David Hurst takes a look at The Home Place:
The late Irish playwright Brian Friel (1929-2015) gave us more than five decades of dazzling drama including Philadelphia, Here I Come (1964), Faith Healer (1979), and Dancing at Lughnasa (1990). Frequently likened to Chekhov in his introspective examinations of family relationships, Friel's The Home Place (2005) was his last play set in the town of Ballybeg (the fictional location for many of his works) and his final full-scale work. It also happens to be the first offering of the fall season at the Irish Repertory Theatre. Set in 1878 as the pushback to Ascendancy authority is gaining momentum (and before the Land Wars have begun), The Home Place is tricky because it requires at least a rudimentary knowledge of the Home rule movement in 19th century Ireland to follow the plot and the character's motivations. Unfortunately, it's difficult to judge the totality of Friel's play based on the uneven staging currently on view at the Irish Rep. Yet despite its shortcomings, Friel's writing still shimmers with its customary lyricism. . . . |
