DruidSynge
Encyclopedia
DruidSynge is a theatre
production of the complete plays of John Millington Synge
by the Irish based Druid Theatre Company
. It was the vision of Garry Hynes
, the first woman to win a Tony Award
for best director, to create the day-long cycle of all six plays;
It has been performed as a series of double bills over two or three days or, as in New York
in 2006, all six plays are presented on the same day. This is an exacting production for the actors; many perform in several of the plays changing roles up to five times like Marie Mullen
, a Tony award winning actress
who plays the lead in five of the six plays. Felicity O'Brien, the producer commented that "They really have to pace themselves and be careful, but at the same time, it's an amazing challenge for any actor."
Premiered at the Galway Arts Festival
in 2005 to critical acclaim, it was again produced at the Olympia Theatre
, Dublin, the Edinburgh International Festival
and on the Aran island
of Inis Meáin
in different locations that included an open-air setting during 2005.
DruidSynge has been described by The Irish Times
as: One of the greatest achievements in the history of Irish theatre. The New York
premier was held during the 2006 Lincoln Center
Festival on July 10 one of the seven performances that were preceded by productions in the Guthrie Theater
, Minneapolis.
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
production of the complete plays of John Millington Synge
John Millington Synge
Edmund John Millington Synge was an Irish playwright, poet, prose writer, and collector of folklore. He was a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival and was one of the cofounders of the Abbey Theatre...
by the Irish based Druid Theatre Company
Druid Theatre Company
The Druid Theatre Company, founded in Galway in 1975, was the first Irish professional theatre company to be established outside Dublin. The theatre company was founded by Garry Hynes, Marie Mullen and Mick Lally after the three had met and put on productions together while members of the...
. It was the vision of Garry Hynes
Garry Hynes
Garry Hynes is an Irish theatre director. She holds the distinction of being the first female to win the prestigious Tony Award for direction of a play.Hynes was born in Ballaghadereen, Roscommon County and educated at St...
, the first woman to win a Tony Award
Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play
The Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play has been given since 1960. Before 1960 there was only one award for both play direction and musical direction, then in 1960 the award was split into two categories: Dramatic and Musical. In 1976 the Dramatic category was renamed to Play...
for best director, to create the day-long cycle of all six plays;
- Riders to the SeaRiders to the SeaRiders to the Sea is a play written by Irish playwright John Millington Synge. It was first performed on February 25, 1904 at the Molesworth Hall, Dublin by the Irish National Theater Society. A one-act tragedy, the play is set in the Aran Islands, and like all of Synge's plays it is noted for...
- The Tinker’s Wedding
- The Well of the SaintsThe Well of the SaintsThe Well of the Saints is a three-act play written by Irish playwright J. M. Synge, first performed at the Abbey Theatre by the Irish National Theatre Society in February, 1905...
- In the Shadow of the GlenIn the Shadow of the GlenIn the Shadow of the Glen is a one-act play written by Irish playwright J. M. Synge, first performed in Molesworth Hall, Dublin on October 8, 1903. It was the first play by Synge to be performed on stage...
- The Playboy of the Western WorldThe Playboy of the Western WorldThe Playboy of the Western World is a three-act play written by Irish playwright John Millington Synge and first performed at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, on January 26, 1907. It is set in Michael James Flaherty's public house in County Mayo during the early 1900s...
- Deirdre of the SorrowsDeirdre of the SorrowsDeirdre of the Sorrows is a three-act play written by Irish playwright John Millington Synge, first performed at the Abbey Theatre by the Irish National Theatre Society in 1910. The play is based on Irish Mythology, in particular the myths concerning Deirdre and Conchobar...
It has been performed as a series of double bills over two or three days or, as in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 2006, all six plays are presented on the same day. This is an exacting production for the actors; many perform in several of the plays changing roles up to five times like Marie Mullen
Marie Mullen
Marie Mullen is an Irish actress.She was one of the founding members of the Druid Theatre Company and her husband has been associated with the company many times in the past...
, a Tony award winning actress
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
This is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. The award has been presented since 1947, and is for performance in new productions or revivals.-1940s:...
who plays the lead in five of the six plays. Felicity O'Brien, the producer commented that "They really have to pace themselves and be careful, but at the same time, it's an amazing challenge for any actor."
Premiered at the Galway Arts Festival
Galway Arts Festival
Galway Arts Festival is an annual arts festival that takes place each July in Galway, Ireland. It is Ireland’s leading arts festival and one of the most successful and influential arts enterprises in the country. The Festival is one of the key European arts festivals...
in 2005 to critical acclaim, it was again produced at the Olympia Theatre
Olympia Theatre, Dublin
The Olympia Theatre is a concert hall/theatre venue in Dublin, Ireland, located in Dame Street.-History:Built in 1879, it was originally called the "Star of Erin Music Hall". Two years later in 1881, it was renamed "Dan Lowrey's Music Hall" and was renamed again in 1889 to "Dan Lowrey's Palace of...
, Dublin, the Edinburgh International Festival
Edinburgh International Festival
The Edinburgh International Festival is a festival of performing arts that takes place in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, over three weeks from around the middle of August. By invitation from the Festival Director, the International Festival brings top class performers of music , theatre, opera...
and on the Aran island
Aran Islands
The Aran Islands or The Arans are a group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay, on the west coast of Ireland. They constitute the barony of Aran in County Galway, Ireland...
of Inis Meáin
Inishmaan
Inishmaan is the middle of the three main Aran Islands in Galway Bay on the west coast of Ireland. It is part of County Galway in the province of Connacht. Inishmaan has a population of about 160, making it the smallest of the Aran Islands in terms of population. It is also quieter and less...
in different locations that included an open-air setting during 2005.
DruidSynge has been described by The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
as: One of the greatest achievements in the history of Irish theatre. The New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
premier was held during the 2006 Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of New York City's Upper West Side. Reynold Levy has been its president since 2002.-History and facilities:...
Festival on July 10 one of the seven performances that were preceded by productions in the Guthrie Theater
Guthrie Theater
The Guthrie Theater is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the result of the desire of Sir Tyrone Guthrie, Oliver Rea, and Peter Zeisler to create a resident acting company that would produce and perform the classics in...
, Minneapolis.
External links
- Druid Theatre
- New York 1 news video RealOne Player video
- New York Times review
- Official website
- Broadwayworld.com Photo essay for DruidSynge in New York 2006