the cell premieres new Irish drama by acclaimed playwright Honor Molloy that melds reality and myth.
September 1 - 25 at The Workshop Theatre
Critics' Pick. "Grotesque but richly satisfying." -- New York Times
"Intensely literate and fun to hear (especially when recited by this superb cast)." -- TheaterMania
"Molloy's writing is deft… Crackskull is gorgeous." -- Time Out
"Engrossing… This show is not for the sensitive or faint of heart but will leave a lasting impression." -- Applause Applause
"Dark and disturbing…a very heavy and painful story brilliantly worded by Honor Molloy and directed by Kira Simring." -- OnStage
Nancy Manocherian’s the cell will present the World Premiere of CRACKSKULL ROW by award-winning dramatist Honor Molloy. The production will be directed by Artistic Director Kira Simring (two-time 1st Irish Award-Winner, New York Times Critics’ Pick Hard Times: An American Musical) as part of Origin Theatre’s 2016 1st Irish Theatre Festival. Performances begin September 1 at The Workshop Theatre with opening set for September 5.
CRACKSKULL ROW is set in 1999. Rasher Moorigan has finally been released from prison after serving time for a monstrous crime he committed over thirty years before. After reuniting with his mother, an old woman haunted by a vanished Dublin, they confront the ghosts of the past and an uncertain future. Melding reality and myth, CRACKSKULL ROW is the story of one Irish family’s desperate actions and forbidden loves.
CRACKSKULL ROW will star Colin Lane (A Touch of the Poet, Molly Sweeny,The Weir), Terry Donnelly (Dancing at Lughnasa, Juno and the Paycock, The Hostage), Gina Costigan (“Veronica Guerin”, “Becoming Jane”), and John Charles McLaughlin (PASSION, Hard Times: An American Musical). The production team features Gertjan Houben (lighting), Daniel Geggatt and Caitlyn Murphy (set), Sienna Zoë Allen (costumes), M. Florian Staab (sound design) and Chris Steckel (Production Stage Manager).
Nancy Manocherian’s the cell (Founding Artistic Director Nancy Manocherian and Artistic Director Kira Simring) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the incubation and presentation of new works. Now in its tenth year, the cell has produced countless new works for theatre and music. It has become a home for New York artists, known and unknown alike, to workshop and present material outside of commercial constraints. the cell’s productions have attracted the attention of major media outlets including The New York Times, The Huffington Post, and BBC news. the cell is also the home of the Jazz @ the cell series, which features emerging and established local and international jazz artists for New York audiences.
Honor Molloy was born in Dublin, so her plays often tell an Irish story: and in my heart (Dublin Gay Theatre Festival); In Pigeon House (Irish Theatre of Chicago); Murphy (HERE, NYC); Madame Killer (Clubbed Thumb, NYC; Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney; Lincoln Center / Royal Court Theatre Audrey Skirball-Kenis Playwright Exchange); Maiden Voyages (New Georges, NYC; Royal Court Theatre – workshop); Rehearsing the Granda (Public Theatre / BACA Downtown). An alumna of New Dramatists, Molloy has received support from the NEA, NYFA (2011, 2002, 1990), and a fellowship year at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard.
CRACKSKULL ROW runs September 1 - 25, Thursday & Friday at 7pm, Saturday at 3pm & 7pm, and Sunday at 3pm with additional performances Sept. 5, 14 & 21 at 7pm and Friday, Sept. 23 at 3pm. The Main Stage of the Workshop Theater at 312 West 36th Street – West of 8th Avenue – in NYC. Tickets are $25. For more information about the show and tickets go to www.thecelltheatre.org.