The Origin 1st Irish Theatre Festival, the only festival of its kind devoted to producing and presenting the theatrical work of contemporary Irish playwrights from around the world, returns to a mostly in-person format in its upcoming 15th annual edition, curated by Michael “Mick” Mellamphy. Running three weeks from Monday January 9 to Tuesday January 31, Origin 1st Irish 2023 will present a mix of new shows, readings and workshops produced locally, as well as acclaimed productions from Ireland, in venues across the city.
The Festival opens with the US premiere of Heaven, produced by Dublin’s Olivier Award-winning Fishamble, the New Play Company. Another Festival production is Frankenstein’s Monster is Drunk and the Sheep Have All Jumped the Fences, based on the short story of the same name, which comes Belfast’s Big Telly. From the Bronx café An Beal Bocht, home to Poor Mouth Theatre Company, the Christmas holidays linger on with special encores of their popular holiday pantomine.
Among other Festival highlightsis a mini festival-within-the-festival at the cell—“Femme First”— featuring workshop productions of three new plays by local women playwrights: Great White American Teeth, The Funny Thing About Death and It’s in the Play. Returning to the Festival for the seventh year is Scór on Broadway, produced by Jane McCarter O’Dowd. Another encore is the Off-Broadway character study, The Smuggler, in rhymed verse, about an Irish immigrant pursuing the American dream.
There’s much more, but the final event of the Festival, Origin’s St Brigid’s Eve, marks the feast of the patroness saint of Ireland, Saint Brigid, which this year becomes a new public holiday in Ireland. The event features a reading of a new play and a festive gathering marking the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.
Participating theatres, arts orgs and venues include Fishamble: The New Play Company, and Big Telly and Kabosh Theatre in Belfast; Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland in Dundalk; Poor Mouth Theatre (An Bael Bocht Café); The Irish Rep; The Irish Arts Center, the NY Irish Center, Origin Theatre Company, The Irish American Writers and Artists; Scór on Broadway; Symphony Space, the cell, ART NY and the pubs Blooms Tavern, Hendricksons, Arlene’s Grocery, The Scratcher, Smithfield Hall, The Longacre Tavern, Ryan’s Daughter, The Banc Cafe, The Raven, Dylan Murphy’s, The Globe, The Turnmill, Avoca, Peter Dillons and The Grafton.
For a full schedule, details and to purchase tickets, go to www.origintheatre.org
