The Trial of Thomas D'arcy Mcgee 

When: Friday April 12th, 2019. Doors open at 7PM, play begins at 8PM
Where: St. Brigid's Centre for the Arts, Kildare Room. 310 St. Patrick Street, Ottawa, ON K1N 5K4. Cumberland Street entrance. 

Admission: $20

The premise is that Thomas D’Arcy McGee (1825 – 1868), Irish rebel and Canadian patriot, is called from the grave to answer, in the Court of History, the charge that he committed treason against Ireland and her people. The prosecutor is John Mitchel (1815 – 1875), an unrepentant physical force republican from both Young Ireland and the Fenians. Sir Charles Gavin Dufy (1816 – 1903), former prime minister of Victoria, defends Thomas D’Arcy McGee against the charge of treason. Both Lawyers have returned from the grave for the occasion.

John A. Macdonald (1815 – 1891), a founding father of the Canadian Confederation and its first prime minister is called as a witness for the prosecution. McGee’s long suffering and loyal wife, Mary Teresa Caffrey (abt. 1830 – 1871) whom he married in 1847 is called as a witness for the defence.

All of the ghosts are aware of what has happened in the world since they entered the grave. The protocol of an earthly court loosely applies. As in previous Russell plays, the audience plays the part of the jury and their decision determines McGee's innocence... or guilt. 

Advanced Online tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-trial-of-darcy-mcgee-a-play-by-anthony-russell-tickets-58460755694 

For more information, please email limelighttheatregroup@gmail.com or call 613.304.5705  

Hailing from the town of Newry in county Down, the Newpoint Players will be performing this hilarious and supremely historical courtroom drama for one night only in Ottawa, as they embark on their third Canadian tour.  

The Trial of the Orange Order

The Thomas D'Arcy McGee Foundation with New Point Players (Ireland) and Limelight Group (Ottawa) Presented a new play by Anthony Russell. 

The Trial of the Orange Order

The Trial of The Orange Order in the Court of History is an historical and political fantasy, a drama that seeks to, as objectively as possible, examine the role of the Orange Order in the formation of modern Ireland and, to a lesser extent, Canada. The charge is treason; defined as the crime of betraying one’s country. 

 

The premise is that Lord Craigavon, James Craig (1871 – 1940), the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland is called from the grave to answer, in the Court of History, the charge that the Orange Order committed treason against Britain and Ireland. The prosecutor is John Mitchel (1815 – 1875), an unrepentant physical force republican from both Young Ireland and the Fenians.  Lord Edward Carson (1854 – 1935) who led the unionist opposition to Irish Home Rule defends the Orange Order against the charge of treason. Both Lawyers have returned from the grave for the occasion, to exchange ideas, 'facts', and prejudice with with and passion.

 

Thomas D’Arcy McGee (1825 – 1868), a former Irish rebel who became a founding father of the Canadian Confederation is called as a witness, for the defence - as is the murdered Mrs. Elizabeth Crozier, from farming stock in Ulster.

All of the ghosts are aware of what has happened in both Ireland and Canada since they entered the grave.

 

This play offers a superbly engaging dimension to the play, in which it sees the audience debate the issues in the play as jurors in the jury room! This facilitates a participate role for the audience enabling them to deliberate on the issues as presented by prosecution and defence, as well as voting on the final outcome, just like in a real trial. Therefore the ending may be different in each performance!!

This play follows on from the Trial of P. H. Pearse in the Court of History which entertained and engaged audiences on both sides of the Atlantic as it examined the use of the gun in Irish politics.

Cast and Crew

John Mitchell - Donal O'Hanlon

Lord Edward Carson - Sean Treanor

Sir James Craig, Lord Craigavon - Pat Mooney

Thomas D'Arcy McGee - Gerry O'Connor 

Mrs. Crozier - Diane Russell

The Court Clerck - Damien Fannon (Ottawa)

The Judge - Jammes Leal (Ottawa)

Playwright - Anthony Russell

Director Donal O'Hanlon

Musical Director - Gerry O'Connor

Project Coordination - Tommy Fegan

The drama was commissioned for the Thomas D'Arcy McGee Summer School in Carlingford, August 2017.

In Ottawa the play was performed at the St. Brigid's Centre for the Arts.

Staging Intercultural Ireland New Plays and Practitioner Perspectives -- Book Review

http://www.corkuniversitypress.com/Staging-Intercultural-Ireland-p/9781782051046.htm

Staging Intercultural Ireland New Plays and Practitioner Perspectives

by 

Charlotte McIvor and Matthew Spangler

This collection features eight plays and six interviews with migrant and Irish-born theatre artists who are producing work at the intersection of interculturalism and inward-migration in Ireland during the first decades of the 21st Century.


Plays covered:

Cave Dwellers (2002) by Nicola McCartney

Hurl (2003) by Charlie O’Neill

Orpheus Road (2003) by Ursula Rani Sarma

The Cambria (2005) by Donal O’Kelly

Once Upon a Time & Not So Long Ago (2006) by Bisi Adigun

Mushroom (2007) by Paul Meade

Rings (2012) by Rosaleen McDonagh

Broken Promise Land (2013) by Mirjana Rendulic


The Celtic Tiger era witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of transnational migrants entering Ireland. By the 2011 Census, 17% of the population was born outside of Ireland and much of what had been assumed about Irish identity (and theatre) could no longer hold. This groundbreaking anthology brings together six interviews and eight plays by migrant and Irish-born theatre artists who probe the impact of inward-migration and interculturalism in post-1990s Ireland. The interviews and plays collected here, all available in print for the first time, model a range of devising strategies, dramaturgical frameworks, and literary forms. To date, the work documented here has been produced at a wide range of venues from the Abbey Theatre and New York’s La MaMa Experimental Theatre to mid-sized theatre companies, community centres, street theatres, and even refugee accommodation centres throughout Ireland. This book represents established as well as emerging theatre artists and includes work by Donal O’Kelly, Bisi Adigun, Charlie O’Neill, Rosaleen McDonagh, Paul Meade, Nicola McCartney, Ursula Rani Sarma, and Mirjana Rendulic. Additionally, there are interviews with Bairbre Ní Chaoimh, Anna Wolf, Kasia Lech, John Currivan, Alicja Ayres, José Miguel Jimenéz, Declan Gorman, Declan Mallon, and John Scott. Staging Intercultural Ireland offers a snapshot of Ireland’s long-term intercultural process in its early stages and contributes to transnational migration studies and intercultural theatre research in a global context.


Charlotte McIvor is Lecturer in Drama, National University of Ireland, Galway and Matthew Spangler is Associate Professor of Performance Studies at San José State University in California, USA.

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This book review appeared in Stylus: Trade, Academic, and Professional Books - Fall 2014, book catalogue. For more information about, and to place an order of "Staging Intercultural Ireland New Plays and Practitioner Perspectives," please check Stylus/Cork University Press website.