The sweet and the bitter of family life: Laredo Little Theatre presents Dancing at Lughnasa March 11-13

By Tom Moore

A nostalgic view of the joys and sorrows of 1930s rural Irish family life will be presented by the Laredo Little Theatre with the March production of Dancing at Lughnasa, the Tony Award-winning play by Brian Friel, directed by Norma and Terry Hannigan. Dancing at Lughnasa will run for one weekend, Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 13 at 3 p.m.

Dancing at Lughnasa (pronounced LOO-na-sa) tells the story of seven-year-old Michael and his mother and four aunts, the Mundy sisters, who acquire their first wireless radio. Their lives near the village of Ballybeg are disrupted by arrival of two visitors. Michael's Uncle Jack, the eldest Mundy sibling, has returned from 25 years as a missionary in Uganda . His memories of African paganism are mirrored by the bonfire ceremonies of Lughnasa, an ancient Celtic rite honoring the sun god Lugh still observed in the hills outside Ballybeg. Also turning up is Michael's father Gerry Evans, who never married his mother and who deserted her, returning only rarely to see her.

Norma and Terry Hannigan had been interested in directing Lughnasa for some time. “About five or six years ago when we first learned about the Laredo Little Theatre, we thought it would be a lot of fun to be involved there, especially with works by Irish playwrights like Brian Friel, who wrote Dancing at Lughnasa,” said Norma. “We had proposed doing the show once before a few years ago but ended up co-directing The Importance of Being Earnest by the Irishman Oscar Wilde, a better known work. That show was a great success so we thought we would give this a whirl.”

As Americans of Irish descent, the Hannigans felt a strong connection to the play, and chose to set the performance dates near St. Patrick's Day. “Terry and I both come from families that emigrated to the United States from Ireland -- his parents were from Counties Kerry and Longford and my mother's mother was from Limerick ,” said Norma. “The feast day of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland , is celebrated on March 17th. In many cities in the U.S. , St. Patrick's Day is celebrated with huge parades and parties. We just felt that doing a play with an Irish theme would be a novel way to commemorate St. Patrick and all things Irish around the time of his feast day. There is also a very special Irish/Hispanic connection in many parts of the Latin American world. The San Patricios, a group of Irishmen who fought with the Mexicans back in the 1850s, have a plaque commemorating their contribution in Mexico City . San Patricio county right here in South Texas was settled by Irish newly arrived to this country. The great hero of the Chilean republic in South America is Bernardo O'Higgins, whose father emigrated from Ireland (O'Higgins is one of the few times you hear the letter ‘H' pronounced in Spanish -- except for Hannigan, of course).”

Dancing at Lughnasa offers an honest view of family dynamics, celebrating the happiness that families experience while never shying away from more negative aspects. “The story speaks to the mixed blessings of all family life,” said Hannigan. “Entwined in the story are love, teasing and humor, harsh words, control, tenderness, and secrets. The Mundy family has managed to overcome certain social obstacles; they adore young Michael, born out of wedlock, at a time and in a place where such occurrences were considered unforgivable. In spite of the economically difficult times, they are able to maintain the household and even welcome their brother back into it after many years. Michael, the narrator now an adult, looks back on his boyhood summer of 1936 and shares his remembrances with us. Some are bitter, others sweet. It tells us that all families have struggles; when we look back we need not ignore the hard times but neither should we forget that there was joy.”

Would an audience find some of the darker elements of the story difficult, for example the pagan rituals of Lughnasa and of the town in Africa where Father Jack lived? “There are only references made to these, no acting out of them,” said Hannigan. “Other dark elements are the failed expectations of a young boy who only fleetingly gets to know his absent father, economic hard times in Ireland of the 1930s, and the eventual dissolution of the family. The audience will feel some melancholy at these events, perhaps even a little anger at some of the characters for their behavior. Lughnasa, the celebration of the harvest in honor of the Celtic god Lugh, holds an uneasy juxtaposition with the Catholic Church, as does Father Jack's acceptance and incorporation of certain of the local rituals in Uganda where he was a missionary.”

A 1998 film adaptation of Dancing at Lughnasa directed by Pat O'Connor and starred Meryl Streep remains faithful to the play, said Hannigan. “Much of the dialogue is the same,” she said. “Unfortunately, we do not have the fabulous Irish countryside to share with the audience as in the movie. We do, however, have wonderfully talented actors to bring the Irishness of the play to Laredo, and are confident that the set will transport to the wee town of Ballybeg.”

That cast includes Karen Garza (Maggie), Christopher Mendoza (Father Jack), Jacqueline Orfila (Rose), Bernardo Ramirez (Gerry Evans), Marcela Ramirez (Agnes), Samantha Ramirez (Kate), Lori Richard (Christine), Dale Youngs (Michael, as a man), and Sam Youngs (Michael, as a boy).

“Their reaction to the story has been one of interest in learning more about Ireland and its culture (we often have ‘Ireland 101' sessions before rehearsals so that the actors understand the underlying meaning behind certain lines they are saying),” said Hannigan. “The trials and tribulations of the characters have universal meaning, and the actors are learning to relate to their characters as people who might be from right here in town. The most fun for them, I think, has been learning to speak with an Irish accent and doing a little Irish dancing.”

Tickets for Dancing at Lughnasa are $5 and can be purchased at the Laredo Little Theatre, 4802 Thomas Ave., corner of East Calton, on the day of the performance.