Milwaukee Irish Arts


The Midwest Premiere Directed by James J. Gallagher

April – May 2006

Set in a community pub-theater in Cork City, the actors convene to read a new play by a mysterious American author. As the troupe struggles toward understanding the “Irish Braveheart” play, bitter rivalries re-ignite, old jealousies come to a head and family secrets are revealed.

Produced by special arrangement with
The Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Illinois

See article in
OnMilwaukee.com

The Cast included Milwaukee Irish Arts favorites:

Martha Connor	Sarah Mankowski
Edward Deevey	Michael Kane
Declan O'Sullivan	Keith Tamsett
Michael O'Shaughnessy	Robert Kennedy
Cynthia Regan	Margaret Casey
Willie Boyle	Eamonn O'Neill
Joachim Sampson	Donte Fitzgerald

“An Irish Play”
wins Top Honors
at Toronto Festival

click on photos
to enlarge

On June 4th, Milwaukee Irish Arts was awarded the "Outstanding Production" award for their entry in the 13th Acting Irish International Theatre Festival in Toronto, Canada. This festival is a prestigious annual competition of Irish Theatre Groups from the United States, Canada and Ireland. Milwaukee was nominated in four of the five award categories: Production, Best Female Actor, Sarah Mankowski, Best Male Actor, KeithTamsett, Best Supporting Male Actor, Eamonn O’Neill, Tamsett won the Best Actor award and a standing ovation for his memorable portrayal of the troubled young Declan O’Sullivan.

“We took a chance on a rarely produced play”, said Executive Producer, Kathy Radaj. Milwaukee’s show which ran April 28-May 13 at the Irish Cultural and Heritage Center was the Midwest Premiere of Irish-American author Dan O’Brien’s play about amateur actors in Cork City Ireland at the first reading of a play. “But we have a tremendously talented ensemble of actors and a great director in Jim Gallagher. We are founding members of the Acting Irish Festival and this is our first win of the “Big” award after thirteen years. We compete along side talented Irish Theatre Companies from Chicago, Rochester, NY, Toronto, Winnipeg, South Florida and Dublin Ireland with many more native-born Irish people and that is sometimes intimidating for our mostly Irish-American Milwaukee actors. This year’s win shows that the Irish Theatre Arts are alive and thriving on the banks of Lake Michigan and it’s a great boost for us as we look forward to hosting the 14th Annual Acting Irish Festival next May in Milwaukee.”