J.M. Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World
Queens College Department of Drama, Theatre and Dance (Charles Repole, Chair) and the Irish Studies Program (Clare Carroll, Director) proudly present the 101st anniversary production of J.M Synge’s
The Playboy of the Western World
Directed by Susan Einhorn, Professor of Theatre and Director of Acting, Department of Drama, Theatre and Dance
In countries where the imagination of the people, and the language they use, is rich and living, it is possible for a writer to be rich and copious in his words, and at the same time, give the reality, which is the root of all poetry, in a comprehensive and natural form. –J.M. Synge
First performed in 1907, The Playboy of the Western World caused riots during its opening week at Dublin’s Abbey Theatre. Inspired by Synge’s close observations of life in the Aran Islands off the coast of Ireland (his home in the Aran Islands, Teach Synge, is featured, left) this realistic, though poetic, exploration of the mores and manners of Irish life angered early theatregoers who found Synge’s treatment indecent and incendiary; however, one hundred and one years of critical acclaim have deemed Playboy a masterwork of Irish literature and Synge one of the most highly regarded Irish dramatists.
Set in County Mayo on the west coast of Ireland, the play follows Christy Mahon, a young man on the run who claims to have killed his father, as it explores his interactions with the villagers who receive him and his relationship with the young Pegeen Flaherty.