The second production from Rochester Community Players during its landmark 100th season The Ferryman by Jez Butterworth. Directed by Jean Gordon Ryon, this award-winning drama set in 1981 takes place in rural Northern Ireland during “The Troubles,” a dangerous time with threats of violence from both the IRA (Irish Republican Army) and the English military.
The Carneys–a large farming family–have been living for 10 years with a mystery that has had a long-term impact on everyone: the unsolved disappearance of Seamus Carney, a member of the IRA. When a visitor arrives during their annual harvest celebration, they get unexpected news that soon turns their world upside down.
The Ferryman is by turns funny and dark as it explores family secrets, grief, and the impact of political violence on everyday life. The extended Carney family includes a multi-generational cast of 21 people with characters ranging in age from children and teens to adults in their 20s through 80s. All of them face changes in their lives as the play’s story unfolds.
Director Jean Gordon Ryon says, “This is a grand sweep of a play filled with big emotions and important moral choices, but audiences don’t need to know the history of Ireland to understand and enjoy its powerful story.”
The Ferryman premiered in London in 2017 and won several “Best Play” awards. The Guardian newspaper described it as “A rich, serious, deeply involving play about the shadows of the past and the power of silent love.” After opening on Broadway the following year, four Tony Awards were added to the play’s accolades.
RCP’s performances of The Ferryman are 7:00 p.m. on April 18, 19, 25, 26 and May 1, 2, 3 plus a matinee at 2:00 p.m. on April 27. The Saturday evening show on April 26 is ASL-interpreted.
All performances are at the Multi-use Community Cultural Center (MuCCC), 142 Atlantic Avenue in Rochester. Tickets at $20 general admission and $15 senior/student can be purchased in advance at www.muccc.org or at the door before each show.
Rochester Community Players is the oldest community theatre in Rochester, second-oldest in New York, and among the oldest continuously operating community theatres in the United States. Its production of The Ferryman is a licensed amateur production by arrangement with Nick Hern Books.
Cast
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| Quinn Carney | Tyler Wolff |
| Mary Carney | Andrea Daszkiewicz |
| Caitlin Carney | Liz Preston |
| Aunt Patricia Carney | Barbara Lobb |
| Uncle Patrick Carney | Wyatt Doremus |
| Aunt Maggie Faraway | Vicki Casarett |
| Muldoon | Shaun Milner |
| Frank Magennis | David Byrne |
| Lawrence Malone | Larry Ploscowe |
| Tom Kettle | Vince Dalba |
| Father Horrigan | David Runzo |
| James Joseph Carney | Derek Schneider |
| Michael Carney | Brennan Saur |
| Shena Carney | Juliet Besch-Turner |
| Nunuu Carney | Jamie Ryder |
| Mercy Carney | Kendall Pellegrino |
| Honor Carney | Isabelle Donahue |
| Oisin Carney | Ry Felser |
| Shane Corcoran | Luke Dempster |
| Diarmaid Corcoran | Brian Fedeli |
| Declan Corcoran | Jacob Tirado |
Production Team
| Director | Jean Gordon Ryon |
| Production Stage Manager | Emily Parry |
| Assistant Stage Manager | Kathleen Doremus |
| Production Manager | Ken Dauer |
| Scenic Designer/Tech Director | Ken Dauer |
| Lighting Designer | Kenneth DeBot |
| Costume Designer | Shelly Stam |
| Sound Designer | Ken Dauer |
| Producer | Vincent Carbone |
| Co-Producer | Michael Krickmire |
| Fight Director | Jessica Young Carbonel |
| Intimacy Coach | Jill Rittinger |
| Dialect Coaches | Ruth Childs, Susan Fischer |
| ASL Interpreter | Luane Davis Haggerty |
| Dramaturg | Amy Canfield |