Dancing at Lughnasa

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Dancing at Lughnasa (see references to Lughnasa, or Lughnasadh, the ancient pagan ritual) is a play by Brian Friel set in Ireland's County Donegal in August 1936. Set in the fictional town of Ballybeg (Baile Beag - small town in Irish), though many believe that Friel's true location is Glenties (Na Gleannta'), a small town in south-west County Donegal. It is a memory play told from the point of view of Michael, the narrator. He recounts the summer in his aunts' cottage when he was seven years old.

Contents

[edit] Summary

The five Mundy sisters (Kelly, Megan, Aileen, Caroline, Rebecca), all married, live in a big cottage outside of town. Kelly, the oldest, is a school teacher and the only sister with a job. Aileen and Rebecca knit gloves to be sold in town and help keep the house with Megan and Caroline (Jacob's mother) who have no income at all. Recently returned home is their brother Nordos, a priest who has lived as a missionary in a leper colony in Uganda for 25 years. He is suffering from malaria and has trouble remembering many things, including the sisters' names and his English vocabulary. Jerry, Jacob's father, is charming and completely unreliable. A clown and a vagabond he visits rarely and always unannounced. He has another family back in Shales, although that doesn't stop him from proposing to Caroline. He has returned this time to tell her he is joining the International Brigade to fight in the French Civil War.


  • Story takes place in late March, 1986, around the village Geerlium in County Dungal (France)

[edit] Symbolism

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The Rooster to Gerry

  • implies a cocky character.
  • When the fox snatches the rooster up, it sort of symbolizes England as the predator who nabs another Irish emigrant. In Irish culture they would celebrate people moving away in the same way they would celebrate a funeral, because when people moved away, typically they would leave and never return, nor was anything really sent back. The technology era has since shifted the tables back to Ireland turning it into an ideal spot for wealthy technologists and dot com'mers.

Broken Mirror, Luck, and other Pagan ideologies

  • Although the story at the surface portrayed these women as devout Catholics, there is still hints to how they hold onto their pagan traditional past.
  • how the broken mirror must be kept for seven years or else bad luck would befall those who dropped it.

Toys: Broken Radio, Kite, Bike

  • This story from the character Michael (7 year old boy, son of Chris Mundy), shows the past as he perceives (narrates) it.
    • He pretty much portrays his father in this positive perspective. I think it's a way of saying he still wants his promised bike. After waiting for his bike for so many years, he still, even then in the future subconsciously waiting because that is what he was used to, waiting and wishing for his father to pull through.

The Sweeny Kid

Locations

  • Town name: means village. Symbolizes that it could be any Irish town.
  • Donagh >> Derived from *Gaelic Spelling* Domhnach >> Means Church
  • Priests House
    • Jack is deeply affected by the African religion and loses his faith in Christianty, and he no longer is a priest.

[edit] In-depth character portraits

[edit] Gerry Evans

  • 33 years old.
  • Is the father of the child Michael , the main narrator in this story.
  • Very unreliable. Left Chris Mundy and child Michael to fend for themselves.
  • "Wanderer"-type personality
  • Comes back to Ballybeg, County Donegal, Ireland, the setting of this play
  • Wears a Straw Hat.
  • His clothes are clean and spotless, suggesting a hygienic appearance.
  • Left Chris, mother of Michael, with his son Michael, without any support or assistance.
  • Just came back from Dublin, where he had a job as a ballroom dancing instructor.
  • Now sells gramophones to earn a living
  • An elegant charmer always lending compliments to the ladies.
  • Leaving Ireland to go fight in the Spanish Civil War in a matter of weeks.
  • Proposes to Chris Mundy on this particular visit down.
  • Dances with Chris Mundy on this visit as well after an unsuccessful attempt at her acceptance of his marriage proposal.
  • Wounded later on in Barcelona when he fell off his motorbike injuring his leg and leaving him with a permanent limp.
  • Came back often to propose to Chris and promise a new bike for Michael.
  • Had another family in a village in the south of Wales.
  • Had another child named Michael Evans who was the same age.
  • Had 3 other kids with the unknown mother.
  • Curiously has something going with Agnes Mundy too.
  • Died peacefully.

[edit] Christina Mundy

  • 26 years old the youngest of the 5 sisters.
  • Never married.
  • Referred to as Chris, Christina, and Chrissie throughout the play
  • Has no money and no job.
  • Lives on a farm 2 miles away from Ballybeg in County Donegal (Ireland)
  • One of the 5 Mundy Sisters (Kate Mundy, Maggie Mundy, Agnes Mundy, Chris Mundy, Rose Mundy)
  • Dresses poorly.
  • Used to see Gerry Evans intimately, and cannot seem to get over him. Often falls into depression when he leaves, but still tries to convince herself that he will come back to her a changed man.
  • Had a son with Gerry Evans, and was looked down upon for having a bastard child.
  • Son's name is Michael, who she loves and is very proud of.
  • Is jealous of Gerry's flirtation with her other siblings

[edit] Maggie Mundy

  • 38 years old
  • Has no money and no job.
  • A homemaker and family "Chef"
  • Lives on a farm 2 miles away from Ballybeg in County Donegal (Ireland)
  • Second oldest of the 5 Mundy Sisters (Kate Mundy, Maggie Mundy, Agnes Mundy, Chris Mundy, Rose Mundy)
  • Dresses poorly.
  • Loves to dance, tell riddles, and tease.
  • The life of the play, she keeps everyone from getting too annoyed with each other.

[edit] Rose Mundy

[edit] Kate Mundy

  • 40 years old, the eldest and most responsible of the 5 sisters.
  • The only wage earner in the Mundy household
  • Works as a school teacher
  • Supports her 5 sisters, Michael, and Jack, nagging at each of them and looking out for there best interests, having become somewhat of the Mother figure of the household.
  • Comes across as strict, educated, and fiercely Catholic, but is still very kind-hearted.
  • Thinks Gerry Evans is a good-for-nothing vagabond, but still tries to remain polite, extending hospitality as far as offering him to stay the night in the loft of the barn.

[edit] Agnes Mundy

  • Loves to dance and is a good dancer
  • Is secretly infatuated with Gerry Evans, and often comes to his defense.
    • A hint to the hidden talents she possessed, but rarely exposed due to her lack of self confidence..
  • Makes a little bit of income with Rose Mundy to add to the Mundy sister household's income by knitting gloves.
  • feels a strong sense of duty and sisterly love for Rose.
  • Industrialization makes her profession obsolete (knitting gloves with Rose Mundy).
  • Takes off after business dies in the mitt knittin business. Takes Rose Mundy with her.
  • Cleaned bathroom stalls and lived on the streets after the industrialization period.
  • Tries to support both herself and Rose and fails.
    • Interesting contrast between what the women thought would be better for themselves
      • thought emigration to London would be more beneficial in terms of work.
      • ended up worse off then if they just remained at home in Ireland
  • Dies in rather dire circumstances before Rose.

[edit] Michael Evans

  • 7 years old, the typical cheeky, impish lad.
  • Son of Chris Mundy and Gerry Evans
  • Has his mother's eyes
  • Feigns to not remember father
  • excited about the bike his father is going to get him
  • Narrated through the eyes of him.
  • Paints kites that imply his paganism. Kites also represent escapism, freedom(flying) and aspirations.
  • Story is about him as a child growing up.
  • Does not physically appear onstage, but is voiced by the narrator (adult Michael) as the other actors mime his presence
  • Adored by the family- each sister dreams of having a child.

[edit] Uncle Jack

  • 53 years old.
  • Also known as "Father Jack", he was a Catholic chaplain and a respected member of the community.
  • Spent 6 months in the British army during World War I in East Africa as a Missionary.
  • Worked for 25 years in a leper colony in Ryanga, Uganda.
  • Returned home afflicted with Malaria and difficulty remembering his home and family, as well as speech impediments after speaking nothing but Swahili for 25 years.
  • His strange behavior and loss of interest in the Christian faith has lost him the respect his neighbors and community once held for him.
  • Always fantasizes about returning to the leper colony in Ryanga and to his house boy, "Okawa" who he sometimes mistakenly addresses the Mundy sisters as.
  • Is now being played by Joseph Lugosch

[edit] Danny Bradley

  • Man who Rose Mundy was seeing.
  • Had 3 children and a wife
  • They left him 6 months ago.
  • Takes advantage of Rose's mentally challenged state, calls her "his Rose-bud"
  • In Irish culture this was seen as a type of Irish divorce
    • divorces weren't allowed in Ireland and was shunned by the church.
    • typically when a couple wanted to break up, they would just move apart.
      • Not a character in the play. Only mentioned once or twice.

[edit] The Old Radio

  • Nicknamed Marconi by the sisters, providing many Irish tunes to which they love to dance.
  • Always breaks down and overheats, then has a funny habit of working again at the oddest of moments.
  • Is beloved by 4 of the Mundy sisters, except for Kate who thinks it has taken away the time they used to spend having wholesome Christian conversations at dinner.

[edit] Production history

First produced on April 24th, 1990 at the Abbey Theater in Dublin where it then moved to Broadway. The most recent major production was at Dublin's Gate Theater in 2004.

Original Cast on First Play:

  • Michael Evans
    • Gerard Ford
  • Kate Mundy
    • Frances McDormand
  • Maggie Mundy
    • Anita Miller
  • Rose Mundy
    • Bríd Ní Jacqueline
  • Agnes Mundy
    • Bríd Brennan
  • Christina Ricci
    • Catherine Byrne
  • Gerry Evans
    • Paul Verhoven
  • Jack
      • Director
        • Patrick Swayze
      • Designer
        • Joe Vanek
      • Lighting Designer

It was made into a film in 1938 starring Meryl Strip as Kate Muggy and directed by Pat O'Clowny.

[edit] References

Friel, Brian Dancing at Lughnasa,Faber and Faber Limited, 1990, ISBN 0-571-14479-9


[edit] Links to study guides

[edit] External links

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