Here at Parkside, we're well on our way into our tech rehearsals. The designers, actors, and crew members had a long weekend of incorporating the technical elements into the show. At this very moment, they are running (and rocking!) their first full dress rehearsal.
As we draw nearer to opening day, I thought it would be nice to share some information about the playwright with all of you!
Brian Friel was born in January of 1929 in County Tyrone. Living in Northern Ireland for all of his upbringing, he was raised with both Catholic and Nationalists beliefs. While his family believed in the progress that Ireland and Great Britain could achieve together, Friel (being a separatist) had higher hopes for the people and tradition of Ireland while standing on its own.
He became a schoolteacher at the age of 21, filling his free time with the writing of short stories and radio dramas. Ten short years later, he quit his profession and pursued the art of playwriting full-time. He rose to the top quickly and completed several successful works, one right after the other. His plays, in only the first decade of his theatrical career, were performed at prestigious theatres and festivals, given delightful reviews, and awarded Friel with a Tony Award nomination. Soon after, his plays started to be produced internationally. Although a strong Irish nationalism prevails in all of his works, the characters and plots make his stories globally resonant.
But that isn't all. Friel is a co-founder of the Field Day Theatre (Derry, Ireland), a winner of Laurence Olivier, Tony, and NY Drama Critics Circle awards, an elected member of the Irish Academy of Letters, and more.
His immeasurable work and never-ending dedication makes him a true legacy of the theatre.
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