We've opened!

Thank you so much to all patrons who were able to join us in the opening weekend of Dancing at Lughnasa! We had a preview night on Thursday, November 29th. There was a small audience, and we were very pleased to welcome the American College Theatre Festival respondents for their critique of our performance. Since then, we've had four very successful runs. In this next week, we still have five more performances to go! Remember to get your tickets at the UW-Parkside Box Office, or online at their webpage. 

But as we move on, whether you already saw the show or have yet to see it, here are some study questions for further thought. 

• How do the conflicts of Catholic and Pagan beliefs resonate in the Mundy household? Is there a middle ground wherein a person could have values that attend to both points of view? Today, we still see an abundance of conflicting life and creation beliefs/concepts. If you have experienced them, how are/were they managed in your own experience? Do you think that the Mundy sisters met in an agreement on this matter, before their unfortunate dividing?
  
• Rose's defiance against Kate and the rest of her sisters in Act II represents a lot of the happenings during the traditional Festival of Lughnasa (including traveling to the back hills, gathering bilberries, and releasing repressed sexuality). Do you feel that this event helped the sisters progress into a new state of mind about their lifestyle and values, or do you think it only reinforced their original beliefs? Do you think that each sister developed her own perception, or do you believe they essentially functioned as a unit?
  
• Do you believe there is an underlying conflict (perhaps something from the past) between Jack and Kate? Could their divided war efforts be a cause of tension between them?
  
• What does the radio, Marconi, symbolize to you?
  
• The dance in Act I is a vibrant release of repressed energy, aggression, enthusiasm, and desire. As soon as the music cuts out and the sisters realize what they have just done, they quickly conform to a state of normality (and possibly embarrassment). Why do you think this is?
  
• There are a lot of clues about Gerry's past life that are given not only in his dialogue, but in the language of the other characters as well. Is there anything that isn't specifically noted in the text that you found/believe to be a discovery, either about him or any of the others?
  
• While the character paints a vivid portrait of this particular summer of his childhood, Michael's memory does have some pieces that fade away. Reflect on your own childhood, and think of a memory of yours that you hope never drifts from your mind. 

We thank you again for joining us, and we hope to see more of you this weekend for our final five shows!