In honor of the great Irish playwright, Brian Friel and in Celebration of Women’s History Month, The Actors Studio of Newburyport is proud to present this literary giant’s unforgettable play, Molly Sweeney.
Considered daring in its structure, Friel’s play offers three points of view to the same intriguing tale. All three characters remain onstage at all times. Each speaks directly to the audience. Molly herself, blind since infancy, tells of her world before and after an operation to restore her sight. Her husband, champion of good causes, talks of his passion to help her. Her once famous eye surgeon, now a whiskey sodden recluse, see the operation as his chance to reclaim his reputation. Their voices interweave, adding details in a multi layered narrative, carrying us to an unexpected and poignant conclusion. The play, Molly Sweeny, endures; an exemplar of the Irish Storyteller’s art, painting the scenes and rousing emotions with nothing more than beautifully rendered words.
