Oscar winner Estelle Parsons has departed the upcoming Off-Broadway production of The Dead, 1904 due to personal conflicts. The role of Aunt Kate will now be played by Úna Clancy, who recently won acclaim for her roles in The O’Casey Cycle and as Lady Gregory in the world premiere of Lady G.
Irish Repertory Theatre and Dot Dot Productions, in
association with The American Irish Historical Society, will present the immersive adaptation of James Joyce’s The Dead from Pulitzer Prize-winning Irish poet Paul Muldoon and novelist Jean Hanff Korelitz.
Directed by Irish Rep Co-founder Ciarán O’Reilly, previews will begin November 20 at The American Irish Historical Society with an opening night set for November 26 for a limited engagement through January 5, 2025.
As previously reported, the cast will feature Obie winner and Tony nominee Mary Beth Peil as Julia Morkan, Tony nominee Kate Baldwin (Hello, Dolly!) as Greta Conroy, Christopher Innvar (To Kill a Mockingbird) as Gabriel Conroy, violinist/fiddler Heather Bixler as Miss Daly, Terry Donnelly (Philadelphia, Here I Come!) as Mrs. Malins, Karen Killeen (One Night in Dublin) as Mary Jane, Michael Kuhn (Sweeney Todd) as Bartell D’Arcy, Aedin Moloney (Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom) as Molly Ivors, Michael Mellamphy (The Smuggler) as Mr. Browne, Jodie Sweeney as Lily, and Gary Troy (The Irish...and How They Got That Way) as Freddy Malins.
The play follows a holiday gathering on January 6, 1904, the Feast of the Epiphany, in the Dublin home of two elderly sisters, Kate and Julia Morkan, and their niece, Mary Jane. At the party are students, friends, a celebrated tenor, a lost alcoholic, and the couple, Gabriel and Gretta Conroy. Over the course of an evening, there are conversations, music, dancing, dining, speeches, and disagreements.
The Dead, 1904 will also feature choreography by Barry McNabb, costume design by Leon Dobkowski, lighting design by Michael Gottlieb, sound design by M. Florian Staab, and properties design by Deirdre Brennan.
Michael Palmer is the production stage manager, Jade Doina is the assistant stage manager, Mark Hartman is the musical consultant, and Maxwell Paris is the wardrobe supervisor. Casting is by Geoff Josselson.
The Dead, 1904—previously presented during the holiday
seasons in 2016-2018—will be performed to an audience of 48 people a
night at The American Irish Historical Society, traveling over three
floors of the building, which has been restored to period decoration. A
holiday meal, created by Great Performances, will also be served.
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