BRENDAN at the Huntington/Calderwood

Saw the preview of this tonight. I liked it more than any other Noone play I've seen. Of his trilogy, I liked The Blowin of Baile Gall best and The Gigolo Confessions of Baile Breag not at all, but there is no doubt that Noone has a distinctive voice. I suppose that being invited to see a preview means not talking about the play publicly till after press opening-- but surely it is OK to say it was a pleasure to sit through and that I'd recommend it? I particularly enjoyed the skillful performance in several roles by my old Sugan colleague Ciaran Crawford. We commiserated afterwards as I congratulated him in the lobby: neither of us has worked much since that excellent Irish theatre closed.


BRENDAN Press release
by Ronan Noone
Directed by Justin Waldman
Wimberly Theatre
Oct. 12 - Nov. 18, 2007

"Noone's plays are now the highlight
of any given theatre season!"
- The Boston Globe

A recent Irish immigrant, Brendan now calls Boston home. He misses his family, but works hard to fit-in in his adopted country, earn his American citizenship, and find love and meaning in his new life in this funny and touching premiere by acclaimed Boston writer Ronan Noone.

Born and raised in Ireland, Huntington Playwriting Fellow Ronan Noone is quickly becoming one of America's top young playwrights. His recent play The Atheist was part of the Huntington's 2006 Breaking Ground Festival, and premiered in both New York and London. His other works include the acclaimed trilogy The Lepers of Baile Baiste (National Playwriting Award), The Blowin of Baile Gall (Elliot Norton Award for Best New Play), and The Gigolo Confessions of Baile Breag.

Advance Article from The Boston Globe
In two plays at the Huntington, the Irish-born writer turns to America
By Louise Kennedy, Globe Staff | September 9, 2007
Justin Waldman sounds a bit incredulous, if delighted, as he contemplates the fall season at the Huntington Theatre Company. With good reason: Waldman, the Huntington's artistic associate, will be directing not one but two plays this fall, both by the award-winning Boston playwright Ronan Noone.

"It's a little Ronan Noone festival," Waldman says with a laugh. "It's kismet, I think."
Noone himself has a different word for the happy coincidence of seeing both "Brendan" and "The Atheist" on the same fall schedule: "It's my Xanax," he says - the ideal cure for any anxiety he may have felt after finishing the trilogy of Irish plays that put him on the theater map.
... the Huntington's Wimberly Theatre will have "The Atheist," Wednesday through Sept. 30, and "Brendan" from Oct. 12 through Nov. 17.
"It made more sense to do them on top of each other than spread out," Waldman says. "But they're such disparate plays. If you didn't have the title page, you would never guess that they're by the same guy. But they do have the same smarts."