world Premiere.
wRITTEN BY shannon o’neill.
fEBRUARY - aPRIL 2023 @ THE FACTORY THEATER, CHICAGO. EXTENDED BY POPULAR DEMAND!
“Highly Recommended! Davis, as a director, has created something searing and indelible. He masterfully weaves his touches into the O’Neill script. As brilliant as the text is, this is a production where the talents of the director are equally apparent.”
In 1960s Belfast, conflicts between political factions threaten to tear Northern Ireland apart from the inside, and sisters Fianna and Regan Kelly feel compelled to fight for their homeland. But when they join the ranks of the Provisional IRA and find themselves committing acts of brutal terrorism and guerrilla warfare, both young women are forced to question how much they're willing to destroy in the name of unity. Playwright Shannon O'Neill and director Spenser Davis follow up their critically acclaimed May the Road Rise Up with a story of political upheaval and taking a stand.
Winner - Best New Play
(2024 Jeff Awards)
“Highly Recommended! Commanding performances make [The Kelly Girls] a standout... The directing in this play is marvelous! Davis moves us seamlessly from scene to scene, and the mounting tension brings us to several high points... ”
“Recommended! In both O’Neill’s script and Spenser Davis’s staging, there [is] a strong through line of family ties, which adds even more gray areas to a story that is already rife with contradictions and conundrums. And I mean that in a good way... the messiness of these characters and their choices breathe...”
“Recommended! Directed by Spenser Davis, [it] carries a strong emotional punch... Brilliant sound and light effects [work] together to depict bombs, a kidnapping by truck, and distant gunfire...”
“Davis paces it in rapid fire... masterfully stages the violence from every angle and corner. Bombs detonate. Guns fire. The ensemble brings the tension and the unforgiving hostility.”
“The Kelly Girls is the very definition of an ensemble production. The Factory Theater’s design team has created theatrical magic. The grit of 1960s Dublin is apparent as the audience enters the theater. This production reminded me of some of the best of 1980s Chicago Off-Loop theater.”
CAST:
Fianna Kelly | AMBER WASHINGTON
Regan Kelly | BRITTNEY BROWN
Dierdre Kelly | ANNE SHERIDAN SMITH
Shane Kelly | BEN VEATCH
Hugh Keane | PATRICK BLASHILL
Aiofe Connolly | MANDY WALSH
Gerry Sullivan | ROBERT KOON
Denny | JOSHUA SERVANTEZ
Oscar | VIC KULIGOSKI
Brendan Rohan | ELLIOT SAGAY
Fianna u/s | DANI PIKE
Regan u/s | KATY CAMPBELL
Dierdre u/s | JEAN MARIE KOON
Hugh/Shane u/s | TRAVIS BARNHART
Brendan u/s | CHASE WHEATON-WERLE
Aiofe u/s | JILL IVERSON
Gerry u/s | JIM HEATHERLY
Denny u/s | COLLAN SIMMONS
CREATIVE TEAM:
SHANNON O’NEILL | Playwright
SPENSER DAVIS | Director
SHELBY BURGUS | Stage Manager
BECCA HOLLOWAY | Production Manager
CHARLIE IRVING | Assistant Director
MANNY ORTIZ | Scenic Designer
DAVID GEINOSKY | Scenic Painter
BENJAMIN CARNE | Lighting Designer
HANNAH FOERSCHLER | Sound Designer
RACHEL LAMBERT | Costume Designer
MEG X. McGRATH | Props Designer / Mural Painter
JENNIFER L. MICKELSON | Intimacy Designer
CHRIS SMITH | Fight Director
LAUREN GRACE THOMPSON | Dialect Coach
C.W. VAN BAALE | Master Electrician