The U.S. debut of The Abbey Theatre鈥檚 acclaimed production of Quietly by Owen McCafferty officially opened July 28 Off-Broadway. The Dublin production, presented in New York by the Irish Repertory Theatre and The Public Theater, won the Fringe First Award at the 2013 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Featuring direction by Jimmy Fray, Quietly began previews July 20 at Irish Rep. Original cast members Declan Conlon, Patrick O鈥橩ane and Robert Zawadzki made the move Off-Broadway.
Set in Belfast in 1999, Quietly looks at the existing chasm between the Republican and Unionist sides following the Easter Peace Accord. 鈥淭onight, in a small back-street bar, Jimmy and Ian will meet for the first time. Forty years before a violent incident irrevocably changed the lives of both men and now they need to talk,鈥� state production notes. The new work is billed as a 鈥減owerful play about violence and forgiveness, about the limits of healing, the lottery of bearing witness, and the profit of truth.鈥�
Read reviews for the American premiere below:
鈥�Quietly is a beautiful, powerful, and essential show,鈥� said Public artistic director Oskar Eustis in an earlier statement. 鈥淚t is utterly specific to Northern Ireland, but that very specificity gives it a huge and universal power. The Public is proud to partner with Irish Rep to present this brilliant Abbey Theatre production.鈥�
鈥淚t speaks to our world far beyond the borders of Northern Ireland,鈥� added Charlotte Moore and Ciar谩n O鈥橰eilly of the Irish Rep.
The staging features scenic design by Alyson Cummins, costume design by Catherine Fay, lighting design by Sin茅ad McKenna, sound design by Philip Stewart and fight direction by Donal O鈥橣arrell.
Irish Rep is located at 132 W. 22nd Street, New York. Tickets can be purchased by calling (212) 727-2737 or online at .
