Jordan Wright
May 12, 2016
Special to The Alexandria Times
(l-r) Ambassador Kevin O’Malley, USA Ambassador to Ireland – President of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Deborah Rutter – Taoiseach Enda Kenny with Ambassador Anne Anderson to USA
A film narrated by Liam Neeson was the kick off event for Ireland’s celebratory year of its independence from British rule. Produced by Notre Dame, the documentary, 1916: The Rebellion, tells the story of the Easter Rising and the hard fought quest for Irish independence, and was hosted by Irish Ambassador Anne Anderson.
Beginning next Tuesday, Kennedy Center will now be your go-to venue for dozens of events surrounding the celebration of Irish Culture. The three-week festival runs from May 17th through June 5th and features Fiona Shaw as Artist-in-Residence.
IRELAND 100: Celebrating a Century of Irish Arts & Culture, is an international festival will feature more than 50 performances with the participation of more than 500 artists in venues throughout the theatre complex. This extraordinary schedule of events highlights Ireland’s rich cultural legacy and its major contribution to the fields of theatre, literature, music and dance.
Colin Dunne in OUT OF TIME ~ photo by Peter Hallward
There will be more than 30 theater, music and dance groups; visual and theatrical installations; and JFK Centennial events. Staged readings of six new “Tiny Plays for the Ireland 2 and America Literature Series”, and culinary events will also be featured.
Louis Lovett in The Girl who Forgot to Sing Badley (Theatre Lovett) ~ Image by Pt Redmond
Taking place in the living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, the nation’s most well-known Irish-American President and the first sitting President to visit Ireland, the festival is also part of a yearlong celebration marking the centennial of JFK’s birth. In addition, IRELAND 100 is the centerpiece in the United States of the global commemoration of the 1916 Easter Rising.
Mary Murray and Sorcha Fox in Fishamble’s Tiny Plays for Ireland 2 ~ photo by Pat Redmond
The festival launches on May 17th with an opening performance in the Concert Hall directed and hosted by Fiona Shaw, one of the most acclaimed Irish actors and directors of our time, also known for her appearances in five of the Harry Potter movies. The multidisciplinary event features the National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of leading Irish conductor, David Brophy, as well as a host of Irish acts that will appear in performances throughout the festival, offering a glimpse at the gamut of Irish arts. As the festival’s Artist-in-Residence, Shaw will also present a master class, a panel discussion with guest artists, and the premiere of her work Blowing the Heart Open.
Pan Pan Theatre ~ All That Fall ~ photo by Ros Kavanagh
IRELAND 100 also opens with three art installations in the Center’s public spaces. The Ogham Wall, an architectural construct by Grafton Architects and Graphic Relief that is inspired by the Irish Ogham alphabet, will be on display in the Hall of Nations. Meanwhile, the Hall of States will host two exhibits: William Close’s The Earth Harp, a large-scale installation designed specifically to fill this space and which will feature live musical demonstrations; and the Egan Harp, a portable harp from 1820 by Irish harp-maker John Egan, on loan from The O’Brien Collection. All three exhibits will be open to the general public throughout the festival.
The Gloaming ~ Photo by Rich Gilligan
Newly announced programs include: screenings of three documentary films chronicling President Kennedy’s visit to Ireland in 1963; a performance showcase and unveiling of a special installation honoring the 99th anniversary of JFK’s birth on May 29; free performances on the Millennium Stage; a literary series designed by Maureen Kennelly of Poetry Ireland and Paul Muldoon, which features over 20 Irish and American writers and musicians; and highly anticipated culinary events, including a free cooking demonstration and lecture by Irish chef, Cathal Armstrong, of Alexandria’s Restaurant Eve, as well as tasting events showcasing Irish whiskey, beer, and cheese. The updated announcement also highlights a Family Day, and calls all redheads, and redheads at heart, to participate in special free activities for all ages, and the addition of an outdoor green space—which allows for further free performances and workshops, picnicking, and Irish food and drinks.
Notable performances include Abbey Theater’s The Plough and the Stars, regarded as an Irish masterpiece; the U.S. debut of Tiny Plays for Ireland 2 and America, performed by the Irish theater company Fishamble and directed by Jim Culleton; the U.S. premiere of A Girl’s Bedroom, the second in a series of theatrical installations created by Enda Walsh in collaboration with the Galway International Arts Festival; and the D.C. debut of The Gloaming, a contemporary Irish music supergroup comprised of vocalist Iarla Ó Lionáird, pianist Thomas Bartlett, hardanger player Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, violinist/fiddler Martin Hayes, and guitarist Dennis Cahill.
Anthony Kearns of the Irish tenors
Also of note will be a performance by world-renowned Irish tenor Anthony Kearns on opening night May 17th. Kearns will also headline on May 23rd with Tara Errnaiuught, fresh off the Washington National Opera’s Cinderella.
Ambassador Anne Anderson, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States, said: “We are delighted to partner with the Kennedy Center on this exciting festival to commemorate Ireland’s 100-year journey from the 1916 Rising and the early days of independence to today. The centenary year has had a profound resonance in the United States. The United States has the greatest concentration of our Diaspora and the contemporary ties between Ireland and the US are of extraordinary depth and breadth. This festival will give us an opportunity to express our gratitude for the support that the U.S. has provided to Ireland in so many ways, and will help to renew and strengthen the bonds of friendship for the future.”
For tickets and information visit the IRELAND 100 webpage or purchase in person at the Kennedy Center box office. 202 467-4600.