|
||
|
|
|
|
|
2001-2002 SEASON OF PLAYS Freedom of the City
“The Freedom of the City” is directed by Jan Czechowski, dean of arts and sciences at St. Catherine, whose academic specialty is Irish drama. Irish playwright Brian Friel wrote “Freedom” shortly after the “Bloody Sunday” in January 1972, when 13 peacefully demonstrating civil rights marchers in Derry were shot dead by British soldiers. The play tells the story of three people thrown together by the circumstances of the Northern Ireland civil rights movement: Lily, a mother of 11; Michael, an idealistic college student; and Skinner, a cynical drifter. Participants in a peace rally and march, the three are overcome by water cannons and tear gas and stumble through an open door, seeking safety. To their dismay and delight, they soon discover that they have stumbled into the mayor’s parlor in the Guildhall of Derry. Assuming at worst that they will be arrested and charged with trespassing, the three emerge, arms held high. They are met instead by a barrage of automatic weapons fire and are killed by British soldiers. Friel, who drew portions of this work’s language directly from investigative reports that exonerated the soldiers, set his play mostly in flashback. It is a reminder to audiences that truth often is a first casualty of war. Born in 1929 into the Catholic minority in Northern Ireland, Friel is better known in America for poetical works such as “Dancing at Lughnasa,” “Philadelphia Here I Come” and “Molly Sweeney” than controversial works such as “The Freedom of the City.” Known today for his achievements as a playwright and director, he began writing short stories for The New Yorker magazine in the 1959. His first radio plays were produced by the BBC, Belfast, in 1958, and his first play, “This Doubtful Paradise,” premiered in 19559. “Dancing at Lughnasa” (1990) premiered at Dublin’s Abbey Theatre, moved to London, then to Broadway, where it won three Tony Awards in 1992. In 1989, BBC Radio devoted a six-play season to his work – the first living playwright to be so distinguished. He co-founded the Field Theatre Company in Derry, where three of his plays premiered. The St. Thomas-St. Catherine production of “The Freedom of the City” stars three St. Thomas students in principal roles: freshman Devin Malone as Michael; senior Courtney Sebo as Lily; and graduate English student Shawn Boyd as Skinner. Other cast members include St. Thomas students Nicole Duerr, Joseph Botten, Mike Kidwell, Peter Heeringa, Andrew Benda, Pat Kroeger, Christian Bergman and Jimmy Wells; St. Catherine sophomores Kristina Fjellman and Anne Miller; and St. Thomas alumnus David Ross. Stage manager is St. Catherine sophomore Stacy Anderson.
|
|
||||||||
