Celebrated Irish playwright Tom Murphy died May 15 at age 83. Throughout his long career, Mr. Murphy worked extensively with two of Ireland's most distinguished theatres: Dublin's Abbey Theatre, which presented 19 world premieres of original works and adaptations by the playwright, as well as a season retrospective of his work in 2001; and The Druid Theatre Company in Galway.
Mr. Murphy's myriad plays included On the Outside, A Whistle in the Dark, Conversations on a Homecoming, Bailegangaire, Famine, The Morning After Optimism, The Sanctuary Lamp, She Stoops to Conquer, A Crucial Week in the life of a Grocer鈥檚 Assistant, The Wake, The Patriot Game, The Blue Macushla, Epitaph Under Ether, and The Gigli Concert.
鈥淭om Murphy had an intimate understanding of Irish identity, tackling themes of religion, emigration and redemption. His plays are imbued with a unique juxtaposition between violence and dark humor, yearning and rage. Tom was ever daring, pushing the boundaries of Irish Theatre, and challenging us with disturbing images of Irish life,鈥� said Graham McLaren and Neil Murray, directors of the Abbey Theatre, in .
Ireland's President Michael D. Higgins also at learning of the news: 鈥淭he importance of Tom Murphy鈥檚 contribution to Irish theatre is immeasurable and outstanding. We have had no greater use of language for the stage than in the body of work produced by Tom Murphy since his earliest work in the 1960s.鈥�
鈥淏oth in his work and as a person, he was the essence of life and a life force in every possible respect,鈥� frequent collaborator and Druid Co-Founder and Artistic Director Garry Hynes told Ireland鈥檚 . Druid will hold a public memorial for the playwright May 17.
The Druid Theatre Company's DruidMurphy, a trio of Mr. Murphy dramas鈥�Conversations on a Homecoming, Whistle in the Dark and 贵补尘颈苍别鈥�was seen in New York in 2012 as part of the Lincoln Center Festival. The production went on to play the Kennedy Center in the fall that same year.
Mr. Murphy is survived by his wife Jane Brennan, an actor who appeared in a number of his plays. He is also survived by his three children and a granddaughter.
