Ed Huckabee, on left, as Old Mahon and Zachary Randall as Christy Mahon
Greg Gaines as Jimmy Farrell
Madison Smith as Peegen Mike
Back Alley Productions will bring festive Irish song and dance to the local area as the award-winning theater company performs Irish Courage at the Mars Theater. The theater is at 117 N Chattanooga St. in LaFayette.
Performances are set for Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m., from March 10-26, with a special St. Patrick’s Day performance on Friday, March 17. Tickets can be purchase online at BAPshows.com or in-person at the box office. Visit BAPshows.com/season-passes.html for information on full season passes.
Review for Irish Courage:
Irish Courage is based on the John Millington Synge classic The Playboy of the Western World.
“The production is a one big live Irish celebration,” said Director Thomas White, whose bloodline has ties to South Dublin. “The production will be filled with entertainment, ranging from the performance of the story, to a live bluegrass band who has learned old Irish limericks (fun fact: bluegrass draws its heritage from Irish culture), to singing old tavern songs like Rocky Road to Dublin, and performing classic Irish step-dancing.”
Irish Courage details the story of Christy Mahon, who stumbles into a rustic 20th Century Irish tavern and charms the local villagers, especially the women, with a tall tale about murdering his tyrannical and oppressive father. But when his father, still alive, tracks him down, Christy must find his courage to make the lie right by making the lie real.
“Irish Courage is a really nice blend of serious theatrical drama and hilarious situational and reactionary comedy,” said Mr. White. “There’s a lot of peaks and valleys for these lovable characters, all within a beautiful, poetic framework of the old Irish language. It’s romantic, it’s tragic, and it’s a look at real Irish culture that breaks away from the commercialism of St. Patrick’s Day. Add on some live Irish music, and some fun dancing, and you’ve got yourself an evening unlike anything else.”
Though it has some heavy themes the production is family-friendly. However, Mr. White says younger children might not “get it,” but are welcomed to attend.
The cast of local community actors comes from LaFayette, Chattanooga, Dalton and other towns in the northwest Georgia area, and include Zachery Green, Madison Smith, Michael Tate, Greg Guinn, James Lanier, Jessica Smith, Thomas Lapp, Ed Huckbee, Lyndsay Mackay, Tessa Sentell, Olivia Griffin and Jessica Vinyard.
For more information, contact Mr. White at 356-7437.