Over the past several years, Gaslight Theatre Company has built a reputation for bringing quality productions of classic and lesser-known contemporary productions to the stage. But since August of 2008, the light has been a little dim. The group hoped that its production of “The Mistakes Madeline Made” would be the first of a full season of shows, but a host of issues, including the search for suitable venues, left the company dark. Now Gaslight is back from hiatus and back in the spotlight with its upcoming production of Brian Friel’s “Dancing at Lughnasa.”
Under the direction of Sean McKeown, one of Gaslight’s founding members, “Dancing at Lughnasa” tells the story of the Mundy sisters — Kate, Maggie, Agnes, Rose and Christina — as filtered through the memory of Christina’s illegitimate son, Michael. Michael’s memory play shares details of his life in the fictional town of Ballybeg, County Donegal, Ireland, and his upbringing by the five Mundy women. Set in the summer of 1936 during the Celtic festival of Lughnasa, the drama is overflowing with family dynamics, economic repercussions and the clash of pagan and Christian values.
“Dancing at Lughnasa” premiered in April of 1990 at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin before opening at the Lyttleton Theatre at the Royal National Theatre in London that fall. The drama moved across the pond, landing at Broadway’s Plymouth Theatre in October of 1991, where it played for a year and just more than 400 performances. The Broadway production garnered eight Tony nominations and three wins, including one for Best Play. Sony Pictures brought Friel’s story to the big screen in 1998 with a screenplay by Frank McGuinness. Most recently, “Dancing at Lughnasa” experienced a revival at London’s Old Vic earlier this year.
It was during the recent revival that “Dancing at Lughnasa” first captured McKeown’s attention. He caught a production during a trip to London and knew that the drama was perfect for Gaslight’s return to the stage. The company was looking for a show with plenty of strong female roles to answer some of its past male-heavy productions. The company wanted a play that fit its mission of producing classics or rarely produced contemporary work. And it wanted a piece that lived up to the high standards Gaslight’s audiences have come to expect.
“Dancing at Lughnasa” fit on all counts.
Even more important than casting requirements, however, the drama spoke to McKeown.
“It’s Irish drama, which is right up my alley,” says McKeown.
The playwright’s craftsmanship also drew him in.
“Friel’s writing is a large part of why I decided to do this,” he says. “The writing is superb.”
In addition, McKeown connected with the piece on a personal level, identifying strongly with the character of Michael, who spends the play reflecting on his past.
“I relate personally. I’ve been coming to terms with things I didn’t understand, but do now, from a distance.”
The fact that “Dancing at Lughnasa” is a labor of love for the director does not mean the production has been without its rough spots.
“Oh, yeah, it’s a challenging show,” McKeown says with a laugh.
First and foremost is the difficulty of mounting a show during the busy holiday season and trying to maintain a tight rehearsal schedule while allowing for the season’s revelry. Then there’s the matter of the character’s Irish brogues. Finally, the director and cast have had to work the “dancing” of the title, a significant element of the piece, into a non-musical production.
In spite of it all, McKeown seems unfazed.
“A challenge is what I’m looking for,” he says. “I try to do things that have unique challenges to me.”
He’s thrilled to have Gaslight back on stage, excited to be back in the director’s chair, and glad to be back at the King’s College venue. He’s also thankful for the contributions of a dialect coach and choreographer. With just a week to go until opening night, all of the pieces seem to be falling into place. Now all McKeown and the Gaslight cast and crew need is an audience to share in the memory of “Dancing at Lughnasa.”
“It’s a very well-told story,” says McKeown. “It is really meaty in the sense of putting a lot of good aspects and good storytelling together. It’s incredibly powerful. It’s a beautiful drama. It’s incredibly funny. It’s not heavy, heavy tragedy. It’s all sorts of beauty and poetry. It’s just a wonderful story.”
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