 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
In April/May 2007
From These Green Heights
was Milwaukee Irish Arts'
entry in the
Acting Irish Theatre Festival 2007
which was held in May 2007 in Milwaukee
| “From These Green Heights” by Dermot
Bolger was awarded the prize for Best New Play in 2004 by the Irish
Times. It is the story of two families in the 1960’s who
move from their tenement row houses in Dublin to model public housing that
was novel in all of Europe at the time: the apartment towers of Ballymun.
“It’s going to be like living in America!” one of the mothers says to her
young son as they move into these “flats” with balconies, heat, and “lifts”.
The Irish Government had high hopes for this housing concept, promising
shops, transit, schools and play areas to the families. Over the decades,
however, none of these amenities was realized and the towers descended
into chronic disrepair and became a warren of social problems – in effect
the Ballymun Towers became the Cabrini Green of Dublin.
What happens to the families is a fascinating glimpse into modern Dublin history. The initial elation, followed by eventual despair and tragedy, and finally the dawn of a brighter future, is powerfully told in “From These Green Heights”. Universal emotions like the middle-aged couple trying to stay together despite hard times; the struggles of the single mother; the children dealing with their reality in different ways: education, emigration, drugs, sports; the mothers trying to maintain their dignity and protect their children, and even young love are all explored in the play and are sure to touch a chord in the hearts of the audience. |
cast
| Nurit Applebaum |
Tara
|
| Margaret Casey |
Jane
|
| David Ferrie |
Christy
|
| Denise Hogan-Laumann |
Junkie
|
| Sharon Nieman-Koebert |
Carmel
|
| Shemagne O’Keefe |
Marie
|
| Stephen O’Sullivan |
Dessie
|
| Johanna Paulus |
Sharon
|