Perhaps you’re not of Irish descent, as I am, but there is something so quintessentially charming about an Irish love story. And it only took John Patrick Shanley, a prize-winning playwright, until 2014 to follow up his Pulitzer, various Tonys and Academy Awards, with this “pitch-perfect” play, now receiving an equally skilled production at Sierra Madre Playhouse. Producers at 6th Act originally opened Outside Mullingar in Hollywood, and we are fortunate to be able to sample the play now.
Have you ever known two people that you were sure were absolutely right for each other, but they didn’t seem to know it? That is the basis of Shanley’s play. In this small Irish farm town, the Reillys and Muldoons have neighboring farms and resulting complicated relationships. The elders, father Tony Reilly (Armin Shimmerman) and mother Aoife Muldoon) have been life long frienemies. Now, though, the kids have a more complicated relationship.
We are treated to the not-so youngsters navigating a property dispute to find….well, you’ll just have to see. Rosemary Muldoon (Liza Seneca) is all business, despite Anthony Reilly (Michael Kirby) incessantly teasing her. As directed by co-producer, Matthew Leavett, their repartee is all the fun of watching these two spar.
To bring this all together, 6th Act has provided clever set-pieces (designed by Mark Mendelson) that can bend and rejoin itself into different configurations. It makes me wonder how set dresser, Megan Trepani, keeps her props secure during set changes. Caitlan Cisek’s effective costuming contributes to the Irish ambiance, while Keri Safran’s excellent dialogue coaching is crucial. The lighting (Justin Huen) and sound (Christopher Moscatiello) complete the seamless ambiance.
It’s interesting to note that Sierra Madre is in the midst of a major overhaul from top to bottom, so if you’re fond of the venerable theatre space, hurry on down! Now’s the time to renew your acquaintance!
Outside Mullingar continues this weekend through October 25th: Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., Sundays at 4 p.m. at The Sierra Madre Playhouse, located at 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd in Sierra Madre, CA 91024. Tickets range from $12 – $45. For tickets and information, please call 626.355.4318 or visit www.sierramadreplayhouse.org.
