DruidSynge is a theatre production of the complete plays of
John Millington Synge
Edmund John Millington Synge (; 16 April 1871 – 24 March 1909), popularly known as J. M. Synge, was an Irish playwright, poet, writer, essayist, and collector of folklores. As an important driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival, Ir ...
by the Irish
Druid Theatre Company. It was the vision of
Garry Hynes, the first woman to win a
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
for best director, to create the day-long cycle of all six plays;
* ''
Riders to the Sea''
* ''
The Tinker's Wedding''
* ''
The Well of the Saints
''The Well of the Saints'' is a three-act play written by Irish playwright John Millington Synge, J. M. Synge, first performed at the Abbey Theatre by the Irish National Theatre Society in February 1905 in literature, 1905. The Setting (narrative ...
''
* ''
In the Shadow of the Glen''
* ''
The Playboy of the Western World
''The Playboy of the Western World'' is a three-act play written by Irish playwright John Millington Synge, first performed at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, on 26 January 1907. The work is considered a centerpiece of the Irish Literary Revival mo ...
''
* ''
Deirdre of the Sorrows''
It has been performed as a series of double bills over two or three days or, as in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
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
The Edinburgh International Festival is an annual arts festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, spread over the final three weeks in August. Notable figures from the international world of music (especially european classical music, classical music) and ...
, and on the
Aran island of
Inis Meáin
Inishmaan ( ; , the official name, formerly spelled , meaning "middle island") is the middle of the three main Aran Islands in Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland. It is part of County Galway in the province of Connacht. Inishmaan has a ...
in different locations that included an open-air setting during 2005.
DruidSynge has been described by ''
The Irish Times
''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...
'' as: "One of the greatest achievements in the history of Irish theatre." The New York City premiere was held during the 2006
Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...
Festival on 10 July,
one of the seven performances that were preceded by productions in the
Guthrie Theater
The Guthrie Theater, founded in 1963, is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The concept of the theater was born in 1959 in a series of discussions among Sir Tyrone Gut ...
, Minneapolis.
References
{{reflist
External links
Druid Theatre Companyofficial website
Broadwayworld.comphoto essay for ''DruidSynge'' in New York, 2006
Druid Theatre Company