Irish Rep Adds Molly Sweeney to the Friel Project

Irish Repertory Theatre announced that due to the success of and response to the three previously announced productions of the Friel Project, a fourth production, Molly Sweeney, will be added. A retrospective of the work of renowned Irish playwright Brian Friel, the Friel Project celebrates Irish Rep’s 35th anniversary.

Directed by Irish Rep’s artistic director Charlotte Moore, Molly Sweeney will run May 15-June 30, with an opening night set for May 23, on the Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage at Irish Repertory Theatre.

The cast of Molly Sweeney will feature Rufus Collins (The Royal Family) as Mr. Rice, John Keating (Boardwalk Empire) as Frank Sweeney, and Sarah Street (Belfast Girls) as Molly Sweeney.

In Molly Sweeney, Molly’s restless, unemployed, and enthusiastic husband Frank makes her blindness his latest cause. He recruits Mr. Rice, a once-famous surgeon who, despite his struggles, agrees to attempt to restore Molly’s sight. When the bandages come off, Molly, Frank, and Mr. Rice face the consequences of a medical miracle.

Irish Repertory Theatre produced Molly Sweeney: A Performance on Screen directed by Charlotte Moore as its first digital production during the COVID-19 shutdown, premiering on May 12, 2020.

Molly Sweeney will feature set design by Charlie Corcoran and lighting design by Michael Gottlieb. Additional creative team members will be announced at a later date.

The Friel Project features four of Friel’s works set in Ballybeg, a fictional town in Donegal, Ireland: Translations (1980), Aristocrats (1979), Philadelphia, Here I Come! (1964), and Molly Sweeney (1994).