Arís! Theatre, Atlanta’s 3-year-old stage for Celtic culture, plans a mix of mainstage works, staged readings and special events for its 2016 season.
Up first, on Jan. 25, is a Burns Night Celebration at Hodgepodge Coffeehouse and Gallery on Moreland Avenue. Gather to celebrate the life and work of the great Scottsh poet Robert Burns (1759-1786) on the anniversary of his birth. 7 p.m. $10 at the door.
Next is A Celtic Valentine on Feb. 21-22. This annual fundraiser features Celtic music, dancing, poetry and a few surprises. You’ll also find Arís! (uh-REESH) this year at Labor Day weekend’s Decatur Book Festival, IrishFest in November and Atlanta’s Celtic Christmas in December.
The rest of the season:
Mainstage
Stones in His Pockets | May 5-22. This comedy by Northern Ireland’s Marie Jones follows what happens when a Hollywood production crew moves in to a small town on the coast of Ireland. Cultures clash and hearts are broken. The show had a Tony-nominated run on Broadway in 2001.
The Weir | Oct. 13-30. Irishman Conor McPherson’s ghost story takes place in a small pub in rural Ireland, where the drink flows and the talk turns to tales of terror. The Weir was voted one of the 100 most significant plays of the 20th century in a poll conducted by London’s Royal National Theatre, tying for 40th place with Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh, Samuel Beckett’s Endgame and Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge. Heady company.
Staged readings
The Plough and the Stars | April 25-26. The Sean O’Casey classic takes place in November 1915-16, looking toward the liberation of Ireland, and the Easter Rising. The Arís! reading, produced in conjunction with the Irish Consulate in Atlanta, commemorates the 100th anniversary of the historic uprising.
Ulysses | June 14-15. Atlanta premiere. Described as an “ingenious adaptation” of the James Joyce novel by Irish novelist, playwright and poet Dermot Bolger. You’re invited to come see what all the fuss is about. Recommended for mature audiences only.
Katie Roche | Aug. 1. Atlanta premiere. A drama by Teresa Deevy, described by Arís! as an “important and almost forgotten” Irish playwright, whose plays were popular at Dublin’s Abbey Theatre in the 1930s. The piece, about a vivacious, seductive woman with no family, was Deevy’s greatest success.
Poets and Saints
St. Patrick’s Day at Souper Jenny | March 17. Before you head to the pub for a pint (or two) of Guinness, you’re invited to stop by Souper Jenny in Decatur for a meal and conversation with the Arís! gang. There may even be some spontaneous singing.
