ladybird, Ladybird and co-author of Aimée & Jaguar by German director Max Färberböck.Munro is also known for being the author of the last Doctor Who television... |
| John Fitzgerald Theatre | New York, NY | Away With a Sailor | Brendan Loonam |
| Aisling Productions | Calgary | The Good Thing | John B. Keane John B. Keane John Brendan Keane was an Irish playwright, novelist and essayist from Listowel, County Kerry.-Life and career:... |
The Best Production award in 1997 was presented to Tara Players of Winnipeg, for their production of The Field
The Field
The Field is a play written by John B. Keane, first performed in 1965. It tells the story of the hardened farmer "Bull" McCabe and his love for the land he rents. The play debuted at Dublin's Olympia Theatre in 1965, with Ray McAnally as "The Bull" and Eamon Keane as "The Bird" O'Donnell. The play...
. Tadhg McMahon of the Tara Players was also presented with the Best Supporting Male award for his performance as Tadhg McCabe.
Note: The 2004 AIITF program lists the New York participant at the 1997 AIITF as the John Fitzgerald Theatre; the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article of May 14, 1997 lists the group as the Thomas Davis Players.
1998 Festival; Winnipeg
The AIITF in 1998 returned to Winnipeg, Manitoba and was held at the Gas Station Theatre May 13–16, 1998. Groups from TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
joined the festival.
Productions
| Company | City | Production | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Irish Arts | Milwaukee, WI | Greatest Hits and Blood Guilty | Seán O'Casey Seán O'Casey Seán O'Casey was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the Dublin working classes.- Early life:... (Hits) and Antoine O'Flatharta (Guilty) |
| Ashling Productions | Calgary, AB | Women on the Verge of HRT | Marie Jones Marie Jones Sarah Marie Jones is a Belfast-based actress and playwright. Born into a working class family, Jones was an actress for several years before turning her hand to writing.-Charabanc/DubbelJoint:... |
| Tara Players | Winnipeg, MB | The Shadow of a Gunman The Shadow of a Gunman The Shadow of a Gunman is a 1923 play by Seán O'Casey. It centers on the mistaken identity of a building tenant who is thought to be an IRA assassin.... |
Seán O'Casey Seán O'Casey Seán O'Casey was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the Dublin working classes.- Early life:... |
| Na Fianna | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN | Faith Healer Faith Healer Faith Healer is a play by Brian Friel about the life of faith healer Francis Hardy as monologued through the shifting memories of Hardy, his wife, Grace, and stage manager, Teddy.-Synopsis:... |
Brian Friel Brian Friel Brian Friel is an Irish dramatist, author and director of the Field Day Theatre Company. He is considered to be the greatest living English-language dramatist, hailed by the English-speaking world as an "Irish Chekhov" and "the universally accented voice of Ireland"... |
| Toronto Irish Players | Toronto, ON | Lovers - Winners and Losers Lovers (play) Lovers is a 1967 play written by Northern Irish playwright Brian Friel.Lovers is a play broken in to two parts, Winners and Losers.-Winners:... |
Brian Friel Brian Friel Brian Friel is an Irish dramatist, author and director of the Field Day Theatre Company. He is considered to be the greatest living English-language dramatist, hailed by the English-speaking world as an "Irish Chekhov" and "the universally accented voice of Ireland"... |
| Tara Players of Ottawa | Ottawa, ON | Rat in the Skull | Ron Hutchinson Ron Hutchinson Ron Hutchinson is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, trainer and promoter who competed for Canadian independent promotions such as Grand Prix Wrestling and Maple Leaf Wrestling as well as a brief stint in the World Wrestling Federation during the mid-1980s... |
| Gaelic Park Players | Chicago IL | Paul Twining | George Shiels George Shiels George Shiels was an Irish dramatist whose plays were a success both in his native Ulster and at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. His most famous plays are The Rugged Path, The Passing Day, and The New Gossoon.... |
Awards in 1998
| Award | Actor | Role | Play | Company |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Production | The Rat in the Skull | Tara Players of Ottawa | ||
| Lead Male | Eric O'Brien and Don Quiring | The Rat in the Skull | Tara Players of Ottawa | |
| Lead Female | (Information unavailable) | Lovers-Winners and Losers | Toronto Irish Players | |
| Supporting Male | Stephen Meehan | The Shadow of a Gunman | Tara Players | |
| Supporting Female | (Information unavailable) | Lovers-Winners and Losers | Toronto Irish Players |
1999 Festival; Chicago
The Gaelic Park Players hosted the AIITF in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
May 25–30, 1999.
Productions in 1999
| Company | City | Production | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Irish Arts | Milwaukee, WI | The Country Boy The Country Boy The Country Boy: A Play in Three Acts is a play by Irish playwright, John Murphy . Himself a country boy and native of Charlestown, County Mayo) who emigrated to the United States of America, The Country Boy reflects on the social problems of emigration and rural life in the late 1950s.The Country... |
John Murphy |
| Innishfree Irish Theatre | Boca Raton, FL | Frugal Comforts | Eamonn Kelly Eamonn Kelly Eamonn Kelly is an Irish born disc jockey based in the UK, who can currently be heard on 106.6 Smooth Radio in the East Midlands.His broadcasting career started while he was still at school in Dublin on Kiss FM and Q102... |
| Tara Players | Winnipeg, MB | 44 Sycamore Street | Bernard Farrell Bernard Farrell Bernard Farrell is an Irish dramatist, best known for his play I Do Not Like Thee, Doctor Fell, which parodies American psychobabble and the Irish reaction thereto.... |
| Na Fianna | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN | Rhapsody in Stephen's Green | Flann O'Brien |
| Irish American Heritage Center | Chicago, IL | Monday Night in a Country Town | Tom O'Brien |
| Tir Na Og Theatre | Denver, CO | Waiting for Godot Waiting for Godot Waiting for Godot is an absurdist play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait endlessly and in vain for someone named Godot to arrive. Godot's absence, as well as numerous other aspects of the play, have led to many different interpretations since the play's... |
Samuel Beckett Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most... |
| Tara Players of Ottawa | Ottawa, ON | A Little Like Paradise | Niall Williams Niall Williams Niall Williams was born in Dublin in 1958. He studied English and French literature at University College Dublin before graduating with a Master's degree in Modern American Literature... |
| Toronto Irish Players | Toronto, ON | Drama at Inish | Lennox Robinson Lennox Robinson Esmé Stuart Lennox Robinson was an Irish dramatist, poet and theatre producer and director who was involved with the Abbey Theatre.... |
| Gaelic Park Players | Chicago, IL | The Chastitute | John B. Keane John B. Keane John Brendan Keane was an Irish playwright, novelist and essayist from Listowel, County Kerry.-Life and career:... |
Awards in 1999
| Award | Actor | Role | Play | Company |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Production | Frugal Comforts | Innisfree Theatre | ||
| Lead Male | Tony Cohen | Estragon | Waiting for Godot Waiting for Godot Waiting for Godot is an absurdist play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait endlessly and in vain for someone named Godot to arrive. Godot's absence, as well as numerous other aspects of the play, have led to many different interpretations since the play's... |
Tír Na Nóg Theatre |
| Lead Female | Amy Flynn | Julia | The Country Boy The Country Boy The Country Boy: A Play in Three Acts is a play by Irish playwright, John Murphy . Himself a country boy and native of Charlestown, County Mayo) who emigrated to the United States of America, The Country Boy reflects on the social problems of emigration and rural life in the late 1950s.The Country... |
Milwaukee Irish Arts |
| Supporting Male | Teige Reid | Eddie Twohig | Drama at Inish | Toronto Irish Players |
| Supporting Female | Vera Kelly | Eva Kishock | The Chastitute | Gaelic Park Players |
2000 Festival; Toronto
The Toronto Irish Players, of [Toronto], [Ontario], Canada, hosted the AIITF in 2000. The festival included the North American debt of The Wheeping of Angles by Joseph O'ConnorJoseph O'Connor
Joseph Victor O'Connor is an Irish novelist. He is known for his 2002 historical novel Star of the Sea. Before success as an author he was a journalist with the Sunday Tribune newspaper and Esquire magazine...
, brother of Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
.
2000 Productions
| Company | City | Production | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tir Na Og Theatre | Denver, CO | (information unavailable) | |
| Innishfree Irish Theatre | Boca Raton, FL | (information unavailable) | |
| Tara Players of Ottawa | Ottawa, MB | The Broken Jug | John Banville John Banville John Banville is an Irish novelist and screenwriter.Banville's breakthrough novel The Book of Evidence was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and won the Guinness Peat Aviation award. His eighteenth novel, The Sea, won the Man Booker Prize in 2005. He was awarded the Franz Kafka Prize in 2011... |
| Gaelic Park Players | Chicago, IL | Thy Will Be Done | Michael Carey |
| Tara Players | Winnipeg, MB | The Weeping of Angels | Joseph O'Connor Joseph O'Connor Joseph Victor O'Connor is an Irish novelist. He is known for his 2002 historical novel Star of the Sea. Before success as an author he was a journalist with the Sunday Tribune newspaper and Esquire magazine... |
| Ashling Productions | Calgary, AB | Frugal Comforts | Eamonn Kelly Eamonn Kelly Eamonn Kelly is an Irish born disc jockey based in the UK, who can currently be heard on 106.6 Smooth Radio in the East Midlands.His broadcasting career started while he was still at school in Dublin on Kiss FM and Q102... |
| Na Fianna | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN | Bailegangaire | Tom Murphy Tom Murphy (playwright) Tom Murphy is an Irish dramatist who has worked closely with the Abbey Theatre in Dublin and with Druid Theatre, Galway. He was born in Tuam, County Galway, Ireland... |
| Toronto Irish Players | Toronto, ON | The Steward of Christendom The Steward of Christendom The Steward of Christendom is a 1995 play written by Irish playwright Sebastian Barry. Its story is about one Thomas Dunne, which was the name of Barry's great-grandfather, who is loyal to the British Crown during the Irish War of Independence and suffers accordingly.-Plot summary:The play opens... |
Sebastian Barry Sebastian Barry Sebastian Barry is an Irish playwright, novelist, and poet. He has been shortlisted twice for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction and has won the 2008 Costa Book of the Year.... |
| Milwaukee Irish Arts | Milwaukee, WI | The Au Pair Man | Hugh Leonard Hugh Leonard Hugh Leonard was an Irish dramatist, television writer and essayist. In a career that spanned 50 years, Leonard wrote more than 18 plays, two volumes of essays and two autobiographies, one novel and numerous screenplays and teleplays, as well as writing a regular newspaper column.-Life and... |
2000 Awards
| Award | Actor | Role | Play | Company |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Production | Frugal Comforts | Aisling Productions | ||
| Lead Male | Martin Kelly | Frugal Comforts | Aisling Productions | |
| Lead Female | Tena May Gallivan | Mary | Bailegangaire | Na Fianna Irish Theatre |
| Supporting Male | Kenny McCullagh | Frugal Comforts | Aisling Productions | |
| Supporting Female | Vera Kelly | Bridie | Thy Will Be Done | Gaelic Park Players |
| Adjudicator's Award | Deirdre Halferty | Directing |
2001 Festival; Denver
In 2001, the AIITF was held in Denver, ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, USA, at the Courtyard Theatre, Auraria Campus
Auraria Campus
Auraria Campus is an educational facility located near downtown Denver, Colorado in the United States. The campus houses facilities of three separate universities and colleges: the University of Colorado Denver , Community College of Denver, and Metropolitan State College of Denver...
, the University of Colorado Denver
University of Colorado Denver
The University of Colorado Denver, shortened as CU Denver, UC Denver, or UCD, is a public university in the United States state of Colorado. It is one of three schools of the University of Colorado system. The university has two campuses — one in downtown Denver at the Auraria Campus, and the other...
, on May 15–19, 2001. The festival was hosted by Tir Na nOg, whose name mean in Irish (Gaelic) "everlasting youth". A special performance by PHAMALy
PHAMALy
The Physically Handicapped Actors & Musical Artists League, or PHAMALY, is a theater group and touring company formed in 1989 by a group of former students of the Boettcher School in Denver, Colorado...
(Physically Handicapped Actors and Musical Artists League), as guests artists, was also presented at this festival.
| Company | City | Production | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tir Na Og Theatre | Denver, CO | Iph ... | Colin Teevan Colin Teevan Colin Teevan is an Irish playwright, radio dramatist, translator and academic.Teevan has premiered works in the National Theatres of Ireland, Scotland and the Royal National Theatre in London, He has been a regular collaborator of directors Hideki Noda, Sir Peter Hall, and actors Greg Hicks, Clare... |
| Innishfree Irish Theatre | Boca Raton, FL | The Cripple of Innishmaan | Martin McDonagh Martin McDonagh Martin McDonagh is an Irish-British playwright, filmmaker, and screenwriter. Although he has lived in London his entire life, he is considered one of the most important living Irish playwrights.-Life:... |
| Tara Players of Ottawa | Ottawa, ON | The Poker Session | Hugh Leonard Hugh Leonard Hugh Leonard was an Irish dramatist, television writer and essayist. In a career that spanned 50 years, Leonard wrote more than 18 plays, two volumes of essays and two autobiographies, one novel and numerous screenplays and teleplays, as well as writing a regular newspaper column.-Life and... |
| Gaelic Park Players | Chicago, IL | The Coursehttp://www.gaelicparkplayers.org/PLAY_TheCourse.htm | Brendan O'Carroll Brendan O'Carroll Brendan O'Carroll is an Irish comedian, writer, actor and director. Best known for portraying the foul-mouthed Irish matriarch Mrs. Brown, O'Carroll has been a popular comedian in Ireland since the early 1990s.-Early life:... |
| Tara Players | Winnipeg, MB | Brothers of the Brush | Jimmy Murphy Jimmy Murphy (playwright) Jimmy Murphy is an Irish playwright living in Dublin.He is a former writer in residence at NUI Maynooth , a member of the Abbey Theatre’s Advisory Council and a recipient of three Bursaries in literature from the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon. He is a member of Aosdána.Murphy was born to Irish... |
| Ashling Prolductions | Calgary, AB | Beauty Queen of Leenane | Martin McDonagh Martin McDonagh Martin McDonagh is an Irish-British playwright, filmmaker, and screenwriter. Although he has lived in London his entire life, he is considered one of the most important living Irish playwrights.-Life:... |
| Toronto Irish Players | Toronto, ON | Happy Birthday Dear Alice | Bernard Farrell Bernard Farrell Bernard Farrell is an Irish dramatist, best known for his play I Do Not Like Thee, Doctor Fell, which parodies American psychobabble and the Irish reaction thereto.... |
| Milwaukee Irish Arts | Milwaukee, WI | The Cavalcadershttp://www.gaelicweb.com/milwirisharts/past/cavalcaders/cavalcaders.html | Billy Roche Billy Roche Billy Roche is an Irish playwright and actor. He was born and still lives in Wexford and most of his writings are based there... |
The Best Production award in 2001 was presented to Innisfree Irish Theatre for their production of The Cripple of Innishmaan, by Martin McDonagh
Martin McDonagh
Martin McDonagh is an Irish-British playwright, filmmaker, and screenwriter. Although he has lived in London his entire life, he is considered one of the most important living Irish playwrights.-Life:...
. Sean Mac Donnchadha, of Innisfree Irish Theatre, received the acting award for Best Lead Male Actor as JohnnyPateenMike in The Cripple of Innishmaan
2002 Festival; Ottawa
The AIITF was held in the Capital of Canada, OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, in 2002.
| Company | City | Production | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shapeshifters Theatre | Chicago, IL | (information unavailable) | |
| Tir Na Og Theatre | Denver, CO | (information unavailable) | |
| Innishfree Irish Theatre | Boca Raton, FL | (information unavailable) | |
| Tara Players of Ottawa | Ottawa, ON | Sive | John B. Keane John B. Keane John Brendan Keane was an Irish playwright, novelist and essayist from Listowel, County Kerry.-Life and career:... |
| Gaelic Park Players | Chicago, IL | The Salvage Shop | Jim Nolan |
| Tara Players | Winnipeg, MB | Our Lady of Sligo | Sebastian Barry Sebastian Barry Sebastian Barry is an Irish playwright, novelist, and poet. He has been shortlisted twice for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction and has won the 2008 Costa Book of the Year.... |
| Ashling Productions | Calgary, AB | (information unavailable) | |
| Milwaukee Irish Arts | Milwaukee, WI | Molly Sweeney | Brian Friel Brian Friel Brian Friel is an Irish dramatist, author and director of the Field Day Theatre Company. He is considered to be the greatest living English-language dramatist, hailed by the English-speaking world as an "Irish Chekhov" and "the universally accented voice of Ireland"... |
| Toronto Irish Players | Toronto, ON | (information unavailable) |
The Best Production award was presented to the Toronto Irish Players for their production of Da
Da (play)
Da is a 1978 comedy play by Irish playwright Hugh Leonard.NOTE: Performed by the Queensland Theatre Company in Brisbane Australia in 1975....
by Hugh Leonard
Hugh Leonard
Hugh Leonard was an Irish dramatist, television writer and essayist. In a career that spanned 50 years, Leonard wrote more than 18 plays, two volumes of essays and two autobiographies, one novel and numerous screenplays and teleplays, as well as writing a regular newspaper column.-Life and...
2003 Festival; Florida
Innishfree Irish Theatre hosted the 2003 AIITF at The Crest Theatre, Del Ray Beach, Florida, May 11–17, 2003. The 2003 Festival also featured, for the first time, three groups invited from Ireland. This festival featured the first North American production of Paddy Irishman, Paddy Englishman, and Paddy. . .? by Declan Croghan| Company | City | Production | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish Players of Rochester | Rochester, NY | Someone Who'll Watch Over Me Someone Who'll Watch Over Me Someone Who'll Watch over Me is a play written by Irish dramatist Frank McGuinness. The play focuses on the trials and tribulations of an Irishman, an Englishman and an American who are kidnapped and held hostage by unseen Arabs in Lebanon. As the three men strive for survival they also strive to... |
Frank McGuinness Frank McGuinness Professor Frank McGuinness is an award-winning Irish playwright and poet. As well as his own works, which include Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, he is recognised for a "strong record of adapting literary classics, having translated the plays of Racine, Sophocles, Ibsen and... |
| Innishfree Irish Theatre | Boca Raton, FL | Happy Birthday, Dear Alice | Bernard Farrell Bernard Farrell Bernard Farrell is an Irish dramatist, best known for his play I Do Not Like Thee, Doctor Fell, which parodies American psychobabble and the Irish reaction thereto.... |
| Tara Players of Ottawa | Ottawa, ON | Bold Girls | Rona Munro Rona Munro Rona Munro is a Scottish writer. She has written plays for theatre, radio, and television; was the author of the screenplay of Ken Loach's Ladybird, Ladybird and co-author of Aimée & Jaguar by German director Max Färberböck.Munro is also known for being the author of the last Doctor Who television... |
| Milwaukee Irish Arts | Milawukee, WI | The Weir The Weir The Weir is a play written by Conor McPherson in 1997. It was first produced at The Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in London, England, on 4 July 1997. It first appeared on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre on 1 April 1999. It has since been performed in Toronto, Dublin, Belfast, Boston,... |
Conor McPherson Conor McPherson Conor McPherson is an Irish playwright and director.-Life and career:McPherson was born in Dublin, . He was educated at University College Dublin, McPherson began writing his first plays there as a member of UCD Dramsoc, the college's dramatic society, and went on to found Fly By Night Theatre... |
| Tara Players | Winnipeg, MB | Paddy Irishman, Paddy Englishman, and Paddy. . .? | Declan Croghan |
| Ashling Productions | Calgary, AB | Belfry | Billy Roche Billy Roche Billy Roche is an Irish playwright and actor. He was born and still lives in Wexford and most of his writings are based there... |
| Toronto Irish Player | Toronto, ON | The Mai | Marina Carr Marina Carr Marina Carr is an Irish playwright.Born in Tullamore, County Offaly, Carr attended University College Dublin before holding posts as writer-in-residence at the Abbey Theatre and Trinity College Dublin. She served as Heimbold Professor of Irish Studies at Villanova University in 2003... |
| Shapeshifters Theatre | Chicago, IL | Dancing at Lughnasa Dancing at Lughnasa Dancing at Lughnasa is a 1990 play by dramatist Brian Friel set in Ireland's County Donegal in August 1936 in the fictional town of Ballybeg. It is a memory play told from the point of view of the adult Michael Evans, the narrator... |
Brian Friel Brian Friel Brian Friel is an Irish dramatist, author and director of the Field Day Theatre Company. He is considered to be the greatest living English-language dramatist, hailed by the English-speaking world as an "Irish Chekhov" and "the universally accented voice of Ireland"... |
| The Hewlett-Packard Players | Kildare, Ireland | 44 Sycamore Street | Bernard Farrell Bernard Farrell Bernard Farrell is an Irish dramatist, best known for his play I Do Not Like Thee, Doctor Fell, which parodies American psychobabble and the Irish reaction thereto.... |
| Dundalk Theatre Workshop | Dundalk, Ireland | Port Authority Port Authority (play) Port Authority is a 2001 play by Conor McPherson. It tells of three interwoven lives: a boy leaves home for the first time; a man starts a job for which he is unqualified; a pensioner is sent a mysterious package.... |
Conor McPherson Conor McPherson Conor McPherson is an Irish playwright and director.-Life and career:McPherson was born in Dublin, . He was educated at University College Dublin, McPherson began writing his first plays there as a member of UCD Dramsoc, the college's dramatic society, and went on to found Fly By Night Theatre... |
| The Balally Players | Dublin, Ireland | The Country Boy The Country Boy The Country Boy: A Play in Three Acts is a play by Irish playwright, John Murphy . Himself a country boy and native of Charlestown, County Mayo) who emigrated to the United States of America, The Country Boy reflects on the social problems of emigration and rural life in the late 1950s.The Country... |
John Murphy |
The Best Production award was presented to the Tara Players of Winnipeg for their production of Paddy Irishman, Paddy Englishman, and Paddy. . .? John Bowman won the award for Best Actor in the same production. The Irish Players of Rochester, an invitational group at this, their first festival, were awarded "Best Invitational Production" for Someone Who'll Watch Over Me
Someone Who'll Watch Over Me
Someone Who'll Watch over Me is a play written by Irish dramatist Frank McGuinness. The play focuses on the trials and tribulations of an Irishman, an Englishman and an American who are kidnapped and held hostage by unseen Arabs in Lebanon. As the three men strive for survival they also strive to...
.
2004 Festival; Winnipeg
The 2004 AIITF returned to Winnipeg for the third time, hosted by the Tara Players at the Manitoba Theatre for Young People) May 20–22, 2004.2004 Productions
| Company | City | Production | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish Players of Rochester | Rochester, NY | Waiting for Godot Waiting for Godot Waiting for Godot is an absurdist play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait endlessly and in vain for someone named Godot to arrive. Godot's absence, as well as numerous other aspects of the play, have led to many different interpretations since the play's... |
Samuel Beckett Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most... |
| Innishfree Irish Theatre | Boca Raton, FL | Elipsed | Patricia Burke Brogan Patricia Burke Brogan Patricia Burke Brogan, Irish playwright, novelist, poet and artist.After moving to Galway from County Clare aged two, Patricia Burke Brogan grew up surrounded by books and music. Her father was a huge influence on her childhood and she began reading and 'scribbling' at a young age... |
| Tara Players | Winnipeg, MB | Juno and the Paycock Juno and the Paycock Juno and the Paycock is a play by Sean O'Casey, and one of the most highly regarded and oft-performed plays in Ireland. It was first staged at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 1924... |
Sean O'Casey Seán O'Casey Seán O'Casey was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the Dublin working classes.- Early life:... |
| Toronto Irish Players | Toronto, ON | The Cripple of Inishmaan The Cripple of Inishmaan The Cripple of Inishmaan is a dark comedy by Martin McDonagh who links the story to the real life filming of the documentary Man of Aran.... |
Martin McDonagh Martin McDonagh Martin McDonagh is an Irish-British playwright, filmmaker, and screenwriter. Although he has lived in London his entire life, he is considered one of the most important living Irish playwrights.-Life:... |
| Gaelic Park Players | Chicago, IL | Anyone Could Rob a Bank | Thomas Coffey |
The scheduled performance of the Gaelic Park Players was canceled due to weather problems.
2004 Awards
| Award | Actor | Role | Play | Company |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Production | Waiting for Godot Waiting for Godot Waiting for Godot is an absurdist play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait endlessly and in vain for someone named Godot to arrive. Godot's absence, as well as numerous other aspects of the play, have led to many different interpretations since the play's... |
Irish Players of Rochester | ||
| Lead Male | Kevin O'Shea | JohnnyPateenMike | The Cripple of Inishmaan | Toronto Irish Players |
| Lead Female | Barnara Taylor & Cliona Kenny | Kate & Eileen | The Cripple of Inishmaan | Toronto Irish Players |
| Supporting Male | Ken Bordner | Pozzo | Waiting for Godot Waiting for Godot Waiting for Godot is an absurdist play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait endlessly and in vain for someone named Godot to arrive. Godot's absence, as well as numerous other aspects of the play, have led to many different interpretations since the play's... |
Irish Players of Rochester |
| Supporting Female | Lori Dolan | Bridget | Eclipsed | Innisfree Irish Theatre |
| Adjudicator's Award | The Cast | Ensemble performance | Eclipsed | Innisfree Irish Theatre |
2005 Festival; Chicago
The AIITF returned to Chicago in 2005,hosted by Gaelic Park Players at the Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St., May 18–21, 2005.2005 Productions
| Company | City | Production | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish Players of Rochester | Rochester, NY | The Kings of the Kilburn High Road The Kings of the Kilburn High Road The Kings of the Kilburn High Road is a play by Irish playwright Jimmy Murphy first produced by Red Kettle Theatre Company at the Garter Lane Theatre Waterford Ireland in 2000. The first American production was staged by the Rochester Community Players of Rochester, New York, in April 2005... |
Jimmy Murphy Jimmy Murphy (playwright) Jimmy Murphy is an Irish playwright living in Dublin.He is a former writer in residence at NUI Maynooth , a member of the Abbey Theatre’s Advisory Council and a recipient of three Bursaries in literature from the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon. He is a member of Aosdána.Murphy was born to Irish... |
| Innishfree Irish Theatre | Boca Raton, FL | Abie's Irish Rose | Anne Nichols Anne Nichols Anne Nichols was an American playwright.Born in Dales Mill, Georgia, Nichols penned a number of Broadway plays, several of which were made into motion pictures... |
| Tara Players | Winnipeg, MB | I do Not Like Thee, Dr. Fell | Bernard Farrell Bernard Farrell Bernard Farrell is an Irish dramatist, best known for his play I Do Not Like Thee, Doctor Fell, which parodies American psychobabble and the Irish reaction thereto.... |
| Toronto Irish Players | Toronto, ON | Tea in a China Cup | Christina Reid Christina Reid Christina Reid is a playwright.-Life:She graduated from Queen’s University, Belfast.She was a writer-in-residence at the Lyric Theatre, and at the Young Vic... |
| Gaelic Park Players | Chicago, IL | The Country Boy The Country Boy The Country Boy: A Play in Three Acts is a play by Irish playwright, John Murphy . Himself a country boy and native of Charlestown, County Mayo) who emigrated to the United States of America, The Country Boy reflects on the social problems of emigration and rural life in the late 1950s.The Country... |
John Murphy |
| Milwaukee Irish Arts | Milwaukee, WI | O Parnassus | Hugh Carr Hugh Carr Hugh Carr is a former Irish nationalist politician.Carr was elected to Newry and Mourne District Council in 1989, representing the Social Democratic and Labour Party in Crotlieve.... |
| Shapeshifters Theatre | Chicago, IL | A Mislaid Heaven | Carson Grace Becker |
2005 Awards
| Award | Actor | Role | Play | Company |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Production | A Mislaid Heaven | Shapeshifters Theatre | ||
| Lead Male | John Jaeger | Jap | The Kings of the Kilburn High Road | Irish Players of Rochester |
| Lead Female | Katie Cheely | Ruth | A Mislaid Heaven | Shapeshifters Theatre |
| Supporting Male | Sidney Gray | Paddy | I Do Not Like Thee, Dr. Fell | The Tara Players |
| Supporting Female | Amy Kull | Arlene | O Parnassus | Milwaukee Irish Arts |
| Adjudicator's Award | Anastasia O'Brien | Susy | I Do Not Like Thee, Dr. Fell | The Tara Players |
2006 Festival; Toronto
The 2006 AIITF was hosted by the Toronto Irish Players at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts May 30 to June 3. The festival was hosted by the thirty year old Toronto Irish Players, which performed The Plough and the Stars by Sean O'CaseySeán O'Casey
Seán O'Casey was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the Dublin working classes.- Early life:...
, featuring nine transplanted Dubliners in the cast.
2006 Productions
| Company | City | Production | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish Players of Rochester | Rochester, NY | Dancing at Lughnasa Dancing at Lughnasa Dancing at Lughnasa is a 1990 play by dramatist Brian Friel set in Ireland's County Donegal in August 1936 in the fictional town of Ballybeg. It is a memory play told from the point of view of the adult Michael Evans, the narrator... |
Brian Friel Brian Friel Brian Friel is an Irish dramatist, author and director of the Field Day Theatre Company. He is considered to be the greatest living English-language dramatist, hailed by the English-speaking world as an "Irish Chekhov" and "the universally accented voice of Ireland"... |
| Innishfree Irish Theatre | Boca Raton, FL | The Shaughraun The Shaughraun The Shaughraun is a melodramatic play written by Irish playwright Dion Boucicault. It was first performed at Wallack's Theatre, New York, on 14 November 1874. Boucicault played Con in the original production... |
Dion Boucicault Dion Boucicault Dionysius Lardner Boursiquot , commonly known as Dion Boucicault, was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the Atlantic as one of the most successful actor-playwright-managers then in the... |
| Tara Players | Winnipeg, MB | Poor Beast in the Rain | Billy Roche Billy Roche Billy Roche is an Irish playwright and actor. He was born and still lives in Wexford and most of his writings are based there... |
| Toronto Irish Players | Toronto, ON | The Plough and the Stars | Sean O'Casey Seán O'Casey Seán O'Casey was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the Dublin working classes.- Early life:... |
| Gaelic Park Players | Chicago, IL | The Able Dealer | J. B. MacCarthy |
| Milwaukee Irish Arts | Milwaukee, WI | An Irish Play | Dan O'Brien Dan O'Brien (playwright) Dan O’Brien is an American playwright whose plays include The Body of an American, The Three Christs of Ypsilanti, The Cherry Sisters Revisited, The Voyage of the Carcass, The Dear Boy, The House in Hydesville, Moving Picture, Key West, "Will You Please Shut Up?", and The Disappearance of Daniel Hand... |
| Shapeshifters Theatre | Chicago, IL | Sea Marks | Gardner McKay Gardner McKay George Cadogan Gardner McKay was an American actor, artist, and author.-Biography:Born in New York City, McKay graduated from Cornell University, where he majored in art. He became a Hollywood heart throb in the 1950s and 1960s. He landed the lead role in Adventures in Paradise, based loosely on... |
| Estuary Players | Dublin, Ireland | The Beauty Queen of Leenane The Beauty Queen of Leenane The Beauty Queen of Leenane is a 1996 black comedy by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh which was premiered by the Druid Theatre Company in Galway, Ireland... |
Martin McDonagh Martin McDonagh Martin McDonagh is an Irish-British playwright, filmmaker, and screenwriter. Although he has lived in London his entire life, he is considered one of the most important living Irish playwrights.-Life:... |
2006 Awards
| Award | Actor | Role | Play | Company |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Production | An Irish Play | Milwaukee Irish Arts | ||
| Lead Male | Keith Tamsett | Declan | An Irish Play | Milwaukee Irish Arts |
| Lead Female | Jackie Murphy and Grainne Jordan | (shared) | The Beauty Queen of Leenane The Beauty Queen of Leenane The Beauty Queen of Leenane is a 1996 black comedy by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh which was premiered by the Druid Theatre Company in Galway, Ireland... |
Estuary Players |
| Supporting Male | Robert Wall | Stephen | Poor Beast in the Rain | The Tara Players |
| Supporting Female | Crystal Marie Taylor | Rose | Dancing at Lughnasa Dancing at Lughnasa Dancing at Lughnasa is a 1990 play by dramatist Brian Friel set in Ireland's County Donegal in August 1936 in the fictional town of Ballybeg. It is a memory play told from the point of view of the adult Michael Evans, the narrator... |
Irish Players of Rochester |
| Adjudicator's Award | The Shaughraun | Innisfree Irish Theatre |
2007 Festival; Milwaukee
Milwaukee Irish Arts hosted the 2007 AIITF at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, May 15 to 20.2007 Productions
Note: Starting with this festival, Innisfree Irish Theatre changed its name to the Irish Theatre of Florida.| Company | City | Production | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Irish Arts | Milwaukee, WI | From These Green Heights | Dermot Bolger Dermot Bolger Dermot Bolger is an Irish novelist, playwright and poet born in Finglas, a suburb of Dublin.His work is often concerned with the articulation of the experiences of working-class characters who, for various reasons, feel alienated from society. Bolger questions the relevance of traditional... |
| The Tara Players | Winnipeg, MB | The Spirit of Annie Ross | Bernard Farrell Bernard Farrell Bernard Farrell is an Irish dramatist, best known for his play I Do Not Like Thee, Doctor Fell, which parodies American psychobabble and the Irish reaction thereto.... |
| Gaelic Park Players | Chicago, IL | Getting Buried | Peter Cunningham |
| Irish Theatre of Florida | Boca Raton, FL | Lovers: Losers and Winners Lovers (play) Lovers is a 1967 play written by Northern Irish playwright Brian Friel.Lovers is a play broken in to two parts, Winners and Losers.-Winners:... |
Brian Friel Brian Friel Brian Friel is an Irish dramatist, author and director of the Field Day Theatre Company. He is considered to be the greatest living English-language dramatist, hailed by the English-speaking world as an "Irish Chekhov" and "the universally accented voice of Ireland"... |
| Holding Court Theatre | Doublin, Ireland | Summer | Hugh Leonard Hugh Leonard Hugh Leonard was an Irish dramatist, television writer and essayist. In a career that spanned 50 years, Leonard wrote more than 18 plays, two volumes of essays and two autobiographies, one novel and numerous screenplays and teleplays, as well as writing a regular newspaper column.-Life and... |
| Irish Players of Rochester | Rochester NY | Faith Healer Faith Healer Faith Healer is a play by Brian Friel about the life of faith healer Francis Hardy as monologued through the shifting memories of Hardy, his wife, Grace, and stage manager, Teddy.-Synopsis:... |
Brian Friel Brian Friel Brian Friel is an Irish dramatist, author and director of the Field Day Theatre Company. He is considered to be the greatest living English-language dramatist, hailed by the English-speaking world as an "Irish Chekhov" and "the universally accented voice of Ireland"... |
| Toronto Irish Players | Toronto, ON | At The Black Pig's Dyke | Vincent Woods Vincent Woods Vincent Woods is an Irish poet and playwright. He currently hosts The Arts Show on RTÉ Radio 1.-His life:Woods was born in County Leitrim. Woods lived in the United States, New Zealand, and Australia and worked as a journalist with Raidió Teilifís Éireann until 1989. Woods' radio play, The... |
2007 Awards
| Award | Actor | Role | Play | Company |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Production | At The Black Pig's Dyke | Toronto Irish Players | ||
| Lead Male | David Kyle | Teddy | Faith Healer Faith Healer Faith Healer is a play by Brian Friel about the life of faith healer Francis Hardy as monologued through the shifting memories of Hardy, his wife, Grace, and stage manager, Teddy.-Synopsis:... |
Irish Players of Rochester |
| Lead Female | Lucy Carabine | Miss Funny | At the Black Pig's Dyke | Toronto Irish Players |
| Supporting Male | Gerry Herbert | Richard Halvey | Summer | Holding Court Theatre |
| Supporting Female | Jane Testar | Ashling | The Spirit of Annie Ross | Tara Players |
| Adjudicator's Award | Getting Buried | Gaelic Park Players |
Special Adjudicator Award: Gaelic Park Players "For a very entertaining, if completely insane, romp through the upper regions of Irish lunacy, confirming the old showbiz adage of 'leave them laughing when you go.'"
Honourable Mention: Costume Design for Holding Court Theatre for their production of Summer by Hugh Leonard and also for Toronto Irish Players for their production of At the Black Pig's Dyke by Vincent Woods.
In addition to the seven adjudicated productions, the 2007 Festival included two special presentations:
Townlands, by Dermot Bolger; a reading presented by the students of the Theater Department of the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.
Sneak preview of Walking the Road, also by Dermot Bolger. This play about Francis Ledwidge, a young Irish poet who lost his life in Flanders fields in 1917, while serving with the British army in World War I, had its world premiere at Axis Arts Center in Dublin June 9, 2007.
2008 Festival; Rochester
The Irish Players of Rochester, a program of the Rochester Community Players, hosted the 2008 AIITF at the Geva Theatre Center's NextStage Theatre May 13 to 17. The festival included two long one-act plays by the young Dublin playwright, Conor McPhersonConor McPherson
Conor McPherson is an Irish playwright and director.-Life and career:McPherson was born in Dublin, . He was educated at University College Dublin, McPherson began writing his first plays there as a member of UCD Dramsoc, the college's dramatic society, and went on to found Fly By Night Theatre...
2008 Productions
| Company | City | Production | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish Players of Rochester | Rochester NY | The Hostage | Brendan Behan Brendan Behan Brendan Francis Behan was an Irish poet, short story writer, novelist, and playwright who wrote in both Irish and English. He was also an Irish republican and a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army.-Early life:... |
| Irish Players of San Francisco | San Francisco CA | The Perfect Romance | Nicky O'Brien |
| Irish Theatre of Florida | Boca Raton, FL | On Raglan Road | Tom O'Brien |
| Irish-American Theater Company | Cincinnati, OH | A Little Like Paradise | Niall Williams Niall Williams Niall Williams was born in Dublin in 1958. He studied English and French literature at University College Dublin before graduating with a Master's degree in Modern American Literature... |
| Holding Court Theatre | Dublin, Ireland | Happy Birthday Dear Alice | Bernard Farrell Bernard Farrell Bernard Farrell is an Irish dramatist, best known for his play I Do Not Like Thee, Doctor Fell, which parodies American psychobabble and the Irish reaction thereto.... |
| Tara Players | Winnipeg, MB | Dublin Carol Dublin Carol Dublin Carol is a three-handed play by Conor McPherson-Story:John, a middle-aged employee of a funeral home in Dublin, returns from a funeral on Christmas Eve with Mark, a 20-year-old who has helped out that day and to whom John tells his sad history about how he has destroyed much of his life and... |
Conor McPherson Conor McPherson Conor McPherson is an Irish playwright and director.-Life and career:McPherson was born in Dublin, . He was educated at University College Dublin, McPherson began writing his first plays there as a member of UCD Dramsoc, the college's dramatic society, and went on to found Fly By Night Theatre... |
| Liffey Players | Calgary, AB | Shining City Shining City Shining City is a play by Conor McPherson, set in Dublin which was first performed in London's West End at the Royal Court Theatre in June 2004.... |
Conor McPherson Conor McPherson Conor McPherson is an Irish playwright and director.-Life and career:McPherson was born in Dublin, . He was educated at University College Dublin, McPherson began writing his first plays there as a member of UCD Dramsoc, the college's dramatic society, and went on to found Fly By Night Theatre... |
| Milwaukee Irish Arts | Milwaukee, WI | The Blowin of Baile Gall | Ronan Noone |
| Shapeshifters Theatre | Chicago, IL | Knocknashee | Deirdre Kinahan |
| Toronto Irish Players | Toronto, ON | The Muesli Belt | Jimmy Murphy Jimmy Murphy (playwright) Jimmy Murphy is an Irish playwright living in Dublin.He is a former writer in residence at NUI Maynooth , a member of the Abbey Theatre’s Advisory Council and a recipient of three Bursaries in literature from the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon. He is a member of Aosdána.Murphy was born to Irish... |
2008 Awards
| Award | Actor | Role | Play | Company |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Production | Happy Birthday Dear Alice | Holding Court Theatre | ||
| Lead Male | Robert Wall | John Plunkett | Dublin Carol | Tara Players |
| Lead Female | Grace Perry | Alice | Happy Birthday Dear Alice | Holding Court Theatre |
| Supporting Male | Danny Sullivan | Mossy Plunkett | The Muesli Belt | Toronto Irish Players |
| Supporting Female | Kathryn Waters | Neasa | Shining City Shining City Shining City is a play by Conor McPherson, set in Dublin which was first performed in London's West End at the Royal Court Theatre in June 2004.... |
Liffey Players of Calgary |
| Adjudicator's Award | The cast | Ensemble Acting | The Hostage | Irish Players of Rochester |
2009 Festival; Winnipeg
For the fourth time, the Tara Players of Winnipeg hosted the AIITF, in May 2009.2009 Productions
| Company | City | Production | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto Irish Players | Toronto, ON | A Skull in Connemara | Martin McDonagh Martin McDonagh Martin McDonagh is an Irish-British playwright, filmmaker, and screenwriter. Although he has lived in London his entire life, he is considered one of the most important living Irish playwrights.-Life:... |
| Irish Players of Rochester | Rochester NY | Love in the Title | Hugh Leonard Hugh Leonard Hugh Leonard was an Irish dramatist, television writer and essayist. In a career that spanned 50 years, Leonard wrote more than 18 plays, two volumes of essays and two autobiographies, one novel and numerous screenplays and teleplays, as well as writing a regular newspaper column.-Life and... |
| Shapeshifters Theatre | Chicago, IL | Someone Who'll Watch Over Me | Frank McGuinness Frank McGuinness Professor Frank McGuinness is an award-winning Irish playwright and poet. As well as his own works, which include Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, he is recognised for a "strong record of adapting literary classics, having translated the plays of Racine, Sophocles, Ibsen and... , |
| Gaelic Park Players | Chicago, IL | Attaboy, Mr. Synge | Deirdre Kinahan |
| Tara Players | Winnipeg, MB | The Patrick Pearce Motel | Hugh Leonard Hugh Leonard Hugh Leonard was an Irish dramatist, television writer and essayist. In a career that spanned 50 years, Leonard wrote more than 18 plays, two volumes of essays and two autobiographies, one novel and numerous screenplays and teleplays, as well as writing a regular newspaper column.-Life and... |
| Holding Court Theatre | Dublin, Ireland | Salute The Servant | Walter Macken Walter Macken Walter Macken , was born in Galway, Ireland. He was a writer of short stories, novels and plays. Originally an actor, principally with the Taibhdhearc in Galway, and The Abbey Theatre, he played lead roles on Broadway in M.J. Molloy's The King of Friday's Men and his own play Home Is the Hero... |
| Liffey Players | Calgary, AB | The Weir The Weir The Weir is a play written by Conor McPherson in 1997. It was first produced at The Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in London, England, on 4 July 1997. It first appeared on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre on 1 April 1999. It has since been performed in Toronto, Dublin, Belfast, Boston,... |
Conor McPherson Conor McPherson Conor McPherson is an Irish playwright and director.-Life and career:McPherson was born in Dublin, . He was educated at University College Dublin, McPherson began writing his first plays there as a member of UCD Dramsoc, the college's dramatic society, and went on to found Fly By Night Theatre... |
| Irish Theatre of Florida | Boca Raton, FL | On Raglan Road | Tom O'Brien� |
2009 Awards
| Award | Actor | Role | Play | Company |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Production | A Skull in Connemara | Toronto Irish Players | ||
| Lead Male | Stephen Farrell | Mairtin Hanlon | A Skull in Connemara | Toronto Irish Players production of |
| Lead Female | Lorelie Mellon | Cat | Love in the Title | Irish Players of Rochester |
| Supporting Male | Jonathan Musser | Adam | Someone Who'll Watch Over Me | Shapeshifters Theatre |
| Supporting Female | Neasa McCann | Kitty | Salute The Servant | Holding Court Theatre |
| Adjudicator's Award | Salute the Servant | Holding Court Theatre |