The Irish Repertory Theatre (132 West 22nd Street) continues its fifth season of the New Works Reading Series, supporting new plays and emerging playwrights, with a free reading of Thomas Delaney's A SOLO FOR TWO VOICES on Friday, May 6 at 3 p.m. at the Irish Repertory Theatre (132 West 22nd Street) in Manhattan. Ciaran O'Reilly, who helmed THE EMPEROR JONES and the world premiere of BANISHED CHILDREN OF EVE, directs.
The cast of A SOLO FOR TWO VOICES includes Aoife Burke (ON RAFTERY'S HILL), Kevin Collins (THE YEATS PROJECT), Terry Donnelly (THE SHAUGHRAUN), Bairbre Dowling (DA), Sean Gormley (THE SHAUGHRAUN), Kathleen Heverin (THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE), John Keating (ARISTOCRATS), Laurence Lowry (THE SHAUGHRAUN), Anto Nolan (DEFENDER OF THE FAITH), and Laoisa Sexton (THE PROPHET OF MONTO).
A SOLO FOR TWO VOICES is loosely based on the life and writings of Christy Brown, the Irish writer, poet and painter. Despite having cerebral palsy, Christy wrote an autobiography, four novels, thre books of poems and executed quite a number of paintings, all of them
accomplished by the one part of his body not affected by his disorder; namely, his left foot.
Playwright Thomas Delaney appeared in the very first production of The Irish Repertory Theatre in 1988, in Sean O'Casey's THE PLOUGH AND THE STARS. He was born in Ireland, served with Irish peacekeeping troops, both in the Congo and Cyprus whilst in his teens, and moved to London
in 1969 to pursue a career as an actor. In 1973 he appeared on the London stage with Judi Dench in Ferenc Molnar's THE WOLF. In 1980 he appeared at the Young Vic theatre in his own one-man show THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING IRISH. Two years later he moved to New York and
appeared in the Roundabout Theatre's production of Moliere's LEARNED LADIES. It was the untimely death of Christy Brown in 1981 that got him interested in writing a one-man show based on Christy's extraordinary life. This effort quickly blossomed into a full-length play, which took him five years to complete.
Ciarán O'Reilly most recently directed the world premiere of BANISHED CHILDREN OF EVE and THE EMPEROR JONES (Callaway Award; O'Neill Credo Award; Drama Desk, Drama League and Lucille Lortel nominations). Other directing credits include THE HAIRY APE (Drama Desk, Drama League, & Callaway nominations); THE YEATS PROJECT; THE MASTER BUILDER; PRISONER OF THE CROWN; SIVE; DEFENDER OF THE FAITH; THE FIELD; PHILADELPHIA, HERE I COME! (Drama Desk nomination); and THE BELLS OF CHRISTMAS. As an actor, he was recently seen in Brian Friel's MOLLY SWEENEY and George Bernard Shaw's CANDIDA at Irish Repertory Theatre.
Literary Manager Kara Manning hopes that the reading series will "give playwrights, both emerging and more established, the invaluable opportunity to develop their new work in a supportive, safe
environment and will also introduce some Irish playwrights, especially those who might not yet have the New York recognition they merit, to an American audience." The Irish Repertory Theatre's 2007 production of Stuart Carolan's DEFENDER OF THE FAITH and 2010 world premiere of
Kelly Younger's BANISHED CHILDREN OF EVE were alumni of the New Works Reading Series.
As part of its mission, The Irish Repertory Theatre "encourages the development of new works focusing on the Irish and Irish-American experience, as well as a range of other cultures."
