(1888PressRelease)
July 19, 2007 - Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, -- With affection and humour, the short Kiltartan Comedies present a picture of life amid the quirky denizens of a fictional Irish village. The Rising of the Moon sets up a surprising and ultimately provocative meeting between a gullible policeman and an itinerant ballad-singer. In Spreading the News the village gossip mill turns a simple request to return a pitchfork into accusations of infidelity and even murder.
Lady Augusta Gregory is best known as the co-founder, with the poet W.B. Yeats, of Dublin’s Abbey Theatre and the Irish national dramatic movement. Spreading the News was on the bill that officially opened the theatre in 1904 and became one of the most popular and frequently revived plays at the Abbey. Altogether she wrote 19 original plays and seven translations for the theatre. She remained one of the Abbey’s artistic directors until her death in 1932, also taking on roles as producer, designer, administrator, fundraiser, teacher, historian and critic.
In her plays, Lady Gregory expressed her love for the language of her region and the Irish people who spoke it, affirming their customs, history and existence.
The cast includes Guy Bannerman as Bartley Fallon, Mary Haney as Mrs. Tarpey, Douglas E. Hughes as Sergeant/Magistrate, Patrick McManus as Ragged Man/Jack Smith and Tara Rosling as Mrs. Fallon; as well as Andrew Bunker, Jonathan Gould, Harry Judge, Jeff Meadows and Brigitte Robinson.
The Kiltartan Comedies is directed by Micheline Chevrier, with design by Deeter Schurig, and lighting design by Julia Vandergraaf. The stage management team includes Stage Manager Allan Teichman and Assistant Stage Manager Amy Jewell.
The Kiltartan Comedies began preview performances Wednesday, June 20; opens Saturday, July 7; and plays in repertory until Saturday, October 6. The Kiltartan Comedies is sponsored by Lombard Insurance.
The 2007 season is proudly presented by HSBC Bank Canada/HSBC Bank USA, N.A.
