Solas Nua (; "new light" in Irish) is a

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

-based Irish contemporary arts organization. Founded in 2005, its first event was a production of the play ''Disco Pigs'' by

Enda Walsh Enda Walsh (born 1967) is an Irish playwright. Biography Enda Walsh was born in Kilbarrack, North Dublin on 7 February 1967. His father ran a furniture shop and his mother had been an actress. He is the second youngest of six children. Walsh ...

. While it is best known for its theatre offerings, Solas Nua also presents programming in areas including film, music, visual arts and literature. The organization puts special emphasis on promoting recent work by up-and-coming Irish artists.

Past theater productions

In its 2008–09 season Solas Nua performed ''Disco Pigs'' by Enda Walsh at

59E59 Theaters 59E59 Theaters is a venue presenting a year-round curated program of live theater. The three theater building is located in New York City. It shows both off-Broadway (in Theater A) and off-off-Broadway plays (in Theaters B and C). The complex is ...

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 ...

as part of the first Irish Theater Festival. Solas Nua produced this play again in D.C. in their 2009–10 season. In the 2008–09 season Linda Murray directed Gerald Murphy's ''Take Me Away'' and Des Kennedy directed the American premiere of

Marina Carr Marina Carr is an Irish playwright, known for '' By the Bog of Cats'' (1998). Early life and education Carr was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1964, but spent most of her childhood in Pallas Lake, County Offaly, adjacent to the town of Tulla ...

's ''Woman and Scarecrow''. Solas Nua also produced a series of readings of 11 plays commissioned by

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

theater company Tinderbox. In Solas Nua's 2009–10 season they presented David Ireland's ''Everything Between Us'' in D.C., Buffalo and Philadelphia. They also produced Rosemary Jenkinson's ''Johnny Meister and the Stitch''. ''2010–11'' events included ''Swampoodle'' by Tom Swift. This place-based performance was created in collaboration with Ireland's Performance Corporation at the U-Line Arena. Solas Nua also presented John Paul Murphy's ''The Prophet of Monto'' and Arthur Riordan and

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's musical ''Improbable Frequency''. In 2012–13 Solas Nua commissioned and performed ''Bradley O’Gill and the Little People'' by Tom Swift. In 2014 Solas Nua began play-reading series in Washington, D.C. and in Boston. In 2015, Solas Nua hired Rex Daugherty as the second artistic director of the company. He had previously appeared as an actor in Solas Nua productions and became a company member in 2008. His theatre productions have earned Solas Nua their first Helen Hayes Award (Outstanding Ensemble - ''The Frederick Douglass Project''). ''2016'' - ''Wild Sky'' by Deirdre Kinahan and ''Little Thing Big Thing'' by

Donal O'Kelly Donal O'Kelly (born 1958) is an Irish playwright and actor. Early life O'Kelly was born in Dublin in 1958. He worked in the Irish Civil Service as a computer programmer, before quitting to become active in theatre and politics. Career O'Kelly' ...

''.'' ''2017 - Coolatully'' by Fiona Doyle and the updated ''Misterman'' by Enda Walsh. *''Misterman'' was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award in Outstanding Sound Design. ''2018 - The Frederick Douglass Project'' by Psalmayene 24 and Deirdre Kinahan and '' How to Keep an Alien'' by Sonya Kelly. *''The Frederick Douglass Project'' was a Solas Nua commission, staged on a floating pier on the

Anacostia River The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid-Atlantic states, Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County, Maryland, Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Ch ...

, overlooking Douglass' historic home in DC. The play earned 6 Helen Hayes nominations, was the recipient of The Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Ensemble and was listed by The Washington Post as "one of the best theatre productions of the year." How to Keep an Alien was also nominated for Outstanding Sound Design. ''2019'' ''- Silent'' written and performed by Pat Kinevan (from Fishamble: The New Play Company) and ''The Smuggler by Ronan Noone.'' *''Silent'' was nominated for two Helen Hayes Awards, Outstanding Visiting Production and Outstanding Visiting Performer. ''The Smuggler,'' a one-man show starring artistic director Rex Daugherty, was listed by The New York Times Readers' Choice as one of the best theatre productions of the year, nationwide.

Other activities

Regular events include a film screening series called Irish Popcorn! Solas Nua also presents Irish films at their annual Capital Irish Film Festival. Each year Solas Nua gives away thousands of Irish books on their Irish Book Day (March 17). In 2014 Solas Nua collaborated with Irish literary magazine ''

The Stinging Fly ''The Stinging Fly'' is a literary magazine published in Ireland, featuring short stories, essays, and poetry. It publishes two issues each year. In 2005, ''The Stinging Fly'' moved into a book publishing with the establishment of The Stinging ...

'' to create an original Irish Book Day publication for the first time. ''What's the Story?'' included short stories and poems by authors including

Kevin Barry Kevin Gerard Barry (20 January 1902 – 1 November 1920) was an Irish Republican Army (IRA) soldier and medical student who was executed by the British Government during the Irish War of Independence. He was sentenced to death for his part in a ...

. Additional programming includes visual arts and video art exhibitions, multiple book clubs, music and dance.

References

{{reflist

External links

Solas Nua Official WebsiteSolas Nua FacebookSolas Nua TwitterSolas Nua InstagramSolas Nua YouTube
Arts organizations based in Washington, D.C. Irish-American culture in Washington, D.C. Irish-American organizations Arts organizations established in 2005 2005 establishments in Washington, D.C.