Playwright John Patrick Shanley’s love letter to his Irish heritage and layered love story Outside Mullingar is coming to the Sierra Madre Playhouse for 16 performances Oct. 2-25. (For details, see below.)
Presented in conjunction with The 6th Act, Shanley’s charming and complex romantic dramady is directed by 6th Act co-founder Matthew Leavitt. The cast includes Armin Shimerman (Tony Reilly), Kitty Swink (Aoife Muldoon), fellow 6th Act co-founder Liza Seneca (Rosemary Muldoon) and Michael Kirby (Anthony Reilly).
Exploring the balance between love and land, inheritance and independence the play centers on Anthony and Rosemary. Living side by side, they’re bound by family legacies, stubborn pride, and an unspoken longing that’s lasted a lifetime. Anthony has spent his days quietly tending his father Tony’s cattle farm, uncertain of his future and haunted by what might have been. Aging Tony Reilly plans to sell his farm away from his 40-something shy son, because he doubts Anthony’s sanity. Meanwhile, a bitter strip-land dispute ties the Reilly family to their sharp-witted neighbor, Rosemary. Anthony’s strong-willed neighbor, she has waited years for him to see what’s been right in front of him all along.
Returning to a favorite play
This is The 6th Act’s third production of the work. “We did a short run at The Matrix Theatre in June last year,” says Seneca. “Enough people said the run wasn’t long enough and we agreed. So, we brought the show to the Skylight Theatre that October. Sierra Madre Playhouse board member Max Factor III saw the show, Seneca says, and said “it would be a great show to have in Sierra Madre.” So, she and Leavitt met with Playhouse artistic/executive director Matt Cook. “He liked the idea and fortunately the cast was available. When we first met Matt, we discovered he is a kindred spirit in what he wants to do. l love the space and community. And what Matt is doing is wonderful. He and his staff are so passionate about bringing arts to the community.
Following are excerpts from my interview with Seneca about The 6th Act and bringing Outside Mullingar to the stage.
How did you learn about the show?
I’d never heard of it. I was in New York about a decade ago and working with acting teacher Larry Moss in a master class. Someone brought it to me and I was blown away. I love Shanley’s work, but I never felt I’d fit in his work. A lot of his plays are New York through and through. That’s not inherent to me and not where I naturally live. With this play, Shanley returned to his Irish roots and I’m European and I felt such a connections and physical understanding of Rosemary.
Working on that final scene with Larry was a highlight of my acting career and I always thought I’d love to do a full production. I brought it to Matt (Leavitt) and it all came together the way it was supposed to.
What makes this production special?
For one thing it’s the cast. We’ve all known each other a long time and have a close working relationship. We’re all members of Antaeus Theatre Company. Kitty and I played mother and daughter about 12 years ago. Armin’s been a mentor to Michael and me and directed me in Twelfth Night. We’ve lived with the show for so long and settled in, in a wonderful way.
What do you like about the part?
Rosemary lives right next door, and determined to have Anthony, even as she watches the years slip away. She knows they’ll be together– and she’s guided by that. That’s something I love about the character. How can she be so sure that they’re meant for each other and see that it’s not working?
With Anthony’s father threatening to disinherit him and a land feud simmering between their families, Rosemary has every reason to fear romantic catastrophe. Their journey is ultimately deeply moving.
What’s the appeal of the play?
The way Shanley has written it is so funny and touching. He’s not necessarily lyrical, but he’s a poet. It’s such a joy to say these words. These characters have deep wants and needs and they express them in such incredibly unique ways. And with biting Irish humor.
The play is a full experience of monumental universal human emotions–grief, love, intergenerational connections, longing and ultimately joy. When you boil it all down to it, what does everybody want? To be loved and love someone. And these are not kids. They’ve been through it all and they love each other just as they are.
What kinds of research did you do?
First, I watched a lot of great videos about the rural Irish Midlands and the landscape.
I always wanted to know about farm life. As a city person I want to understand the difference in what their homes feel like and being in a small town fwith no people around for miles and miles. When we were first doing the show, I had a chance to visit a farm in southwest Missouri. Since the show is set on neighboring cattle and sheep farms in Killucan, it was so helpful being on an actual farm. It couldn’t be more different than life in LA. You just see land and animals. It’s a pace of life with daily rituals and chores that have to be done at a certain time. I relate to the characters knowing how hard that is and asking, ‘how are you going to do it all?’
What are the challenges of producing this show?
The challenge is getting the tone right. Matt has an eye for knowing when to let a moment breathe, when to move faster, where the comedy is and when to let a tender moment linger. It’s balancing the lyricism with the realities of their everyday lives, the magical and whimsical components and drama and letting all that coexist.
How are you handling the Irish accents?
It’s hard to say these lines without an Irish accent. We’ve all worked with dialect coach Keri Safran. She’s given us great tips. I have a love of language and I think that goes for all four of us. We jumped in and have loved working on it.
Company roots in a first meeting
Matthew Leavitt and I met when I was in the 2012 world premiere of his play The Boomerang Effect at The Odyssey Theatre.
After the play he came to me, and we had bonded through that collaboration and a shared love of Shakespeare and the classics. We were both in a place where we just wanted more control over what we were doing–me as actor and Matt as a playwright and director. So we founded The 6th Act.
We have a great partnership and we’re good collaborators. It’s a two-way street. We bring each other stuff and we’re both invested in choosing material we’re enthusiastic about.
Finding the right name
When we started the theatre company, our friend actor Joel Bryant suggested the name. We were Shakespeare- and classics-focused and we wanted a name that signifies what we want to do. Shakespeare plays are mostly in five acts. The 6th act after the traditional five is kind of a symbol of what we wanted to do—non-traditional takes on the classics. Since then, we’ve evolved and done two of Matt’s original plays and now we’re adding Shanley as we continue to do new takes of classics as well.
What are the challenges and joy of having your own theatre company?
We’re nomads. We have no resident home which has an upside and downside. We have no rents to pay and overhead, and we continue to see theater shrinking. The downside is that we’re at the mercy of when theatres can slot us in.
We don’t have a company of actors. We decided when we started this two-person tiny nonprofit that we wanted more opportunities for actors. Actors are not always working, and we know this city has an embarrassment of talent. We’ve been lucky that so many incredible people have wanted to collaborate with us. We’ve found our core people, but we always want to bring in new people.
Why found a theater company?
When you’re an actor for hire, you’re at the mercy of when you get cast you in something. There’s incredible joy in creating your own work. It is a lot of work, particularly as a two-person operation when you and wear all the hats. Sometimes when I’m in something Matt is running the box office. Behind the scenes isn’t glamorous. But it’s worth it to tell the stories we want to tell and not wait around for permission. We’ve staged works like The $5 Shakespeare Company, Sukkot, and various classical adaptations around the area. Our goal now is three shows a year.
Are you involved in the technical aspects of the play?
Shanley uses the Scottish/Irish folk song Wild Mountain Thyme at poignant moments in the play. I didn’t realize how many different artists had recorded the piece. Our sound designer Christopher Moscatiello has found a beautiful version sung by a choir and trio.
Our set designer Mark Mendelson has performed a magic trick. This is the only time in my career when I’ve heard applause for a set change. Our property master/set dresser Megan Trapani has created a world for us to live in. I was on the set, and I noticed pencil marks on the wall delineating the heights of the three Reilly children. It’s that kind of detail that makes you feel like you’re in a lived-in home. And it’s a gift for us actors to strengthen the belief in what you’re doing.
Any final thoughts?
The play is just a beautiful antidote to our kind of bleak world. A lot of people are feeling almost despondent for a number of reasons. This piece is a real spot of joy in a difficult time. It reminds us that as hard as things can feel, there is also much beauty and goodness. And we need to be able to look for that whenever possible. As an actor and artistic director, I circle back to why we started our company. There is nothing more gratifying than to give audiences that experience.
The Sierra Madre Playhouse is at 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre. Performances are at 8 p.m., Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m., Sunday. Tickets range from $12-24 and are available by calling 626-355-4318 or visiting www.sierramadreplayhouse.org.
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