''Port Authority'' is a 2001 play by

Conor McPherson Conor McPherson (born 6 August 1971) is an Irish playwright, screenwriter and director of stage and film. In recognition of his contribution to world theatre, McPherson was awarded an honorary doctorate of literature in June 2013 by University C ...

Overview

The play tells of three interwoven lives, the "three ages of man":Brantley, Ben
"Three Dubliners’ Plain Poetry of Everyday Loss"
''The New York Times'', 22 May 2008 Kevin, a boy leaves home for the first time; Dermot is a man who starts a job for which he is unqualified and chosen by mistake; Joe is a widower pensioner and is sent a mysterious package. The common thread is what could have happened, and did not, in the three lives presented.

Productions

The play premiered in a

Gate Theatre The Gate Theatre is a theatre on Cavendish Row in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1928. History Beginnings The Gate Theatre was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir with Daisy Bannard Cogley and Gearóid Ó Lochla ...

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

production at the New Ambassadors Theatre in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

from 22 February 2001 to 31 March 2001. The play transferred to the

from 24 April 2001 to 2 June 2001. The cast starred Éanna MacLiam (Kevin), Stephen Brennan (Dermot), and Jim Norton (Jo). The production was directed by

himself. The play premiered

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

, produced by the

Atlantic Theater Company The Atlantic Theater Company is an Off-Broadway non-profit theater company based in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1985 by playwright David Mamet, actor William H. Macy, and a group of acting students, the compan ...

in a limited run from April 8, 2008 (previews), officially on May 21 and closed on June 22, 2008. The play starred

Brian d'Arcy James Brian d'Arcy James (born June 29, 1968) is an American actor and musician. He is known primarily for his Broadway roles, including Shrek in '' Shrek the Musical'', Nick Bottom in '' Something Rotten!'', King George III in '' Hamilton'', and T ...

(Dermot),

John Gallagher Jr. John Howard Gallagher Jr. (born June 17, 1984) is an American actor and musician best known for originating the role of Moritz Stiefel in the 2006 rock musical '' Spring Awakening'', which earned him a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Mus ...

(Kevin) and Jim Norton (Joe).''Port Authority''
lortel.org, accessed 9 April 2016 Brian d'Arcy James was nominated for the 2009

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...

, Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play and the 2009

Lucille Lortel Award The Lucille Lortel Awards recognize excellence in New York Off-Broadway theatre. The Awards are named for Lucille Lortel, an actress and theater producer, and have been awarded since 1986. They are produced by the League of Off-Broadway Theatres ...

, Outstanding Lead Actor. In 2012 Rhapsody of Words Productions will stage the play at the

Southwark Playhouse Southwark Playhouse is a theatre in London with two venues, both located between Borough and Elephant and Castle tube stations. History The Southwark Playhouse Theatre Company was founded in 1993 by Juliet Alderdice and Tom Wilson. They ident ...

in London, starring

Ardal O'Hanlon Ardal O'Hanlon (; born 8 October 1965) is an Irish comedian, actor, and author. He played Father Dougal McGuire in ''Father Ted'' (1995–1998), George Sunday/Thermoman in ''My Hero (British TV series), My Hero'' (2000–2006), and DI Jack Moone ...

, John Rogan and Andrew Nolan. The production will be directed by

Tom Attenborough Thomas Frederick Richard Attenborough (born 13 October 1986) is an English voice actor and theatre director. He is the son of theatre director Michael Attenborough, grandson of the late film actor and director Richard Attenborough and the grea ...

. In October to November 2014 the play ran at The

Irish Repertory Theatre The Irish Repertory Theatre is an Off-Broadway theatre company founded in 1988. History The Irish Repertory Theatre was founded by Ciarán O'Reilly and Charlotte Moore and opened its doors in September 1988 with Sean O'Casey's '' The Plough ...

in New York City. The cast featured James Russell (Kevin), Peter Maloney (Joe) and Billy Carter (Dermot), directed by Ciaran O'Reilly.Gates, Anita
"Across Ages, a Journey Through Regret"
''The New York Times'', October 10, 2014

References

{{Conor McPherson Plays by Conor McPherson 2001 plays