Overview
Synopsis
It is August 1878 in County Donegal, Ireland, at the Lodge, the decaying home of the Gores, a family of English aristocrats. The time is just before the onset of agrarian reform, the movement that would begin to restore Ireland to the Irish. Christopher Gore, an unassuming, kindly landlord, longs for the peace of his home county in England, a place his family hasn't lived in generations, but his true home is here in Ireland, where he is no longer welcome. The problem worsens when his cousin, Richard, arrives to conduct anthropological experiments on the native Irish. He hopes to prove, using skull measurements and other eugenic methods, that they are inferior to the English. Christopher is afraid the experiments will offend the locals, which, of course, they do. Much of Richard's ridiculous science is played for laughs, but the racism and casual superiority he exhibits are anything but amusing. Christopher must make a choice in the end whether to support his cousin or to show loyalty to his tenants. Calm seems to be restored, but the audience knows that the Troubles are just around the corner.
Show Information
- Book
- Brian Friel
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 2005
- Genres
- Drama, Historical/Biographical
- Settings
- Period, Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- County Donegal, Ireland, 1878
- Cast Size
- medium
- Ideal For
- College/University, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Adult, Young Adult, Late Teen, Child Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Non-singer |
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|
Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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