DANIEL JOHN KELLEY

I’ve been all week in Dublin. It’s been a fun time. 

Monday, I arrived- after a long long delay on a Delta flight- and proceeded to meet up with my host- who is delightful- and go back and put downy my bags. Monday night, being only one of two nights free from workshopping, I went to the theatre. 

I went to Loose Canon Theatre’s  production of Phaedra’s Love by Sarah Kane. Firstly, the space was great- wall twenty feet high draped with backlit white cloth. The audience was seated on long white benches on the edges of the space, while the actors wandered about in the playing space in the center. 

As for the production, it certainly had its effect. By the end, several members of the audience were weeping uncontrollably. I don’t remember the last time I was at the theatre when that happened. The violence of the piece was highly stylized in a way that evoked the true horror of the violent acts being committed- both in a visual sense and an audio sense- and you would must be dead inside if you didn’t feel something afterwards. 

Tuesday, I did some research for a play I’m going to start work on soon about elevator music/muzak. Did you know that in the 1950s the comedian Jackie Gleason produced a variety of orchestral background music albums called Jackie Gleason presents, and one of them features cover art by Salvador Dali?

After that, I wandered around Dublin- doing my best to avoid the giant mobs of tourists. Tuesday night was the first workshop- which went well. Got some great feedback on the play and spent most of Wednesday during the day re-working the second act. 

Wednesday night was the second workshop- which also went well- we started looking at some scenes on their feet, and did a little character improv to help brainstorm ideas in different places. Very useful stuff!

Now it’s Thursday, and my trip is almost over. It went by so fast! Soon, back to the old New York grind! Until then…I will explore.