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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 25, 2001)
Chrystal McConnell Emerald Tony award-winning ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ combines humor, family dynamics and Irish culture to create a warm and nostalgic mix. Above, Gerry (Andrew Beck) and Chris (Katie Rogers) discuss their future together. Robinson Theatre produces “Dancing at Luglmasa,” a warm and funny tale of hope, Irish style BY LISA GRILLING PHOTOS BY CHRSYTAL MCCONNELL Get ready for Irish step-dancing, Irish tunes, a little of the brogue and a de tailed story involving a poor Irish family from Donegal, Ireland. The Tony award-win ning play “Dancing at Lughnasa” by Irish play wright Brian Friel will open Jan. 26. University professor and director Joseph Gilg said he identifies with the play partly because of his Irish heritage. “This play was chosen because of the reputation of the playwright and the complexity of the roles,” Gilg said. “Because I have some Irish background, I have always had that con nection to Irish plays and music. Friel is a very fine playwright. He romanti cizes poverty in this par ticular play. He shows the characters’ will to live and their positive out looks for the future.” “Dancing at Lughnasa” depicts the five Mundy sisters, their older brother who has recently re turned home from an African mission and the son of one of the sisters, as well as her lover. “It’s a memory play,” Gilg said. Although the family has its differences, they struggle to stay together through arduous circum stances. The main themes are that “family works to gether, romance [and] whether people take the chance and embrace it or turn away from it. Also, cultural clash,” Gilg said. “This is a sweet story, typical of Irish — a lot of Irish humor and it reveals nostalgic messages of hope. People will be en tertained.” “Life can be pretty de pressing sometimes, so this play reveals a sense of hope,” said University student and actress Joce lyn Fultz. “Dancing at Lughnasa” explores the role of women in a changing so ciety in the 1930’s. Women’s roles are still shifting, so this topic res onates today. “It is uni versal,” Gilg said. “Part of the challenge in directing ‘Dancing at Lughnasa,’” Gilg said, “was asking the company to work with the Irish di alect.” Fultz, who plays wise Agnes Mundy, agreed. “The dialogue is tough,” she said. “It’s hard to con figure my mouth.” The costumes worn in “Dancing at Lughnasa” convey a sense of poverty . The ’30s-style costume design includes sweaters and cardigans — heavy layers with dissimilar shades of pink, brown and green hues. This adds a realistic aura. “None of the patterns really match,” Fultz said. The Irish melodies in “Dancing at Lughnasa” play a powerful role. The period big band and Irish music will be used to “underscore various scenes and under-layer the nostalgia,” Gilg said. “It’s exciting. “The setting is very in teresting. The audience will see inside the home as well as the yard out side at the same time,” Gilg said. “The most intriguing part of ‘Dancing at Lugh nasa,’” Fultz said, “is the relationships among the characters.” Two years ago in Dublin Ireland, Heather Charlton who is a sopho more at the University, watched “Dancing at Lughnasa.” “It was an in teresting story, because it portrayed naturalism. It didn’t gloss anything over,” said Charlton. “Dancing at Lughnasa” will be performed Jan. 27, Feb. 1-3 and Feb. 9 10 in Robinson Theatre at 8 p.m. On Feb. 4 at 2 p.m., the show will be performed as a benefit for WomenSpace, a domes tic violence service. Tick ets for the show are $10 for the public, $8 for Uni versity faculty, staff members and senior citi zens, and $5 for Univer sity students. For the Feb. 4 matinee, tickets through WomenSpace are $20 and $12 for stu dents. For further infor mation, browse http://darkwing.uore gon.edu/-theatre/.
