Junior, Seán Cotter first discovered Micheál Ó Conghaile’s writing in his class “The Irish Short Story” last year, in which he read from a collection of Ó Conghaile’s short stories entitled, The Colors of Man. However, it wasn’t until he met the playwright himself at a conference that Cotter realized the power of The Connemara Five.
When The Connemara Five, directed by Cotter, premieres on the Washington Hall stage tonight at 7:30 pm, it will mark the first time the play has been performed not only in America, but also outside the Republic of Ireland.
Plot:
“THE CONNEMARA FIVE centers on five victims of societal marginalization in Connemara, West Ireland, who find themselves imprisoned by the attitudes and mores of their cultural situation. A cross dresser and his fiancée, an accused rapist, an Alzheimer’s patient, and a spinster beg their audience to question notions of gender, religion, familial ties, social labels, and death as they are shaped by the narrowness of their surroundings, both physical and spiritual. Explore the liminal between personnage and body and the interactions between the two.”
As a producer for Farley Hall Players, Cotter knew he had to bring this story to Notre Dame. “I thoroughly enjoyed the story and thought it was such a unique tale because it introduced five characters who were really almost stock characters because each of them are marginalized,” Cotter explains. The five main characters in the play are archetypal outsiders, but in The Connemara Five they become the main focus and their stories capture the audience’s attention.
“They’re recognized as outsiders in other stories and yet they all come together in this story as their own entities really well. That’s why I absolutely love C5,” Cotter reveals.
Cotter’s fascination with the refreshing plotline ties in with his desire to introduce the play to a Notre Dame audience.
“I think that’s part of the reason why I wanted to bring it to ND. Because I think that ND isn’t the closed community that we sometimes think it is, it’s so much more open-minded and welcoming than we give it credit for,” Cotter argues.
The university community at Notre Dame is colloquially addressed as the “Notre Dame Bubble,” but Cotter recognizes the inaccuracies in bottling up the community in this way.
He sees the university as a place open to conversation and constantly striving to be more accepting. “[Notre Dame] just needs a show like this that talks about so many different issues to actually prove that we are open to all of these experiences and are cognizant of these many different people who exist in the world,” Cotter argues. “It’s part of ND’s mission in the world really to make the world a more inviting place, to have it be more equal for everyone to live in.”
When the curtain opens on Washington Hall’s mainstage tonight at 7:30 pm Farley Hall Players will be carrying out this mission. “The Connemara Five is a very new show,” Cotter says, as it premiered in Ireland, in the Irish language, for the first time in 2003 and was just translated to English a few years ago. “Part of how we’re looking ahead with Farley Hall Players is creating a student theater company that puts on plays recognized from the past but also the plays that will be recognized in the future,” Cotter explains how C5 supports the mission of his student theater company.
Through Farley Hall Players, Cotter and his fellow officers hope to not only put on the historically great plays of the past, but also to introduce groundbreaking works to the university stage. Cotter explains, “Farley Hall Players has developed a new identity of performing what will be the great works of tomorrow.” Cotter sees The Connemara Five as one of these transformative works whose story will resonate with its audiences.
The Connemara Five aims not only to entertain its audience but also to invite conversation and contemplation on the nature of society. The Connemara Five may be a play about Irish people living in the west of Ireland, but that doesn’t mean it cannot translate to an American audience.
“Although it’s set in the west of Ireland, this is really such a universal tale because it deals with these characters whom society has blocked off and it’s really something any culture and pick out things from,” Cotter argues for the universality of The Connemara Five.
Cotter eloquently illustrates how The Connemara Five can affect each audience member. “I think it very much mirrors the idea that we are all tethered – we are all affected by each other actions. At the end of the day, no one really fits into a societal norm.”
Cotter with Katherine Dudas (HCND Writer) who plays “Cynthia”
While this is Cotter’s first time directing a play at Notre Dame, he does have directorial experience from high school as well as extensive experience in other aspects of play production.
“I’ve really found my niche in costuming. I really love how aesthetics play into film, theater, and musical theater. I really enjoy how colors and fabrics can portray a character’s interior emotions. This is really evident in Cynthia’s costuming. She is such an important figure in the show and yet she only has a certain number of lines to work with. I really wanted her to come through in these saturated tones and to have her and everyone else show through in their costumes and in their appearance and in the way they carry themselves.”
The Connemara Five is a carefully curated presentation of a story meant to challenge and motivate its audience. Notre Dame, by way of Farley Hall Players, is privileged to be able to introduce this tale to both an American audience as well as a university audience. For a mere $6 you can see the American premiere of The Connemara Five and enter into a conversation about acceptance. Even more thrilling, thanks to the generosity of several campus departments, Micheál Ó Conghaile’s will be in attendance for all three performances and available for conversation.
Showtimes: Tickets are available at the LaFortune Box Office for $6.
Thursday, November 14 at 7:30 pm
Friday, November 15 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, November 16 at 7:30 pm
The cast and crew of The Connemara Five.
Cast:
Danny – Cameron Hart
Darach – Derek Defensor
Coleman – Rob McKenna
Cynthia – Katherine Dudas
Maggie – Anna McGinn
Katie – Mary Patano
Production Team:
Director – Seán Cotter
Stage Manager – Dylan Parent
Assistant Stage Manager – Cassidy Leyendecker
Light Design – Caitlin Cunningham
Sound Design – Chau-Ly Phan
Costumer – Malaika Lund
Hair and Makeup Design – Hermona Abera
Set Design – Cameron Hart
Set Construction and Technician – Matthew Kowalski
Graphic Designer – Colleen Hancuch
Dramaturg and Research Assistant – Lauren Morisseau
The Connemara Five, translated from the Irish “Cúigear Chonamara” by Úna Ní Chonchúir is presented at the University of Notre Dame through special arrangement with Cló Iar-Chonnacht with thanks to:
Keough-Naughton Institute
Center for the Study of Language and Culture
Department of Irish Language and Literature
GeNDer Studies Program
Breac Digital Journal of Irish Studies