"Dancing at Lughnasa" is fall black box production
The Skidmore Theater Department will present Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa as the fall Black Box production. Performances are planned Thursday, Oct. 16, through
Wednesday, Oct. 22.
Dancing at Lughnasa explores the fragile harmony among five grown sisters in rural Northern Ireland in
1936, juxtaposed against the realities of political and religious shifts and the oncoming
industrial revolution. Reflected through the memory of Michael, the illegitimate son
of one of the sisters, the story reveals undercurrents of desire and longing, interwoven
with motifs of music, dancing, and a traditional pagan festival. Cutting between Michael’s
adult and seven-year-old selves, Friel takes us back to the Ireland of Michael’s childhood
and tries to come to terms with the changes in both family dynamics and Irish culture.
On this gauzy screen of memory, caring family ties and nostalgia filter together like
a pattern of light and shading in a woodland glen.
Marie Glotzbach is director of the production. Three members of the Class of 2015 are handling the following responsibilities: Greer Duckworth, set design; Noah Samors, lighting design; Joan Lawson, costume design.
Performances are scheduled at 8 p.m. daily except for a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee. Tickets are $12 general admission and $8 for students and senior citizens. Seating is very limited; reservations are required. Contact the Skidmore Theater Box Office at (518) 580-5439 or email. For online ticketing refer to Skidmore College Theater on Facebook or theater.skidmore.edu.
