Artistic Director's Notes:

We survive. We're Irish. We have the souls of poets. We love our misery, we delight in the beauty of strange places and dark places in our hearts.

-Eilis Flynn, Wear Black

One of the most beautiful things about theatre, is that it brings people; actors, technical crew, and audience, together in the same space and time to experience and explore issues that affect us all. In a year filled with big changes for Tara Players, we are pleased to commune with you, our audience, as we present three all-Irish plays this season, exploring themes of survival.

Our first production, “Ghosts: After Ibsen, by Thomas Kilroy, a freely adapted version (set in Ireland) of Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts, deals with the struggle to escape outdated ideals as a mother tries to shield her son from the moral and sexual lapses of his late father. Forces of the past and present collide in this biopsy of the interactions between private and public lives, between Church and secular values, and of the characters' prospects as they try to make up for lost time where there's no space left for the truth

Our Second Production, Laoisa Sexton’s dark blue romantic-comedy For Love, chronicles the lives of three women adrift in modern day Dublin seeking sex, deliverance and in danger of going under. Witness what it means to be single to three Irish women, what they will put themselves through and what they will or won’t do…For Love.

Our final production of the season, Bailegangaire, a dark comedy penned by the late great Tom Murphy, an endless folk story told by a senile old woman is woven through her granddaughters’ arguments and struggles to free themselves from her. Night after night, in lyrical and relentless detail, Mommo begins to relate the story of a laughing competition in Bailegangaire and how the town came by its name – ‘the town without laughter’.

Thank you to the volunteers, the actors, directors, designers, and to the many people who have stepped up this year to assist in large and small ways to make this season happen. Particular thanks to Brendan Carruthers for his unfailing support. And most of all, thank you, our audience, without whom we would not be here tonight.

- Megan Andres

Artistic Director

Ghosts: After Ibsen By Thomas Kilroy Feb 1–3, Feb 5-9

Directed By Brendan Carruthers

In this newly revised, freely adapted version of Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts, Kilroy bravely examines ways in which the sins of a father are visited on children in a family frightened by ghosts. Forces of the past and present collide in this biopsy of the interactions between private and public lives, between Church and secular values, and of the characters' prospects as they try to make up for lost time where there's no space left for the truth.

For Love By Laoisa Sexton March 28-30, April 5-6

Directed by Jessina Cheffins

Ireland is experiencing one of the greatest economic downturns in its history, the great recession, and three women in Dublin, are throwing down their handbags and looking for love, no matter what it costs.

For Love takes us on a relentless ride, a romp through the urban sexual experiences of three women in modern day central Dublin… Is there more than a one night stand in Val’s future? Can Tina find the right dress if she’s got the wrong man? Should Bee hop into bed with a married man or just go to the zoo? Or is there something else out there?

Witness what it means to be single to three Irish women, what they will put themselves through and what they will or won’t do…FOR LOVE

Bailegangaire by Tom Murphy – May 9-11, 17-18

Directed By Megan Andres

Bailegangaire' tells the story of three women who are dependent on, and at war with, one another. Mommo, the dominating and tyrannical grandmother, is bed-ridden and attended by two long-suffering granddaughters. In her unfinished storytelling Mommo has the power to keep the sense of the past alive or finish the story and liberate both herself and her two granddaughters from the chaos and blight that hangs over them all.

As reported earlier, we have had a number of changes at Tara since the end of our previous season especially in the area of operations. As such, our Tara Players Executive for 2018-19 is as follows:

• General Manager: Vacant

• Artistic Director: Megan Andres

• Treasurer: Shannon O’Brien

• Rights Manager: Brendan Carruthers

• PR/Marketing Manager: Vacant

• Ticket Manager: Vacant

We are working to fill these positions and our previous Danielle Savage as well as other past Tara members are working hard to assist the Executive until these positions are filled.