May 17-June 5, 2016 The Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.
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riverrun Photo by Colm Hogan
May 17–June 5, 2016 | The Kennedy Center Washington, D.C.
The Presenting Underwriter of IRELAND 100 HRH Foundation
Major support is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein and the Embassy of Ireland. Additional support is provided by The American Ireland Fund; Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley; The Coca-Cola Company; William B. Finneran; Ingersoll Rand;
Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater; Amalia Perea Mahoney and William Mahoney; Malin Corporation plc; Marcia V. Mayo, The Mayo Charitable Foundation; Medtronic; Angela Moore; and Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan.
International Programming at the Kennedy Center is made possible through the generosity of the Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts.
All dates, artists, programs, and prices are subject to change.
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WELCOME
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he United States and Ireland share a special relationship based on common ancestral ties and shared values. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts bears the name of our 35th President, who is especially revered by Ireland as a favorite son. This year, the Kennedy Center participates in a global salute to Ireland’s 100-year anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising. The Kennedy Center’s IRELAND 100: Celebrating a Century of Irish Arts & Culture festival is the centerpiece of commemorative events in the United States, bringing to Washington some of Ireland’s best music, theater, dance, literature, food, and drink.
One of the most acclaimed Irish actors and directors of our time, Fiona Shaw, will be Artist-in-Residence for the three-week festival, performing and conducting workshops with aspiring actors as well as directing the opening event on May 17. Among the festival’s theater offerings are works by great Irish playwrights Seán O’Casey ( The Plough and the Stars) and Samuel Beckett (the radio play All That Fall), an adaptation from James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake performed by celebrated actor Olwen Fouéré (riverrun), and a performance installation by Tony Award® winner Enda Walsh ( A Girl’s Bedroom). Participating musical artists include much-loved “trad” group The Gloaming, the groundbreaking ensemble Alarm Will Sound performing music by award-winning composer Donnacha Dennehy ( The Hunger), Belfast’s renowned Camerata Ireland led by Barry Douglas, and the Kennedy Center’s own National Symphony Orchestra in an all-Irish opening program, which will feature works by Irish composers including Bill Whelan (Riverdance) and others. Contemporary dance will be represented on stage by two of the best-known choreographers/ dancers, Jean Butler and Colin Dunne. The glory of Irish literature is recognized across the globe. The festival’s literature series offers a wideranging set of panels featuring more than 20 writers including Colum McCann, Paul Muldoon, and Colm Tóibín, among others. The IRELAND 100 festival will also launch the Kennedy Center’s year-long centennial celebration of President Kennedy with three exciting programs: performances of selected plays from a nationwide playwriting challenge on his legacy ( Tiny Plays for Ireland and America), documentary screenings of his visit to Ireland, and a multidisciplinary and intergenerational program, Celebrating the Past to Awaken the Future. With the participation of some 500 artists, more than 30 productions, and dozens of free events and installations, IRELAND 100 will be an extraordinary celebration of a century and beyond of Irish arts and culture. We are grateful to the Embassy of Ireland in Washington, D.C., and Culture Ireland for providing essential support and guidance for the festival. Join us to celebrate and imagine Eire!
Alicia Adams Vice President, International Programming and Dance Festival Curator 5
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FIONA SHAW ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE
Fiona Shaw, one of the most acclaimed Irish actors and directors of our time, will be the festival’s Artist-in-Residence. The Tony Award® nominee and two-time Olivier Award® winner—who is also an Officier des Artes et des Lettres and an honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)—has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Barbican Theatre, Old Vic Theatre, National Theatre, and many other renowned international venues. Her prolific and decorated stage career ranges from Electra, Medea, and Mother Courage to As You Like It and The Good Person of Sichuan, while her many well-known TV and film roles include My Left Foot , HBO’s True Blood, and the Harry Potter series. She is also an accomplished opera director, working in venues like the English National Opera and The Metropolitan Opera. For IRELAND 100, Fiona Shaw will direct and host the festival’s Opening Performance (see page 9), offer a masterclass, premiere her performance entitled Blowing the Heart Open, and lead a lively discussion on Shakespeare with special guests.
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FIONA SHAW ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE U.S. premiere
Blowing the Heart Open
MAY 31 AT 7 P.M. Terrace Theater //// Tickets $29 Join famed Tony Award®-nominated and two-time Olivier Award-winning
actor and director Fiona Shaw—also the IRELAND 100 festival's Artist-in-
Residence—for an intimate evening of performance showcasing the texts of W.B. Yeats and Emily Dickinson with guest musician Liz Knowles.
A note from Fiona Shaw on the
performance:
“Ireland’s William Butler Yeats
wore his heart on his sleeve, his
poems, and in his voice; he was an
ebullient monolith of a public man.
And there across the Atlantic—
coming to the end of her short life
in America as Yeats grew into his—
was Emily Dickinson, a creature of
Includes a free Explore the Arts post-performance discussion.
private fragment.
Imagining a Future—Shakespeare A Conversation with Fiona Shaw
great beacons of emotional
"Our two countries gave us these
JUNE 3 AT 7:30 P.M. Eisenhower Theater //// Tickets starting at $15
100 festival with a hand across
the water. In this evening, you
be joined by several special guests, including MacArthur “Genius Grant”–
from Dickinson and Yeats: one
winning choreographer Elizabeth Streb and Chicago-based hip hop artists the Q Brothers, along with musicians from the Folger Consort: Robert
Eisenstein (violin), Daniel Meyers (winds/percussion), and Brian Kay (lute).
Masterclass with Fiona Shaw JUNE 4 AT 12 P.M.
FIONA SHAW
unnamable. I thought it would
be one way to mark the IRELAND
Four hundred years after William Shakespeare’s death, Fiona Shaw will lead an exciting conversation about the Bard’s works and global legacy. She will
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truth devoted to the part of us
that needs a world to name the
Eisenhower Rehearsal Room //// Tickets $15 Get an intimate look at the artistic process as Fiona Shaw works with Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) students from The Shakespeare Theatre
Company’s Academy for Classical Acting at The George Washington
University. The students will perform prepared monologues for Shaw to critique as they continue to hone their craft. Please note: this session
takes place in a studio and is open to a limited number of observers.
will hear complementary sounds
short and minimal; the other
extravagant and loquacious.
"Two poets circling the heart and
blowing it open…”
OPENING EVENT Festival Opening Performance
MAY 17 AT 8 P.M. Concert Hall //// Tickets starting at $15 In celebration of the opening of IRELAND 100: Celebrating a Century of Irish Arts & Culture, a performance directed and hosted by Fiona Shaw will feature leading performers from Ireland and the United States. Celebrating the upcoming generation, this concert reveals the talent, soul, and enthusiasm of the Irish—showcasing a small slice of what the new Ireland has to offer. The performance will feature choreographer and dancer Colin Dunne, soprano Tara Erraught, tenor Anthony Kearns, fiddler Liz Knowles, actor Louis Lovett, pianist Barry Douglas, and a trio of uilleann pipers from Na Píobairí Uilleann (NPU), and sean-nós singer Iarla Ó Lionáird, along with the National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of leading Irish conductor David Brophy. Before the performance, patrons may also explore the festival's free installations around the Center (see pages 30–33) and visit the Outdoor Green Space (see pages 38–41). A note from director Fiona Shaw:
“Ireland is a green jewel perched in the Atlantic, looking both east and west and always seeking connection with the richness of Europe and the optimism of America. "We have been visited by many since 400 AD, welcomed travelers, scholars, saints, musicians, and languages. Colonised but not in our hearts conquered, we still are in touch with our Celtic selves. This concert reflects and celebrates the new country that is emerging with great confidence 100 years after it began to rattle its Empire shackles for the last time. A country both young and old. In history and poetry, ancient and rooted. In free aspiration, an infant, but often exiled—more of us live on other shores than on the island itself—we all know how to entertain visitors and understand home. "Our performers are part of the new rigour that has come with the confidence of our first century birthday. Performers who have mastered technique and mapped their native souls onto the work. It is with great pride we offer you this taste of what will be shown later in the festival with more depth. Here you can sit back and get the flavour, and I hope feel the sea always licking our doorsteps, crashing onto our rocks, and reminding us of the drama in loss, love, literature, and life!”
Guest conductor of the NSO David Brophy
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THEATER 10
Lloyd Cooney (Lieut. Langon) in The Plough and the Stars Photo by Ros Kavanagh
THEATER Abbey Theatre
Pan Pan Theatre All That Fall
U.S. premiere
The Plough and the Stars
Written by Samuel Beckett
Written by Seán O’Casey
Directed by Gavin Quinn
Directed by Sean Holmes
MAY 19 & 20 AT 7:30 P.M.
MAY 18 & 19 AT 7:30 P.M. Eisenhower Theater //// Tickets starting at $29
MAY 21 AT 1:30, 4 & 7:30 P.M. Terrace Gallery //// Tickets $29 Photo by Ros Kavanagh
“Actors are [the] stars of a Plough recast with
modern twists, rock music, and more laughs.” —The Irish Mail
The Plough and the Stars was first performed at
the Abbey Theatre in 1926. Now regarded as a
masterpiece, it is one of the plays most closely
associated with the Abbey Theatre. Set amid the
tumult of the 1916 Rising, The Plough and the Stars is
the story of ordinary lives ripped apart in the idealism of the time. The residents of a Dublin tenement shelter from the violence that sweeps through
the city’s streets. A revolution that will shape the
country’s future rages around them. What kind of Ireland awaits them?
The Abbey Theatre was founded as Ireland’s national theater by W.B Yeats and Lady Augusta Gregory in
1904 “to bring upon the stage the deeper emotions of Ireland.” Today, the Abbey produces an annual
program of diverse, engaging, innovative Irish and international theater and invests in and promotes new Irish writers and artists. In 2016, the Abbey
Theatre presents its 57th production of this rich play. You are invited to see this play afresh in a bold new production directed by Olivier Award® winner Sean
in London.
Produced by the Abbey Theatre in association with Cusack
Projects Limited.
that can be experienced as a black comedy, a murder mystery, a cryptic literary riddle, or a quasi-musical score. Seated in rocking chairs, audiences are
immersed into an atmospheric chamber of multiple speakers and ambient lights, experiencing Samuel
Beckett’s first radio play as he intended. Directed by
Gavin Quinn, Pan Pan Theatre’s production of All That
Fall won the 2011 Irish Times Theatre Awards for Best
Sound Design and Best Lighting Design as well as the Herald Angel Award at the Edinburgh International Festival 2013.
Pan Pan was established by co-artistic directors
Aedín Cosgrove and Gavin Quinn, and is committed to presenting their innovative and challenging
performances nationally and internationally, touring with great acclaim in Ireland, UK, Europe, USA,
Canada, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and China. Recommended for ages 16 and up.
No late seating. No re-entry. No intermission.
THEATER
Holmes, Artistic Director of the Lyric Hammersmith
All That Fall is a multi-layered composition of voices
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Theatre Lovett The Girl Who Forgot to Sing Badly Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer Directed by Lynne Parker
Olwen Fouéré riverrun
The voice of the river in James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake
MAY 20 AT 7 P.M.
Adapted, directed, and performed by Olwen Fouéré
Family Theater //// Tickets $20
Family Theater //// Tickets $29
Performed by Louis Lovett
Louis Lovett Photo by Pat Redmond
MAY 21 & 22 AT 1:30 & 4 P.M.
MAY 25 & 26 AT 7 P.M.
“For true astonishment, originality, and a touch of genius”
— London’s The Guardian Photo by Colm Hogan
Sometimes it takes a girl-sized human to solve an adult-sized problem. Peggy O’Hegarty and her parents are packers. They squeeze fruit into tins, foxes into boxes, even bikes into brown paper bags. And all the while Peggy sings with the voice of an angel—a grossly unfortunate angel, who can’t sing at all. But one day work stops working, and the jobs stop coming, and Peggy steps outside to find that winter has arrived… and everyone in her city gone! Ingenious performer Louis Lovett—one of Ireland’s most experienced and critically acclaimed actors for young audiences—leads an untamed adventure that crosses snowy lands and wild seas. As Peggy desperately tries to save the day, we learn about love, loss, the reassurance of goats, and the courage to sing gloriously on or off-key. Directed by celebrated Irish director Lynne Parker, recipient of
THEATER
the Irish Times Special Tribute Award 2009 for her
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contribution to Irish theater, The Girl Who Forgot to
Sing Badly is written by Finegan Kruckemeyer, one
of the most exciting new voices in children’s theatre today. This production was originally produced by The Ark in association with Theatre Lovett. Most enjoyed by ages 7 and up.
Presented in collaboration with Kennedy Center Theater for
Young Audiences.
“Soft morning, city! Lsp! I am leafy speafing. Lpf! Folty and folty all the nights have being falling on to long my hair. Not a sound, falling…”
Olwen Fouéré, one of Ireland’s leading theatermakers, performs her internationally acclaimed adaptation of the voice of the river in James Joyce’s
Finnegans Wake. A force of constant renewal, the
river Life (Liffey/Anna Livia Plurabelle) generates a powerful transformative energy as she dissolves into the great ocean of time. Fouéré’s unique approach to Joyce’s extraordinary “sound-dance” becomes a universal call to wake up, surrender the past, and confront the betrayals that might lie at the heart of our histories. A multi award-winning production,
riverrun premiered in Ireland in 2013 to international
acclaim, followed by sold out presentations at the
National Theatre London, Edinburgh Festival Fringe (Herald Archangel Award), BAM Next Wave, Adelaide Festival, and Sydney Theatre Company. May 25 includes a free Explore the Arts postperformance discussion. No late seating. No re-entry. No intermission.
Produced by The Emergency Room and Galway International
Arts Festival in association with Cusack Projects Limited.
Mary Murray and Sorcha Fox, Tiny Plays for Ireland and America Photo by Pat Redmond
Camerata Ireland with the Camerata Ireland with Harmony Camerata Ireland with
U.S. debut
Fishamble: The New Play Company Tiny Plays for Ireland and America Directed by Jim Culleton
MAY 24 & 25 AT 7:30 P.M. Terrace Gallery //// Tickets $25 Fishamble is an award-winning, internationally acclaimed Irish theater company dedicated to the discovery, development, and production of new work. Fishamble is committed to touring throughout Ireland and internationally and typically presents over 200 performances of its plays in approximately
States. Prior to the festival, the Kennedy Center hosted an open playwriting submission process to select six representative new tiny plays. People of all ages, from all across the United States, were encouraged to write an original play inspired by President Kennedy’s life and legacy, celebrating the
60 venues per year.
resilience and power of the human spirit.
In 2011, Fishamble invited the citizens of Ireland to
Both performances include a free Explore the Arts
submit tiny plays capturing the challenges and joys of contemporary life. Over 1,700 plays were submitted to the company, and Fishamble produced 50 of them to great audience and critical acclaim. Fishamble now brings 20 of these plays to the
post-performance discussion. Recommended for ages 14 and up.
Part of the John F. Kennedy Centennial Celebration.
Presented in Washington and New York in collaboration with
the Irish Arts Center.
glimpses of contemporary Ireland as seen through a range of perspectives and is directed by Fishamble’s artistic director, Jim Culleton. It includes plays by international best-selling novelist Maeve Binchy, National Book Award winner Colum McCann, and writers Pauline McLynn and Joseph O’Connor. Alongside the 20 tiny plays from Ireland, Fishamble will present six brand new tiny plays from the United
Also check out:
The John F. Kennedy Centennial Celebration, pages 20-23
A Girl’s Bedroom performance installation,
page 32
THEATER
Kennedy Center. This presentation offers vivid
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MUSIC
William Close The Earth Harp
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MUSIC
Camille O’Sullivan
Camerata Ireland with Harmony North Choir and Codetta
Camille O’Sullivan
MAY 21 AT 7:30 P.M.
MAY 22 AT 7 P.M.
Barry Douglas, Artistic Director
Eisenhower Theater //// Tickets starting at $15 Renowned chamber orchestra Camerata Ireland showcases the varied repertoire the orchestra has explored since its founding 15 years ago by Barry Douglas. Camerata Ireland will be joined
D.C. premiere
Changeling
Terrace Theater //// Tickets $29
“When she sings, it’s as though her breath is soaked in paraffin—one spark, and the whole room would ignite.” —London’s Daily Telegraph
by Harmony North Choir, made up of students from across Northern Belfast, and Codetta, the acclaimed chamber choir from Derry. These groups join together as part of a music-based project to promote unity and peace in 2016. Includes a free Explore the Arts post-performance discussion.
Camille O’Sullivan is a vocalist, actress, and musician. Born in London of a French mother and Irish father, Camille moved to Cork, Ireland, when she was a child. She studied Fine Art Painting for a year and then earned a degree in Architecture, winning the prestigious Architectural Association of Ireland Award in 2000. Camille has a respected international reputation for her interpretations of the songs of Jacques Brel, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, and productions. Camille has toured extensively throughout Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
Camerata Ireland
Presented in collaboration with the Irish Arts Center.
MUSIC
Kurt Weill. She has also acted in films and theatrical
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Alarm Will Sound, Photo by Justin Bernhaut
Tara Erraught and Anthony Kearns in Concert
Alarm Will Sound
Terrace Theater //// Tickets $29
Composed by Donnacha Dennehy
MAY 23 AT 7 P.M.
Enjoy a soaring concert featuring two world-class
East Coast premiere
The Hunger
JUNE 1 AT 7 P.M.
opera singers: mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught, fresh
Terrace Theater //// Tickets $29
tenor Anthony Kearns, a member of the famed Irish
“One of the most vital and original ensembles on the American music scene”
from Washington National Opera’s Cinderella, and
Tenors. Opera News calls Erraught “a bright star in her guild” with “some of the cleanest coloratura in the game,” while the Irish Times says Kearns has
“real vocal appeal… rising to each decisive moment with quality to spare.” The performance will feature pianists Deirdre Brenner and Jonathan Laird.
—The New York Times The Hunger is a new opera composed by Ireland’s
famed composer Donnacha Dennehy, performed
by the New York-based ensemble Alarm Will Sound,
and featuring sean nós singer Iarla Ó Lionáird. Alarm
Will Sound is a 20-member ensemble dedicated Photo by Dario Acosta
to the creation, performance, and recording of
today’s music. The Hunger uses historical material and contemporary documentary material to give a
unique perspective on the Great Famine as well as the ongoing issues concerning famine in the present day. The principal text is Asenath Nicholson’s Annals of
the Famine in Ireland that recounts in vivid detail the unfolding famine she directly experienced.
Erraught
Kearns
Includes a free Explore the Arts post-performance discussion.
MUSIC
Performed in English and Gaelic.
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No intermission.
D.C. debut
The Gloaming
JUNE 4 AT 7:30 P.M. Eisenhower Theater //// Tickets starting at $25
William Close & The Earth Harp Collective The Earth Harp-Celtic JUNE 5 AT 7:30 P.M.
The Gloaming is comprised of Iarla Ó Lionáird
Eisenhower Theater | Tickets starting at $15
(vocals), Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman; piano),
William Close & The Earth Harp Collective perform
Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh (hardanger), Martin Hayes (violin/fiddle), and Dennis Cahill (guitar). They are a group of virtuosic musicians each with highly successful individual careers. Even before The Gloaming released their debut album in 2014, the
Irish Times hailed them as “one of the great forces in Irish music.” The group has quickly become one
of the world’s most renowned live acts, performing to packed houses at the Barbican in London, Sydney Opera House in Australia, Mexico City’s Teatro de al Ciudad, New York’s Lincoln Center, and WOMAD festivals worldwide, as well as selling out multiple concerts at home from Dublin’s National Concert Hall to the Cork Opera House. Their self-titled debut recording received high acclaim, winning Ireland’s Mercury Choice Music Prize for Album of The Year,
the U.S. premiere of The Earth Harp-Celtic , a
dynamic concert with conventional instruments as well as unique and elaborate instruments
created by Close, a finalist on TV’s America’s Got
Talent . The performance includes Irish repertoire
performed in new ways and incorporates traditional Irish instruments, bridging cultures and blending the traditional with the cutting-edge. For more information on William Close and his Earth Harp installation, see page 31.
Also check out FREE music performances:
On the Millennium Stage, pages 34–37 In the Outdoor Green Space, pages 38–41
Britain’s BBC Radio 2 Folk Award and making year-end best-of lists in America (NPR Music) and the UK (Mojo Magazine), as well as an “Album of the Year” title
from the Irish Times. The Gloaming’s follow up LP was
recorded at Real World Studios in Wiltshire and was released on February 26, 2016. Performed in English and Gaelic. No Intermission.
The Gloaming Photo by Rich Giligan
MUSIC
U.S. premiere
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DANCE
Colin Dunne Out of Time Photo by Maurice Gunning
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DANCE
Jean Butler and Neil Martin
D.C. premiere
this is an Irish dance
Choreographed by Jean Butler
Colin Dunne Out of Time
Composed by Neil Martin
Created and performed by Colin Dunne Directed by Sineád Rushe MAY 20 & 21 AT 7 P.M. Terrace Theater //// Tickets $39
MAY 26 & 27 AT 7 P.M.
Terrace Theater //// Tickets $39 “Her stamina is as extraordinary as her memory… Not for a moment does she seem to shirk the movement. She’s stingingly clear.” —The New York Times
“An unprecedented achievement: an Irish dance performance of emotional and intellectual complexity, about many things”
—The New York Times
Out of Time is a solo piece created and performed by the internationally celebrated Irish step dancer Colin Dunne and directed by Sineád Rushe. In Out of Time, Dunne integrates movement, film, and spoken commentary to create a provocative dialogue between his past and present. His percussive footwork is digitally processed live to create layers of sound which accompany projected archival film images of traditional dancers from the 1930s onwards, including himself as a 10-year-old boy. Intimate and playful, the show is both an unsentimental homage to Irish step dance and a bold investigation of Dunne’s personal and artistic relationship with the tradition that has shaped his life. Out of Time was nominated for a 2009 UK Critics Circle National Dance Award for Best Male Dancer and a 2010 Laurence Olivier Award for outstanding achievement in dance. Best known for his performances and choreography in Riverdance, Colin Dunne is a leading figure in the world of traditional Irish dance, and has made the cross over into contemporary dance and theater.
Presented in collaboration with the Irish Arts Center.
Jean Butler is a New York City-based choreographer and performer. Best known as a practitioner of Irish Dance, Butler originated the female principal roles and co-choreographed Riverdance The Show and Dancing on Dangerous Ground. Belfast-born composer Neil Martin is a cellist and an Uilleann Piper and was encouraged to play both traditional and classical music from an early age. His work spans dance, film, theatre, television, choral, symphonic, and chamber works. A Music and Celtic Studies graduate of Queen’s University, Belfast, Neil has since enjoyed a varied and rewarding career that encompasses composition, performance, and production. May 26 includes a free Explore the Arts postperformance discussion. No Intermission. Co-commissioned and co-produced by Irish Arts Center, Danspace Project, and Project Arts Centre.
Also check out FREE dance performances: On the Millennium Stage, pages 34–37 In the Outdoor Green Space, pages 38–41
DANCE
May 20 includes a free Explore the Arts postperformance discussion.
Choreographed by dancer Jean Butler and composed by cellist Neil Martin, this full-length duet explores the choreographer’s intimate physical relationships with music—its rhythms and arcs, its undulations and palette. The movement and music, created simultaneously in the piece’s development, raise questions about who is leading and who is following, thereby intensifying, and underlining the connection and interplay between dancer and musician.
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P20-22 All photos courtesy of The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
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The Kennedy Center is America’s national cultural center as well as a living memorial to President Kennedy, the most well-known Irish American President and the first sitting American President to visit Ireland. The IRELAND 100 festival is celebrating President Kennedy’s centennial with several programs. President Kennedy in Ireland: Irish Film Institute Screenings
A program from the IFI Irish Film Archive May 28 at 4 p.m.
Family Theater //// Tickets $10 President John F. Kennedy’s visit to Ireland in the summer of 1963 was widely seen in Ireland as one of the defining moments in modern Irish history. A state less than 50 years old at the time, Ireland welcomed the President like a native son, and as a symbol of the hopes and aspirations of a new era. The screenings will be presented by Dr. Harvey O’Brien, UCD, Member of the Irish Film Institute Board of Directors, and author of “The Real Ireland: The Evolution of Ireland in Documentary Film.”
Amharc Eireann Newsreel is a short Irishlanguage newsreel that screened in Irish cinemas in 1963, following that summer’s visit of President Kennedy to Ireland. (1963/B&W/3.4 mins) The Columban Fathers Present President Kennedy in Ireland is a contemporaneous film celebrating the visit and the links between Irish and U.S. culture. (1963/Color/28 mins) John F. Kennedy in the Island of Dreams is a 30thanniversary film relating the visit to the dream of modern Ireland and its reality at a moment when Ireland has truly begun to make an impact on the world stage. (1993/Color/40 mins) Dr. Harvey O'Brien is a lecturer in Film Studies at University College Dublin. He has published on topics including Irish Studies, history and the media, horror, science fiction, and documentary film. He is the author of The Real Ireland: The Evolution of Ireland in Documentary Film (2004) and co-editor of Keeping
it Real: Irish Film and Television (2004). Dr. O’Brien has presented and published a paper examining President John F. Kennedy’s visit to Ireland in 1963, being consulted by the U.S. Embassy in Dublin regarding the commemoration of the visit in 2013. His paper, titled 'We are proud of you': Screening Kennedy in Ireland, was published in Ruth Barton’s edited volume Screening Irish America (2009). He is the author of Action Movies: The Cinema of Striking Back (Columbia, 2012). IFI International is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland
and Culture Ireland.
JFKC: A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF JOHN F. KENNEDY
JFKC: A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF JOHN F. KENNEDY
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JFKC: A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF JOHN F. KENNEDY 22
Pablo Casals at the White House
Celebrating the Past to Awaken the Future
Dessie, Kendall Dennis, Alijah Haggins, Peyton
May 29 at 6 p.m.
with percussionist Mohamad Eldebek; jazz pianist
Lee, Olivia Wymnbs, Camora McGee, and Ava
A special Millennium Stage event
Bokleberg; composer and oud player Hadi Eldebek
Front Plaza //// FREE
José André Montaño; the Sphinx Quartet comprised
For centuries, America has shaped and continues to shape its culture every day, through every generation—in dance, music, theater, literature, visual arts, science, and technology. May 29, President Kennedy’s birthday, will be more than a celebration of the past. It will not only remind us of the lived experience from all different segments of American society that strengthened our culture; it will also, through intergenerational participation, enlighten the future of the next generation of artists. The program will include the following accomplished and emerging artists, innovators, and civic leaders: composer and pianist Jason Moran; multimedia artist Laurie Anderson; choreographer Debbie Allen and the Debbie Allen Dance Academy Ensemble featuring Vivian Nichole Nixon, Kris Nobles, and Perris McCracken plus Redbirds featuring Jaylyn Flowers, Sydney Guine, Destiny Wimpye, Hanna
of Brendon Elliott, Hannah White, Mira Williams, and Sterling Elliott; and the Children’s Chorus of Washington. Guest speakers will include Dr. Buzz Aldrin, astronaut; Carrie Hessler-Radelet, Director of the Peace Corps; Maria Keller, creator of
Read Indeed, an organization dedicated to collecting
and distributing books to children in need; H.E. Anne Anderson, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States; Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter; and Kennedy Center Chairman David Rubenstein. The evening will conclude with the unveiling of a special Water Garden installation created by ATOPIA Innovation for the Center’s Centennial Celebration of President Kennedy.
Support for the John F. Kennedy Centennial Celebration is provided by
Also check out:
Tiny Plays for Ireland and America, page 13
Buzz Aldrin, Courtesy of NASA
Maria Keller, Read Indeed
Carrie Hessler-Radelet, Director of the Peace Corps
JFKC: A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF JOHN F. KENNEDY
Sterling Elliott, Sphinx Quartet
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The excellence and vitality of Irish literature is well known and regarded across the globe, with Ireland home to some of the world’s greatest authors, playwrights, and poets. The literature series, devised by Maureen Kennelly of Poetry Ireland and Paul Muldoon, takes place during the final week of the festival and offers a well-rounded set of four panels (free tickets required) featuring more than 20 writers and musicians, as well as the special literature and music event Muldoon’s Picnic.
LITERATURE
The Literature series is presented in collaboration with Poetry Ireland with the support of Malin Corporation plc.
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LITERATURE Free Panels
For the following four events in the Family Theater, FREE general admission tickets will be distributed approximately 30 minutes prior to each event in the Family Theater lobby area, 2 tickets per person in line.
Colm Tóibín and Eavan Boland in Conversation JUNE 1 AT 7:30 P.M. Family Theater
Join two of Ireland’s finest writers as they read from and discuss their most recent work. Colm Tóibín is the author of many acclaimed novels, the latest being Nora Webster. The 2015 film adaptation of his awardwinning novel Brooklyn was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Film. Eavan Boland is a Professor of Humanities and Director of the Creative Writing Programme at Stanford University. Her numerous collections include The War Horse, Night Feed, Domestic Violence, and A Woman Without A Country.
Tóibín
Eavan Boland was born in Dublin in 1944. She has received countless prestigious awards for her numerous poetry collections, including her most recent release A Woman Without a Country (2014). In addition to her poetry, Boland has authored and edited various essay collections and anthologies, including The Making of a Poem: A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms co-edited with Mark Strand. She is a regular reviewer for the Irish Times , and currently directs the creative writing program at Stanford University.
JUNE 2 AT 7:30 P.M. Family Theater
Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill and Louis de Paor are considered two of the foremost poets writing in the Irish language today. They will be joined by award-winning piper Ronan Browne and traditional singer Iarla Ó Lionáird (of The Gloaming). Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill grew up in the
Irish-speaking areas of West Kerry and in Tipperary. She studied English and Irish at University College, Cork and was involved with the literary magazine Innti . She has published numerous collections in Irish with Ní Dhomhnaill translations into English by acclaimed writers including Paul Muldoon, Medbh McGuckian, and Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin. She is a member of Aosdána and was Ireland Professor of Poetry (2001–2004) and the first Professor of Irish (language) Poetry.
Ó Lionáird
de Paor
Browne
Iarla Ó Lionáird has carved an exceptional career in music in Ireland and internationally. He has performed and recorded with such luminaries as Peter Gabriel, Robert Plant, Nick Cave, and Sinead O’Connor. His unique singing style has carried him from New York’s Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House and beyond. His film credits extend from Gangs of New York to Hotel Rwanda and most recently Calvary starring Brendan Gleeson. He is the vocalist with the critically acclaimed band The Gloaming. A multi-time winner of the Oireachtas prize for the best collection of poems in Irish, Louis de Paor has been involved with the contemporary renaissance of poetry in Irish since 1980. His 2010 bilingual volume agus rud eile de/and another thing includes artwork by Kathleen Furey and a recording of poems with musical settings by Ronan Browne. He is editor of Leabhar na hathghabhála/Poems of repossession (Bloodaxe 2016), a bilingual anthology of 20 th-century poetry in Irish to mark the 1916 centenary. Born and bred in Dublin, Ronan Browne spent ten years in the Glen of Imaal in Wicklow before settling in Spiddal. Ronan straddles pure traditional music and the modern electronic world, his work ranging from solo projects and celebrated duets, including a collaboration with poet Louis de Paor, to music for film and television. His music can be widely heard in films, including The Secret of Roan Inis, Rob Roy, and Gangs of New York.
LITERATURE
Boland
Colm Tóibín was born in Enniscorthy in 1955. His novels The Blackwater Lightship, The Master, and The Testament of Mary were shortlisted for the Booker Prize, while Brooklyn was awarded the Costa Prize and adapted into the Oscar ® -nominated film. His plays include Beauty in a Broken Place and The Testament of Mary (the Broadway production of which was nominated for a Tony Award ®). His most recent novel Nora Webster received the Hawthornden Literature Prize.
An Evening with Ireland’s Foremost Irish Language Artists
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Colum McCann in Conversation with Ron Charles JUNE 3 AT 6:30 P.M. Family Theater
National Book Award-winning writer Colum McCann will read from his novels This Side of Brightness and TransAtlantic, and from his recent collection of stories Thirteen Ways of Looking. He will be interviewed by Ron Charles, editor of the Washington Post ’s “Book World.”
McCann
Colum McCann is the author of six novels and three short story collections. Born in Dublin, he has received many international honours, including the National Book Award, the International Dublin Impac Prize, and an Oscar ® nomination. His most recent collection Thirteen Ways of Looking received a Pushcart Prize and selection in the Best American Short Stories of 2015. He is the co-founder of the non-profit global story exchange organization Narrative 4 and he teaches at Hunter College.
An Afternoon with Ireland’s Laureates JUNE 4 AT 1:30 P.M. Family Theater
Anne Enright is Ireland’s first Laureate for Fiction and is particularly acclaimed for her bestselling novels The Green Road and The Gathering, the latter of which won the Booker Prize in 2007. Award-winning poet Paula Meehan, an artist especially renowned for her visceral readings, is currently serving as Ireland’s current Professor of Poetry. Siobhán Parkinson is Ireland’s first Laureate for Children’s Literature.
Enright
Ron Charles is the editor of Book World in The Washington Post .
Charles
Meehan
LITERATURE
Parkinson
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Anne Enright was born in Dublin in 1962. She studied English and Philosophy at Trinity College, Dublin, and received an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Her short stories have appeared in The New Yorker, Granta, and The Paris Review, and she won the 2004 Davy Byrnes Irish Writing Award. Her first collection The Portable Virgin won the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature in 1991. Her 2007 novel The Gathering was awarded the Booker Prize. Poet and playwright Paula Meehan was born and reared in north inner city Dublin. She studied at Trinity College, Dublin, and at Eastern Washington University. She has published six acclaimed collections of poetry, the most recent being 2009’s Painting Rain , as well as several plays for adults and children. Selections of her poetry have been published in French, German, Galician, Japanese, Estonian, Greek, and Irish. She is currently Ireland’s Professor of Poetry. Siobhán Parkinson is best known as a writer for children and teenagers (though she has also written for adults) and she has received national and international awards for her books. Her work has been translated into several languages. She served as Ireland’s first children’s laureate (Laureate na nÓg) 2010–12.
Muldoon’s Picnic
JUNE 5 AT 1:30 P.M. Terrace Theater //// Tickets $15
After four sold-out seasons at the Irish Arts Center in New York, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Irish poet and New Yorker Poetry Editor Paul Muldoon comes to Washington with his house band Rogue Oliphant and a stunning lineup of musicians and writers including Kevin Barry, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Alice McDermott, and Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill.
Muldoon
Barry
Paul Muldoon was born in 1951 in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, and educated at the Queen’s University of Belfast. He is the author of twelve collections of poetry including Moy Sand and Gravel , which was awarded the 2003 Pulitzer Prize. He was described by The Times Literary Supplement as “the most significant English-language poet born since the Second World War.” Poetry Editor of The New Yorker, he lives in New York and teaches at Princeton University. Kevin Barry is the author of the novels Beatlebone and City Of Bohane and the story collections Dark Lies The Island and There Are Little Kingdoms . His awards include the IMPAC Dublin City Literary Award, the Sunday Times EFG Short Story Prize and the European Union Prize for Literature. His stories have appeared in the New Yorker, Granta , the Stinging Fly, and many other journals. He lives in County Sligo.
Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill grew up in the Irishspeaking areas of West Kerry and in Tipperary. She studied English and Irish at University College, Cork and was involved with the literary magazine Innti . She has published numerous collections in Irish with Ní Dhomhnaill translations into English by acclaimed writers including Paul Muldoon, Medbh McGuckian and Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin. She is a member of Aosdána and was Ireland Professor of Poetry (2001–2004) and the first Professor of Irish (language) Poetry.
McDermott
Mac Con Iomaire
Alice McDermott’s seventh novel, Someone, was a New York Times bestseller, a finalist for the Dublin IMPAC Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Patterson Prize for Fiction, and long-listed for the National Book Award. Three of her previous novels were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. Her stories and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The New Yorker. She currently lives in Maryland, where she is a professor at Johns Hopkins University. Violinist Colm Mac Con Iomaire is characterized by a unique voice, impressive technical mastery, and exquisitely expressive playing. Colm has performed at summer festivals across Ireland and the UK, and to sell-out shows and standing ovations in NYC, Melbourne, and London. His new album And Now the Weather was shortlisted for the Choice Music Prize and described by The Irish Times as “a consistently beautiful and frequently incandescent collection.”
LITERATURE 27
CULINARY ARTS
Guinness Brewery Ambassador Dan Fontaine
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CULINARY ARTS IRELAND 100 welcomes award-winning chef and restauranteur Cathal Armstrong (Restaurant Eve, Eamonn’s, PX, The Majestic, Virtue, Society Fair). Nominated three years in a row for Best Mid-Atlantic Chef by the James Beard Foundation, one of Food & Wine magazine’s “10 Best New Chefs 2006” and “50 Hall of Fame Best New Chefs,” and Best Chef Award Winner by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington DC, Chef Armstrong will consult on the food for the festival’s Opening Night dinner, as well as present a Free Culinary Demonstration on the Millennium Stage (see page 36). Additionally, the Kennedy Center’s KC Café and Roof Terrace Restaurant & Bar will feature Irish cuisine along with standard menu items throughout the festival. Plus, you won’t want to miss these special tasting events:
Whiskey Tasting
Beer & Cheese Tasting
Join Tullamore D.E.W. US Ambassador Tim Herlihy for an exploration of Irish whiskey. Born and raised in Ireland, Tim has travelled to numerous distilleries across Ireland, Scotland, the U.S., and beyond, studying firsthand the history of whiskey and the entire production process from malting to maturation. In 2015, he was announced as Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky: Best Irish Whiskey Ambassador. A cheese pairing will be offered alongside the whiskey by Ciara Maddock of Kerrygold.
Leading the Beer and Cheese Tasting event will be Guinness Brewery Ambassador Dan Fontaine. As a Cicerone Certified Beer Server, Dan has led beer tasting events, taught classes on beer styles, consulted on draft and bottle lists for bars and restaurants, won multiple medals for home-brewing, and founded Atlanta Beer Tours. Dan will be discussing the expanding role that beer plays in America’s culinary environment and the basics of pairing beer with food, along with the history and future of the Guinness Brewery. The beers from Guinness will be offered with cheese pairings by Ciara Maddock of Kerrygold.
Hosted by Tullamore DEW Irish Whiskey and Kerrygold Cheese MAY 26 AT 7:30 P.M. South Opera Tier Lounge //// Tickets $49
Patrons must be at least 21 years old to attend. Please bring a valid photo ID to enter the event. Presented in collaboration with Bord Bia—Irish Food Board
Hosted by Diageo-Guinness USA and Kerrygold Cheese MAY 31 AT 7:30 P.M. South Opera Tier Lounge //// Tickets $49
Tullamore D.E.W. US Ambassador Tim Herlihy
CULINARY ARTS
Patrons must be at least 21 years old to attend. Please bring a valid photo ID to enter the event. Presented in collaboration with Bord Bia—Irish Food Board.
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INSTALLATIONS
The Ogham Wall Photo by Michael Paul
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INSTALLATIONS
The following three installations are free, no tickets required. They are open throughout the duration of the festival from building open to close. The Earth Harp
An installation by William Close MAY 17–JUNE 5
Hall of States //// FREE
See the festival calendar on pages 42-44 for daily performance times of Earth Harp interludes. William Close is an installation artist and musician who has developed over 100 new types of musical instruments. He is the inventor of the majestic stringed instrument The Earth Harp, the world’s largest stringed instrument. Close’s work explores the connection between architecture and music-taking inspiration from the Frank Lloyd Wright quote “architecture is frozen music,” he creates musical installations that use the architecture as part of the instrument. William studied sculpture and sound design at the Art Institute of Chicago. His installations and performances have been experienced by audiences throughout the world, stretching to the top of the Seattle Space Needle, the Famous Grand Theater of Macau, The Coliseum in Rome, and been played from Hong Kong and India to the Lincoln Center. He also holds the Guinness Book of World Records Record for the World’s Longest Playable Stringed Musical Instrument. For IRELAND 100, Close will create a special Earth Harp to fill the Hall of States. Visitors will be able to view this stunning installation, as well as hear it played during daily short performances.
The O’Brien Collection MAY 17–JUNE 5
Hall of States //// FREE
Throughout the IRELAND 100 festival, visitors will be able to view a portable harp created by famed Irish harp-maker John Egan. The harp on view dates back to 1820, and is on loan from The O’Brien Collection.
Commissioned by Irish Design 2015 in partnership with the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) MAY 17–JUNE 5
Hall of Nations //// FREE This large-scale installation was created by Stirling Prize nominee Grafton Architects and concrete experts Graphic Relief in response to the ID2015 theme “Liminal—Irish design at the threshold.” Inspired by the Irish Ogham alphabet, which dates back to the 4th century, this installation interprets the ancient language into large concrete “fins.” Featuring 10 of the original 23 fins, each relates to a letter in the Ogham alphabet, and each letter symbolizes a native Irish tree. Constructed from concrete mixes containing metals that reflect patterns and textures of various tree barks, the installation invites visitors to engage with the tactile surfaces and immerse themselves in the ancient language. The Ogham Wall was commissioned by Irish Design 2015 as a landmark project for the London Design Festival in partnership with the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A). The Ogham Wall is presented in collaboration with Irish Design 2015, Design & Crafts Council of Ireland, and Culture Ireland.
John Egan, Portable Harp, c1820 The O’Brien Collection
INSTALLATIONS
John Egan, Portable Harp, c 1820
Installation by Grafton Architects and Graphic Relief
Photo by Jamie Stuckenberg
Egan Harp
The Ogham Wall
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Performance installations U.S. premiere
A Girl’s Bedroom
A performance installation written and directed by Enda Walsh
Featuring the voice of Charlie Murphy Design by Paul Fahy
May 28 & 29 //// May 31–June 4 Terrace Gallery
FREE, timed-entry tickets required*
See the festival calendar on pages 42-44 for performance times. At the age of six, a girl leaves her bedroom and family home and walks. She never stops. Until now. Tony Award® winning director Enda Walsh presents his absorbing text A Girl’s Bedroom in an immersive theatrical installation featuring the voice of Charlie Murphy, award-winning Irish television, stage, and film actress. A Girl’s Bedroom is the second in a series of theatrical installations created by Enda Walsh in collaboration with the Galway International Arts Festival. The installation will be presented three times per hour for an audience of five people at a time. Performed in English.
INSTALLATIONS
Recommended for ages 14 and up. No late entry. No re-entry.
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Enda Walsh is a multi-award-winning Irish playwright. His work has been translated into over 20 languages and has been performed internationally since 1998. His recent plays include Ballyturk, Room 303, Misterman, several plays for Druid Theatre Company, The New Electric Ballroom and The Walworth Farce. He won a Tony Award® for writing the book for the musical Once in 2012, which is currently playing on Broadway, West End, and U.S. Tour. Charlie Murphy is an Irish television, stage, and film actress. She won the Best Television Actress Award at the Irish Film and Television Awards for her role as Siobhan in the TV series Love/Hate. She has just been awarded the 2015 IFTA for Best Actress, Drama, for her work on all five seasons of Love/Hate. She was also nominated in this year’s IFTAs for Best Supporting Actress, Drama for her role in two seasons of the BBC Drama The Village. Charlie recently appeared in the feature film ’71, in Northmen at the 2014 Zurich Film Festival, and Philomena. In 2012, she won Best Actress at the Irish Times Theatre Awards for her portrayal of Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion. She most recently appeared onstage in Our Few and Evil Days at the Abbey Theatre/National Theatre of Ireland for Dublin Theatre Festival 2014 which has been nominated for numerous awards in the Irish Times Theatre Awards for 2015. *Free tickets are first-come, first-served, with a limit of 2 tickets per person, and only available in person at the Kennedy Center Box Office one hour before each performance as listed further below. (For example, tickets for the 5:20 performance on Sunday, June 4 will be available at the Box Office beginning at 4:20 that same day.) After patrons have secured their tickets at the Box Office, but before they head upstairs to the Terrace Gallery for the performance installation, they should visit the Kennedy Center’s free Coat Check (located in the Hall of Nations) to pre-check all prohibited items, which are listed toward the bottom of this page. Recording devices (photo, video, audio, etc.) may be used in front of the entrance of the performance installation, but once brought inside, their use is prohibited. Late entry or re-entry is not permitted. Please note there is no standard seating at this performance, which is a theatrical installation featuring audio text. Patrons are free to sit amongst the installation space. Additionally, there is no access to restrooms within the space. Restrooms are available in the States Gallery. Prohibited items: We regret that we are unable to accommodate any items larger than 17 x 26 inches (43 x 66 cm) into this performance installation. Additional items not permitted include: food & drinks, large daypacks, backpacks, luggage, umbrellas, any sharp items such as knives (including pocket or "Swiss Army"–style knives), screwdrivers, scissors, firearms, pepper spray, and Mace.
Gaeilge Tamagotchi
U.S. premiere
A performance installation by Manchán Magan Designed by Tom de Paor JUNE 1–5
North Plaza (Outdoor Green Space) FREE, no tickets required
See the festival calendar on pages 42-44 for performance times. Most of us have about 12,000 words in our vocabulary. Shakespeare used 30,000 words in his entire works. The Irish language has 4,400 different words merely to describe someone; to convey their character, their demeanor, their shape or stature. That’s 4,400 words. They are rarely used now. Many are already dead. In this performance installation by Manchán Magan, participants are invited to wind through a labyrinth of Irish linen to receive an endangered Irish word, which they will be tasked with nurturing, nourishing, and protecting.
INSTALLATIONS
Gaeilge Tamagotchi
This installation is conceived, presented, and produced by Manchán Magan, an award-winning writer of bilingual plays, author of numerous fiction and nonfiction works in English and Irish, and presenter of scores of television documentaries including the No Béarla series, in which he attempted to live his life entirely through the Irish language. The installation is designed by Tom de Paor, an architect nominated twice for the Mies van der Rohe Prize and once for the BSI Swiss Architectural Award. He represented Ireland three times at the International Architecture Biennale Venice and won 10 Architectural Association of Ireland and Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland Awards.
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MILLENNIUM STAGE 34
St. Patrick’s Cathedral Choir
MILLENNIUM STAGE
Catch these FREE performances at 6 p.m. on the Millennium Stage unless otherwise noted—no tickets required! June 4, don’t miss a free step class with The Culkin School of Traditional Irish Dance beginning at 5 p.m.
Open the Door for Three
Danny Burns Band
Veteran mainstays on the international Irish music scene, the trio (Liz Knowles, fiddle; Kieran O’Hare, uilleann pipes; Pat Broaders, bouzouki & vocals) showcases its signature sound of good friends playing great tunes together.
Burns’s Irish blood has cultivated his passion for narrative songwriting, unique vocals, and soulful delivery on his debut CD Off the Grid. Since 17, he’s been honing his craft on the road, playing throughout the U.S. and on the European circuit.
Photo by Alison Grasso
(Portland, ME and Chicago, IL) MAY 18
(Washington, DC) MAY 22
The Gothard Sisters (Seattle, WA) May 23
These three siblings from the Pacific Northwest bring the exciting rhythms of Ireland to their live shows with dance, music, and storytelling. Their special brand of performance blends folk and classical with new arrangements for a distinct Celtic flair.
Matt & Shannon Heaton (Boston, MA) MAY 21
Photo by Kelly Lorenz
An integral part of Boston’s vibrant Irish music and neo-Celtic acoustic scenes, this passionate husbandand-wife duo offers well-traveled Irish music from the heart with engaging stage presence, masterfully crafted songs, and sweet harmony singing.
The Gothard Sisters
The Tossers (Chicago, IL) MAY 24
Formed in 1993, the six-piece Celtic punk band from Chicago has been proudly spreading their Irish gospel across the globe, with no plans of slowing down. The Tossers’ five albums have shown their impressive command of song structure and instrumentation.
Matt & Shannon Heaton
The Tossers
MILLENNIUM STAGE
Photo by Ruth H. Photography
Open the Door for Three
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Culinary Demonstration and Lecture from Chef Cathal Armstrong
Celebrating the Past to Awaken the Future
Chef Cathal Armstrong (Restaurant Eve in Alexandria; multiple James Beard nominee) leads a cooking demonstration to showcase his commitment to complex, thoughtful dishes that combine his Irish roots and French training with American cuisine.
On President John F. Kennedy’s 99 th birthday, performances from artists across genres will culminate with luminaries and young artists unveiling a special installation commissioned by the Kennedy Center for the Centennial Celebration of our namesake. For complete list of performers, see pages 22-23.
(Alexandria, VA) MAY 25
Photo by Don Lassell
Presented in collaboration with Bord Bia – Irish Food Board
MAY 29 //// Front Plaza
Screaming Orphans
(County Donegal, Ireland) MAY 26 This Celtic rock band from Ireland consists of the four Diver sisters who play their own melodic pop as well as traditional songs. Their blend of Irish roots with American influences has garnered them an Irish Music Award for Top Celtic Rock band.
MILLENNIUM STAGE
Children’s Chorus of Washington
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Screaming Orphans
Photo by Sanjay Suchet
Skylark
(Washington, DC) MAY 31
Photo by Michael G. Stewart
With fiddle, flute, and guitar, Skylark’s songs conjure the enchantment of Celtic music. Alexander Mitchell, Elise Kress, and Zan McLeod are joined by dancers Joe Duffey and Erika Nielsen for driving rhythms, poignant songs, and a contagious energy.
The Culkin School of Traditional Irish Dance (Maryland/D.C.) June 4 //// Step class begins at 5 p.m. (no experience necessary)
Directed by Sean Culkin, the school preserves the tradition of Irish music and dance and passes it on to new generations of dancers throughout the Washington-Baltimore area. Join them for a free step class beginning at 5 p.m., no experience necessary!
The Culkin School of Traditional Irish Dance
Liz Carroll with Jake Charron St. Patrick’s Cathedral Choir (New York, NY) June 1
Chicago fiddler Liz Carroll—a Grammy® nominee and NEA National Heritage Fellow—amazes world audiences with her virtuosity, reviving traditional Irish and Celtic styles. Pianist/guitarist Jake Charron joins her with his take on Canadian-Celtic music.
Carroll
St. Patrick’s Cathedral Choir
Charron
MILLENNIUM STAGE
Directed by Dr. Jennifer Pascual, this choir is the heart of NYC’s prominent Roman Catholic cathedral. Presenting an evening of traditional and contemporary Irish music, the choir has performed for many heads of state, the Pope, and with acclaimed soloists.
(Chicago, IL, and Toronto, Canada) JUNE 5
Photo by Suzanne Plunkett
Skylark
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OUTDOOR GREEN SPACE 38
Kaitlyn Likas, Capital Celtic
OUTDOOR GREEN SPACE Live music, food trucks, a beer truck, performances, and a picnic area
Throughout the festival, the Kennedy Center North Plaza will be transformed into an outdoor green space for picnicking, performances, food, drinks, workshops, and more! Activities and performances in this area will be free and open to the public. Bring your own picnic or buy food here, invite your friends or settle down with a book, and come relax and enjoy! Please note: Schedule subject to change due to inclement weather. Please check the website at kennedy-center.org/
Ireland100 for updates.
Redhead / Family Day MAY 21, 11:30 A.M–4 P.M. North Plaza //// FREE
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OUTDOOR GREEN SPACE
Festivals gathering people with natural red hair have been held internationally in places like Cork in Ireland, Breda in the Netherlands, London, and Chicago. The Kennedy Center invites you to join us in IRELAND 100’s own Redhead Day celebration, which includes music acts, dance performances, demonstrations, and activities for the whole family. The culmination of the day will be a redhead kids’ parade around the Kennedy Center and a photo of the gathering here at the Kennedy Center. Redheads and redheads-at-heart are all encouraged to join the celebration. Free interactive, familyfriendly activities will take place throughout the day including fun photo backdrops, coloring, mask making, face painting, instrument demonstrations, and performances.
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Live Performances FREE, no tickets required
See the festival calendar on pages 42–44 for individual performance days/times.
Brendan’s Voyage
The Culkin School of Traditional Irish Dance
Founded in 1997, the school directed by Sean Culkin preserves the tradition of Irish music and dance and passes it on to new generations of dancers. Their goal is to share Irish music and dance with the area by partaking in local events and performances.
Formed in the early 90s, Brendan’s Voyage (Brian Gaffeny, Fergus Kennedy, and Steve Morris) blend together classic rock, country, and traditional Irish music with a smooth mix of guitar, keyboard, a fiddle, and vocals.
The Culkin School of Traditional Irish Dance
Matt Heaton (Boston, MA)
Brendan’s Voyage
OUTDOOR GREEN SPACE
Capital Celtic
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This trio of musicians plays traditional Irish jigs, pub songs, and ballads. The band features Steven Toole on guitar, banjitar, mandolin, harmonica, and vocals; Kaitlyn Likas on fiddle; and Jessica Balick on flute, tin whistle, recorder, and vocals.
One half of the Irish music duo Matt & Shannon Heaton (see page 35), Matt Heaton is also a skilled entertainer for children, with a repertoire of kidfriendly folk, original, and reworked classics. His engaging sing-alongs make Heaton a favorite of everyone in the family.
Irish Breakfast Band
This group of local residents regularly meets to rehearse Celtic tunes over breakfast. With more than a dozen musicians playing fiddles, flutes, guitars, drums, and banjo—and at least one vocalist—the band is often joined by dancers from the Boyle School.
Irish Inn Mates
Capital Celtic
Pat Carroll
Pat Carroll went to Ireland in 1975 to study and gained a respect and knowledge of Irish music. In 1980, he began playing Irish music in pubs across the D.C. area. He still plays occasionally at Murphy’s Pub in Old Town Alexandria and is planning on retiring later this year after 36 years of performing.
Comprised of Mitch Fanning (fiddle), Jesse Winch (bodhran, guitar, bouzouki, harmonica), Tina Eck (flute, whistle, vocals), and Zan McLeod (guitar), the Irish Inn Mates play Irish traditional music weekly at the Irish Inn at Glen Echo, as well as area festivals and events.
Lilt
Since 2009, duo Tina Eck and Keith Carr have played the traditional dance music of Ireland—jigs, reels, and hornpipes—with Eck on flute and tin whistle and Carr on bouzouki and tenor banjo.
Lilt
Maple Academy of Irish Dance
Directed by award-winning dancers Bill Maple and Marnie O’Callaghan-Maple, the school has competed in national and world championship competitions, as well as events at the White House, Kennedy Center, Smithsonian, and more.
O’Neill-James School of Irish Dance
D.C.’s longest-established Irish dancing school cherishes its reputation for excellence. These award-winning dancers have performed at the White House, U.S. Capitol, and with The Chieftains at the Kennedy Center.
Conor Malone
The Ireland native plays locally in area Irish pubs and festivals, and he also jams with the popular classic rock and Irish music band Smoke and Mirrors. In 2006, Conor recorded his first solo album, which includes some of his original music.
Malone
McGrath Academy of Irish Dance
These dancers have performed at national and world level competitions, dancing at places such as the New Zealand Embassy and WUSA Channel 9. They have also enjoyed performing with Irish bands and for cultural and charitable organizations.
O’Neill-James School of Irish Dance
ShamrockRs
This Irish step dancing family, a trio of well-medaled champions, perform in full costumes to traditional Irish music with a modern twist of fun that brings the house down every time! Their show is a unique performance with customized choreography.
The Wild Irish Roses
This vivacious and riveting duo, sisters Kaitlyn and Jessica, have a jam-packed routine full of everything from dueling fiddles to dancing on swords. They mostly play Celtic music, with a bluegrass and American style.
McGrath Academy of Irish Dance
The Mollyhawks
This local Celtic group performs an eclectic mix of historic and contemporary music from the Golden Age of Sailing to Irish immigration. Together they create a unique blend of vocals and instruments rarely heard in combination on stage.
The Wild Irish Roses
Uilleann Pipes with Gay McKeon, Emmett Gill, and Amy Campbell with Catherine McEvoy on Irish Flute The Mollyhawks
Experienced uilleann pipers Gay McKeon and Emmett Gill will be joined by a talented teen piper, Amy Campbell, along with Catherine McEvoy on Irish flute. The group will give performances and workshops featuring the traditional Irish pipes.
McKeon
Gill
McEvoy
Campbell
OUTDOOR GREEN SPACE
ShamrockRs
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Events Calendar *Includes a free postperformance discussion
**To register a student group for a school show, please call the Kennedy Center Education Department at (202) 416-8835.
Outdoor Green Space North Plaza, 5–8 p.m., FREE The Wild Irish Roses Outdoor Green Space Stage, 6:45–7:15 p.m., FREE
Earth Harp Interludes Hall of States, 12:50–1:10 p.m., 3:10–3:30 p.m., 5:30–5:50 p.m. & 7:05–7:20 p.m., FREE
THURSDAY, MAY 19
Theatre Lovett: The Girl Who Forgot to Sing Badly Family Theater, 1:30 & 4 p.m.
Theatre Lovett: The Girl Who Forgot to Sing Badly (school shows**) Family Theater, 10:15 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. Earth Harp Interludes Hall of States, 5:30–5:50 p.m. & 7:05–7:20 p.m., FREE
MAY 17–JUNE 5
FREE INSTALLATIONS Open 10 a.m. until building closing:
The Earth Harp Hall of States, see calendar for performance times Egan Harp Hall of States
Outdoor Green Space North Plaza, 5–8 p.m., FREE
TUESDAY, MAY 17
FRIDAY, MAY 20
Earth Harp Interludes Hall of States, 7–7:30 p.m., FREE
Theatre Lovett: The Girl Who Forgot to Sing Badly (school show**) Family Theater, 11 a.m.
Irish Inn Mates Outdoor Green Space Stage, 6:15-7:30 p.m., FREE
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18
CALENDAR
Pan Pan Theatre: All That Fall Terrace Gallery, 7:30 p.m.
The Ogham Wall Hall of Nations
Outdoor Green Space North Plaza, 5–8 p.m., FREE
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Abbey Theatre: The Plough and the Stars Eisenhower Theater, 7:30 p.m.
Capital Celtic Outdoor Green Space Stage, 6:30–7:15 p.m., FREE
Festival Opening Performance Concert Hall, 8 p.m.
Open the Door for Three (school show**) Terrace Theater, 11 a.m. Theatre Lovett: The Girl Who Forgot to Sing Badly (school shows**) Family Theater, 10:15 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. Earth Harp Interludes Hall of States, 5:30–5:50 p.m. & 7:05–7:20 p.m., FREE Open the Door for Three Millennium Stage, 6 p.m., FREE Abbey Theatre: The Plough and the Stars Eisenhower Theater, 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, MAY 21
Pan Pan Theatre: All That Fall (school show**) Terrace Gallery, 11 a.m. Earth Harp Interludes Hall of States, 5:30–5:50 p.m. & 7:05–7:20 p.m., FREE Theatre Lovett: The Girl Who Forgot to Sing Badly Family Theater, 7 p.m. Colin Dunne: Out of Time Terrace Theater, 7 p.m.*
Pan Pan Theatre: All That Fall Terrace Gallery, 1:30, 4 & 7:30 p.m. Matt & Shannon Heaton Millennium Stage, 6 p.m., FREE Colin Dunne: Out of Time Terrace Theater, 7 p.m. Camerata Ireland with the Harmony North Choir and Codetta Eisenhower Theater, 7:30 p.m.* Outdoor Green Space North Plaza, 11–8 p.m., FREE Redhead / Family Day Outdoor Green Space, crafts/ activities, 11:30 a.m.–4 p.m., FREE The Culkin School of Traditional Irish Dance Outdoor Green Space Stage, 11:30 a.m.–12 p.m. & 3:30–4 p.m., FREE Uilleann Pipes with Gay McKeon, Emmett Gill, and Amy Campbell with Catherine McEvoy on Irish Flute Outdoor Green Space Stage; 1:30–2 p.m. & 6:30–7:15 p.m., FREE Redhead Kids’ Parade Outdoor Green Space to Grand Foyer, 4 p.m., FREE
SUNDAY, MAY 22 Earth Harp Interludes Hall of States, 12:30–12:50 p.m., 3:10–3:30 p.m. & 5:30–5:50 p.m.
Pan Pan Theatre: All That Fall Terrace Gallery, 7:30 p.m.
Theatre Lovett: The Girl Who Forgot to Sing Badly Family Theater, 1:30 & 4 p.m.
Outdoor Green Space North Plaza, 5–8 p.m., FREE
Danny Burns Band Millennium Stage, 6 p.m., FREE
Uilleann Pipes with Gay McKeon, Emmett Gill, and Amy Campbell with Catherine McEvoy on Irish Flute Outdoor Green Space Stage, 6:30–7:15 p.m., FREE
Camille O’Sullivan: Changeling Terrace Theater, 7 p.m. Outdoor Green Space North Plaza, 11–8 p.m., FREE Matt Heaton (music performance for kids) Outdoor Green Space Stage, 11:30 a.m.–12 p.m. & 3:30–4 p.m., FREE
The Culkin School of Traditional Irish Dance Outdoor Green Space Stage, 1:30–2 p.m., FREE
MONDAY, MAY 23 Earth Harp Interludes Hall of States, 5:30–5:50 p.m. & 7:05–7:20 p.m., FREE The Gothard Sisters Millennium Stage, 6 p.m., FREE Tara Erraught and Anthony Kearns in Concert Terrace Theater, 7 p.m. Outdoor Green Space North Plaza, 5–8 p.m., FREE
TUESDAY, MAY 24 Earth Harp Interludes Hall of States, 5:30–5:50 p.m. & 7:05–7:20 p.m., FREE The Tossers Millennium Stage, 6 p.m., FREE Fishamble: The New Play Company: Tiny Plays for Ireland and America Terrace Gallery, 7:30 p.m.* Outdoor Green Space North Plaza, 5–8 p.m., FREE Conor Malone Outdoor Green Space Stage, 6:45–7:15 p.m., FREE
WEDNESDAY, MAY 25 Earth Harp Interludes Hall of States, 5:30–5:50 p.m. & 7:05–7:20 p.m., FREE Culinary Demonstration & Lecture from Chef Cathal Armstrong Millennium Stage, 6 p.m., FREE
Fishamble: The New Play Company: Tiny Plays for Ireland and America Terrace Gallery, 7:30 p.m.* Outdoor Green Space North Plaza, 5–8p.m., FREE The Wild Irish Roses Outdoor Green Space Stage, 6:45–7:15 p.m., FREE
SUNDAY, MAY 29
Earth Harp Interludes Hall of States, 5:30–5:50 p.m. & 7:05–7:20 p.m., FREE Screaming Orphans Millennium Stage, 6 p.m., FREE
A Girl’s Bedroom (performance installation) Terrace Gallery, 12–4 p.m. & 5–8 p.m., FREE tickets required
Olwen Fouéré: riverrun Family Theater, 7 p.m.
Earth Harp Interludes Hall of States, 2:10–2:30 p.m. & 4–4:20 p.m., FREE
Jean Butler and Neil Martin: this is an Irish dance Terrace Theater, 7 p.m.*
Celebrating the Past to Awaken the Future Front Plaza, 6–7:30 p.m., FREE
Whiskey Tasting South Opera Tier Lounge, 7:30 p.m.
Outdoor Green Space North Plaza, 11–8 p.m., FREE
Outdoor Green Space North Plaza, 5–8 p.m., FREE
Irish Breakfast Band
Capital Celtic Outdoor Green Space Stage, 6:30–7:15 p.m., FREE
FRIDAY, MAY 27 Earth Harp Interludes Hall of States, 5:30–5:50 p.m. & 7:05–7:20 p.m., FREE Jean Butler and Neil Martin: this is an Irish dance Terrace Theater, 7 p.m. Outdoor Green Space North Plaza, 5–8 p.m., FREE The MollyHawks Outdoor Green Space Stage, 6:30–7:15 p.m., FREE
SATURDAY, MAY 28 A Girl’s Bedroom (performance installation) Terrace Gallery, 12–4 p.m. & 5–9 p.m., FREE tickets required Earth Harp Interludes Hall of States, 12:50–1:10 p.m., 3:10–3:30 p.m., 5:30–5:50 p.m. & 7:05–7:20 p.m., FREE President Kennedy in Ireland: Irish Film Institute Screenings Family Theater, 4 p.m. Outdoor Green Space North Plaza, 11 a.m.–8 p.m., FREE McGrath Academy of Irish Dance Outdoor Green Space Stage, 11:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m. & 1:30–2:15 p.m., FREE Lilt Outdoor Green Space Stage, 3:30–4:15 p.m. & 6:15–7:15 p.m., FREE
Outdoor Green Space Stage, 11:30 a.m.– 12:15 p.m. & 1:30–2:15 p.m., FREE
MONDAY, MAY 30 Earth Harp Interludes Hall of States, 5:30–5:50 p.m., FREE Outdoor Green Space North Plaza, 11–8 p.m., FREE The Culkin School of Traditional Irish Dance Outdoor Green Space Stage, 11:30a.m.–12:15 p.m., 1:30–2:15 p.m. & 3:30–4:15 p.m., FREE
TUESDAY, MAY 31 A Girl’s Bedroom (performance installation) Terrace Gallery, 5–9 p.m., FREE tickets required Earth Harp Interludes Hall of States, 5:30–5:50 p.m. & 7:05–7:20 p.m., FREE Skylark Millennium Stage, 6 p.m., FREE Fiona Shaw: Blowing the Heart Open Terrace Theater, 7 p.m.* Beer & Cheese Tasting South Opera Tier Lounge, 7:30 p.m. Outdoor Green Space North Plaza, 5–8p.m., FREE Brendan’s Voyage Outdoor Green Space Stage, 6:30–7:15 p.m., FREE
CALENDAR
Olwen Fouéré: riverrun Family Theater, 7 p.m.*
THURSDAY, MAY 26
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1 A Girl’s Bedroom (performance installation) Terrace Gallery, 5–9 p.m., FREE tickets required Earth Harp Interludes Hall of States, 5:30–5:50 p.m. & 7:05–7:20 p.m., FREE St. Patrick’s Cathedral Choir Millennium Stage, 6 p.m., FREE Alarm Will Sound: The Hunger Terrace Theater, 7 p.m.* Literature Panel: Colm Tóibín and Eavan Boland in Conversation Family Theater, 7:30 p.m., FREE Outdoor Green Space North Plaza, 5–8 p.m., FREE
Gaeilge Tamagotchi (performance installation) Outdoor Green Space, 5:45–6:30 p.m. & 7:15–8 p.m., FREE The Wild Irish Roses Outdoor Green Space Stage, 6:30–7:15 p.m., FREE
THURSDAY, JUNE 2 A Girl’s Bedroom (performance installation) Terrace Gallery, 5–9 p.m., FREE tickets required Earth Harp Interludes Hall of States, 5:30–5:50 p.m. & 7:05–7:20 p.m., FREE Literature Panel: An Evening with Ireland’s Foremost Irish Language Artists Family Theater, 7:30 p.m., FREE
CALENDAR
Outdoor Green Space North Plaza, 5–8 p.m., FREE
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Gaeilge Tamagotchi (performance installation) Outdoor Green Space, 5:45–6:30 p.m. & 7:15–8 p.m., FREE Capital Celtic Outdoor Green Space Stage, 6:30–7:15 p.m., FREE
FRIDAY, JUNE 3 A Girl’s Bedroom (performance installation) Terrace Gallery, 5–9 p.m., FREE tickets required
Earth Harp Interludes Hall of States 5:30–5:50 p.m. & 7:05–7:20 p.m., FREE
O’Neill James School of Irish Dance Outdoor Green Space Stage, 2:30–3:15 p.m., FREE
Literature Panel: Colum McCann in Conversation with Ron Charles Family Theater, 6:30 p.m., FREE
Pat Carroll Outdoor Green Space Stage, 6:30–7:15 p.m., FREE
Imagining a Future—Shakespeare: A Conversation with Fiona Shaw Eisenhower Theater, 7:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, JUNE 5
Outdoor Green Space North Plaza, 5–8 p.m., FREE
Gaeilge Tamagotchi (performance installation) Outdoor Green Space, 5:45–6:30 p.m. & 7:15–8 p.m., FREE The MollyHawks Outdoor Green Space Stage, 6:30–7:15 p.m., FREE
SATURDAY, JUNE 4 Masterclass with Fiona Shaw Eisenhower Rehearsal Room, 12 p.m.
Earth Harp Interludes Hall of States, 12:30–12:50 p.m., 3:10–3:30 p.m., 5:30–5:50 p.m. & 7:05–7:20 p.m., FREE
Muldoon’s Picnic Terrace Theater, 1:30 p.m. Liz Carroll with Jake Charron Millennium Stage, 6 p.m., FREE William Close & The Earth Harp Collective: The Earth Harp-Celtic Eisenhower Theater, 7:30 p.m. Outdoor Green Space North Plaza, 11–8 p.m., FREE
A Girl’s Bedroom (performance installation) Terrace Gallery, 12–4 p.m. & 5–9 p.m., FREE tickets required
Gaeilge Tamagotchi (performance installation) Outdoor Green Space, 11:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m., 1:30–2:15 p.m. & 3:30–4:15 p.m., FREE
Earth Harp interludes Hall of States, 12:30–12:50 p.m., 3:10–3:30 p.m., 5:30–5:50 p.m. & 7:05–7:20 p.m., FREE
Maple Academy of Irish Dance Outdoor Green Space stage, 12:30–1:15 p.m. & 2:30–3:15 p.m., FREE
Literature Panel: An Afternoon with Ireland’s Laureates Family Theater, 1:30 p.m., FREE
Pat Carroll Outdoor Green Space Stage, 6:30–7:15 p.m., FREE
The Culkin School of Traditional Irish Dance Millennium Stage, dance lesson at 5 p.m., performance at 6 p.m., FREE The Gloaming Eisenhower Theater, 7:30 p.m. Outdoor Green Space North Plaza, 11–8 p.m., FREE
Gaeilge Tamagotchi (performance installation) Outdoor Green Space, 11:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m., 1:30–2:15 p.m. & 3:30–4:15 p.m., FREE ShamrockRs Outdoor Green Space Stage, 12:30–1:15 p.m., FREE
Kennedy Center Gift Shops
During the festival, visitors to the Gift Shop in the Hall of States can shop goods made in and imported from Ireland—including Celtic jewelry, soaps and lotions, wool tam caps, ceramics, scarves, books, CDs, food, and many other items.
THE JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS Chairman David M. Rubenstein President Deborah F. Rutter
Festival Credits Vice President, International Programming and Dance Festival Curator Alicia Adams Director, International Programming Festival Co-Curator and Manager Gilda Almeida Installations Design Consultant Studio Adrien Gardère Adrien Gardère Mathieu Muin Installations Production Mickey Berra, Vice President Glenn Turner, Head of Production Operation Literature Series Curator Maureen Kennelly Director, Poetry Ireland Documentaries Film Consultant Sunniva O’Flynn Irish Film Institute Festival Opening Performance Consultant Robert Pullen, NOUVEAU productions
Festival Logo Design Ivor Noyek Guest Culinary advisor Chef Cathal Armstrong Festival Assistants Annette Dumas, Sara Ross Support Staff Sean McComas, Jeanne Sobel, Kathi Reynolds Volunteers: Cynthia Duquette, Debra Simon Collaborators Embassy of Ireland Culture Ireland Poetry Ireland Irish Arts Center Irish Design 2015 The O’Brien Collection Design & Crafts Council of Ireland Irish Film Institute Bord Bia—Irish Food Board Special thanks to the Kennedy Center staff and volunteers involved in the realization of this festival!
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TICKETS
Available at the Kennedy Center Box Office Or charge by phone (202) 467-4600 Toll-free (800) 444-1324
Order online at kennedy-center.org/Ireland100 Groups call (202) 416-8400
For complete festival information, visit 46
KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG/IRELAND100
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