How it’s New York: At the Irish Rep in New York City
How it’s Irish: Production in Origin’s 1st Irish Theatre Festival
With the new year well underway, there is a fresh batch of shows coming from the Origin’s 1st Irish Theatre Festival.
One of the exciting offerings is the one woman show The Scourge being presented at the Irish Rep in conjunction with the Wexford Arts Centre from January 22 – February 2, 2020.
I had the chance to sit down with Michelle Dooley Mahon who wrote and stars in this very personal piece. It focuses on her own struggles with mental health and the downward spiral of her mother into Alzheimer’s. Here’s a snippet from that interview, which should be available soon on the NYIrishArts podcast:
Michelle:
One of the beautiful things that was said to me when I went back 6 months after Siobhan had died. My father had dedicated a memory bench to her in the garden at the nursing home. I had to walk past her room for the first time since she had passed. A carer came out and embraced and said “we miss you so much, and we miss your music!“ I used to play her current music from her youth, that would resonate and that she could connect with; the Beatles and stuff from the 60’s. I was named for a Beatle’s song.
Me: Music really does reach and touch a special place in the soul, doesn’t it?
Michelle: Absolutely, it was inspiring to see someone who has no muscle memory left, but has this amazing retention of lyrics, and they will sway along to the lyrics. The novel I wrote, Scourged, was literally a how-to-guide for families dealing with Alzheimers, and so much of what Not to do!
This play has been adapted from the novel, and has received acclaim during it’s inaugural run at the Wexford Arts Centre, who through their wonderful Artistic Director Elizabeth Whyte have now brought it to New York.
Rush now to get your tickets for this limited run which is sure to be one of the highlights of this year’s festival. You can find tickets here: The Scourge tickets
