Double production of “Riders to the Sea” and “Cathleen Ni Houlihan” enacted at Messiah College
April 10th, 2008
GRANTHAM, Pa. (April 10, 2008) – From May 1–3, Messiah College’s department of theatre, in a double production of J. M. Synge’s and W. B. Yeats’ famous stage plays, will present two Irish tragedies: “Riders to the Sea” and “Cathleen Ni Houlihan.” The plays deal with themes of family and loss, with characters debating whether to release loved ones to the dangers of nature or the gamble of war. Both brief one-act plays will show back-to-back starting at 8 p.m. each evening. The performances will take place in Miller Auditorium, located in Climenhaga Fine Arts Center on the college’s Grantham campus. Tickets cost $10 and may be purchased by calling the Messiah College ticket office at (717) 691-6036.
About the production
Set in Ireland, both plays take an unflinching look at loss, whether by natural causes as in “Riders to the Sea,” or by man-made causes as in “Cathleen Ni Houlihan.” The inevitable sense of disruption to family life must be tempered by the characters’ abilities to cope and, ultimately, to find peace with their circumstances.
Student director Rena Dayton Moore ’08 draws on her own Irish ancestry to give life to Yeats and Synge’s plays. “In doing these two plays, I am exploring my own history and cultural understanding,” she says. “In this world of wars, rebellions, genocide and cancer, there are millions of people who know on a personal level what it means to lose someone close to them.”
About Messiah College
Messiah College, a private Christian college of the liberal and applied arts and sciences, enrolls 2,800 undergraduate students in 55 majors. Established in 1909, the primary campus is located in Grantham, Pa., near the state capital of Harrisburg. A satellite campus affiliated with Temple University is located in Philadelphia.