The Pub Plays

The Pub Plays is a special project Theatre Banshee's been itching to produce for a while. We bring you West Coast Premieres of two great Irish plays, both set in an Irish pub, running in repertory. Come for a matinee, take a dinner break and then come back to The Banshee to see a whole other Irish play that night! The Pub Plays run October 22 through December 12 at The Banshee (click for performance schedule).

BOTH PLAYS HAVE BEEN SELECTED AS
***CRITICS CHOICE*** - Los Angeles Times
***CRITICS PICK*** Back Stage West
"their juxtaposition results in edge-of-your-seat anticipation"

Travis Hammer and Barry Lynch

The Field
Banshee returns to the exciting dramatic works of celebrated Irish playwright John B. Keane (author of The Year of the Hiker and The Man from Clare) for his play, The Field. Locals gather in a small country pub to see who will end up owning the field Maggie Butler is selling. Will an outsider swoop in and buy it up, or will a tough local farmer have his way. In rural Kerry, men will kill for land. The Field transports you to the quintessential Irish country pub and reveals the darker side of the Irish country.

The Field features: Mark Colson, Matt Foyer, Travis Hammer, Dan Harper, Emma Jacobson-Sive, McKerrin Kelly, Maeve Kiley, Barry Lynch, John McKenna, Grinnell Morris, Shawn Savage, Daniel Stewart and Rebecca Wackler. The design team includes costumes by Jessica Dalager, lighting by Mike Mahlum and scenic design by Arthur MacBride. The production is directed by Sean Branney.

Donald Agnelli, Tim Cummings and Kevin Stidham

War
Celebrated Irish novelist Roddy Doyle (author of The Commitments, and the Booker Award winning Paddy Clark Ha Ha Ha and others) takes to the stage with a tale of a rowdy and riotous quiz night in a Dublin pub. The competition is fierce and the laughs are abundant as a cadre of colorful characters fight it out to win a lovely electric kettle. Don't miss this sensational West Coast Premiere of one of Ireland's most cherished modern writers.

War features a magnificent ensemble including: Donald Agnelli, Jen Albert, Kacey Camp, Dan Conroy, Tim Cummings, Andrew Graves, Travis Hammer, Christy Hauptman, Lance J. Holt, Daniel Kaemon, Andrew Leman, Erin Noble, Cameron Oro, Alice Ryan, Kevin Stidham, Sarah van der Pol. The design team features costumer Christy Hauptman, lighting designer Mike Mahlum and scenic designer Arthur MacBride. The production is also directed by Sean Branney.

Terry Morgan of the LA Drama Critics Circle called Banshee's War, "a sixteen-actor comedy that roars with life and good humor - audacious and entertaining"!

Graphic designs by Cat Staggs.

Click here to download a PDF of the postcard with all the details.

For reservations call 818.846.5323
or click here to make them online.

McKerrin Kelly as Maimie

Questions that might get asked frequently

Q: Are these plays family friendly?
A: War probably deserves a PG-13 due it's authentic Dublin pub vernacular. There's a wee bit o' coarse language here. The Field is both more wholesome and more disturbing. We'd give it a PG rating though - it's a show that will induce discussions among those who see it.

Q: Are they a comedy or a drama?
A: We think of The Field as a drama with plenty of humor in it. Ultimately, it's a play about serious issues, but John B. Keane treats us to plentiful laughs and a song along the way. War is a boisterous comedy, which has some serious themes and shows us some darker moments. Like much of Irish theatre, the serious and funny bits are skillfully interwoven.

Q: Are you serious about having us see both plays the same day?
A: Indeed we are. We've schedule the shows so you can come see a Saturday matinee at 3pm, have time to catch dinner nearby after the show, and have ample time to make it back to see the next show at 8pm. We think you'll enjoy having two very divergent pub experiences back to back. Not only that, you can get a ticket good for both plays for a mere $35. We'll even have a listing of local restaurants you can visit while we do the pub makeover to get ready for the next show.

Q: Wait, which show is on which day? How does it all work?
A: Our handy performance calendar lays it all out for you.