Keltic Dreams Celebrate St. Patrick's Day at City Hall

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn hosted this year's City Council Celebration of Irish Heritage and Culture on Wednesday, March 12. Senator George Mitchell received the Thomas Manton Irish Man of the Year Award, Staten Island's own Assemblyman Michael Cusik and the CEO and publisher of the Irish Echo, Mairtin O'Muilleoir, and the Committee to Save St. Brigid's Church also won awards.

But by far and away the evening belonged to the 30 young stepdancers from PS 59 in the South Bronx, and their teacher Caroline Duggan. The children are of African-American and Hispanic descent, but they do a mean Riverdance. Ms. Duggan, who is from Dublin, is to be saluted for her devotion to her children, and their education.

March's festivities will continue; the next big event at City Hall is the Irish Heritage and Culture Week Celebration on March 28th.

Patricia Jameson-Sammartano
Culture Editor, WGT


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/14/nyregion/14educ.html?ex=1206072000&en=6e76d50362c77a88&ei=5099&partner=TOPIXNEWS

News Flash from Northern Ireland - Paisley to Step Down as First Minister

It was reported this evening by Reuters that Antrim-born Ian Paisley will be resigning his position as First Minister of Northern Ireland in May. The Presbyterian minister, long infamous for his vitriolic diatribes against the Catholic population of the world, entered into the power sharing agreement brought about by the Good Friday agreement of 1998, which was implemented in 2007.

"No Surrender!" became compromise, after years of hatred. Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness, a former IRA commander, became Deputy First Minister. In an oxymoronic move, Northern Ireland's "Dr. No" became famous to a new generation for saying "yes" to power-sharing with the Irish Republicans, and that may eventually have been the reason for the surprise resignation. Paisley was initially to have served a four year term.

The 81-year old evangelist, head of the Democratic Unionist Party, the largest unionist party in Northern Ireland, and leader of his own insurgent Free Presbyterian Church since 1951, was first elected to Parliament in 1970 and to the European Parliament in 1979. According to CNN, in January he was forced to stand down as leader of the anti-Catholic sect because people were disappointed by his compromise.

No overt reason has been given for his resignation; his son, Ian, Jr. was forced to resign from the coalition due to ethical misconduct, but Dr. Paisley has sworn that had nothing to do with his resignation as First Minister. Last summer, Martin McGuinness visited New York and was feted; he said then that Paisley was ill.

Reaction to the surprise move was that this is the end of a 40-year old era for Northern Ireland politics, and people on both sides of the struggle had praise for Dr. Paisley's leadership.

Patricia Jameson-Sammartano

Culture Editor, WGT

http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKL0455485820080305?sp=true&pageNumber=3&virtualBrandChannel=0

http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKL0424769920080304

http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKL044936320080304?sp=true

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/03/04/paisley.quits.ap/index.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7270000/newsid_7278300/7278389.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&asb=1&news=1&bbcws=1

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/04/AR2008030401438.html?hpid=moreheadlines

Irish Notes at the Oscars

The 80th Oscars have ended, and the Irish have walked away with two awards; Daniel Day-Lewis, the Dublin actor, won as Best Actor for his astounding performance in "There Will Be Blood," the movie based on Sinclair Lewis' novel "Oil." This was as he was "knighted" with the golden statue by last year's Best Actress, Helen Mirren; Day-Lewis quipped, "And that's the closest I'll ever come to getting a knighthood, so thank you." The You Tube posted below is one of the last scenes in the movie; it's the milkshake scene. Saying he had been thinking of fathers and sons, Day-Lewis dedicated the award to the memory of his grandfather, father, the writer, Cecil Day-Lewis("The Chronicles of Narnia")and his three sons Gabriel, Ronan and Cashel.

By far the surprise award went to Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová for the lovely ballad "Falling Slowly" from the movie "Once," described as the little movie that could. The duo performed the Best Song earlier in the evening, and beat out three songs from the Disney movie "Enchanted." Markéta made Oscar history when she was led back onstage by host Jon Stewart after a commercial break so that she could give her thank-you speech. Both their performance and acceptance speeches were uploaded very quickly to You Tube, so we have included them here.

Day-Lewis, born in London and now living in County Wicklow, was the favorite to win Best Actor; other winners included Best Actress Marion Cotilliard, born in Paris("La Vie En Rose"), Best Supporting Actor Javier Bardem, born in the Canary Islands and now living in Madrid("No Country for Old Men), and Best Supporting ActressTilda Swinton, born in London and now living in Scotland("Michael Clayton"). - who in an aside to George Clooney, said, " the seriousness and the dedication to your art, seeing you climb into that rubber bat suit from "Batman & Robin," the one with the nipples, every morning under your costume, on the set, off the set, hanging upside-down at lunch, you rock, man!" Both women were surprise choices; both men, expected to win. "No Country for Old Men" was named best picture and the Coen brothers won the Oscar for Directing Achievement; "No Country" also won for adapted screenplay, from Cormac McCarthy's novel.

Patricia Jameson-Sammartano
Culture Editor, WGT

"Take this sinking boat and point it home We've still got time Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice You've made it now ."(chorus of "Falling Slowly")



http://www.oscars.org/80academyawards/winners/01_lead_actor.html
http://www.oscars.org/80academyawards/winners/16_music_song.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIj2cuSLWIM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFsS2Sp4L3U&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe5ybN3eh-A

Divine Intervention for St. Brigid's Church

Sunday night, February 10, a mighty wind blew around New York City. Beleagured St. Brigid's Church on the Lower East Side, which has been the subject of many protests, fundraisers, and hearings in State Supreme Court, held up despite the wind.

Ironically, the scaffolding erected by the Archdiocese of New York as a preventive service to the community was blown to smithereens, according to Edwin Torres, the head of the Committee to Save St. Brigid's. Torres commented on the irony of the modern structure, which was erected in the summer of 2006, being blown apart in a windstorm, while the church itself, which has stood for 161 years, the latter two of them exposed to the elements because the Archdiocese tried to destroy the church before being stopped by a restraining order. Windows were broden, the wall was broken -- "Yet still she stands," said Torres.

Ah, the power of prayer.

Patricia Jameson-Sammartano
Culture Editor, WGT

Irish Rep's 'Disciple' A Devilishly Good Play

"The Devil's Disciple" by George Bernard Shaw, now up at Manhattan's Irish Reportory Theatre, while not one of his major works, offers a fine evening, indeed. The play dates to 1897 and is the only play of Shaw's to be set during the American Revolution. It's the story of one Richard Dudgeon, also known as Dick, his mother Annie, his brother Christy, his Uncle Titus, and his cousin Essie. It's set in 1777 in rural New Hampshire; the first act is in the Dudgeon home.

The rascally Dick Dudgeon, serenely self-confident, is home to hear read his dead father's new and final will, where it is revealed that he is heir to the family home. His mother rushes out in anger.

Dick is a nonconformist and that grates on his Presbyterian family -- especially his mother -- and the local minister, Anthony Armstrong. Judith, the minister's wife, is appalled by the fact that Dudgeon is a nonconformist. In the second act, Judith is left alone in the Armstrong house with Dudgeon, while her husband rushes out to attend to Mrs. Dudgeon on her deathbed. Richard remarks that if anyone were to enter the house and see the two of them at tea, they would mistake them for man and wife.

British soldiers arrive and announce that they have come for Anthony Anderson, who is to be tried as a rebel. Dick takes his place, to Judith's sudden consternation, who suddenly sees him as heroic.

The third act takes place in the courtroom, with Major Swinton and General John Burgoyne presiding over Dick's trial. When Dick asks "Gentleman Johnny" to be shot as a soldier rather than hung as a traitor, Burgoyne counters, "Have you any idea of the average marksmanship of the army of King George the Third?" prompting the biggest laugh of the evening.

There is much to enjoy about this play -- for one, the staging by Tony Walton is remarkable. Shaw's wit shines through the entire performance. The settings are sparse and convincing, and good use is made of the Irish Rep's dual-sided stage. Rebecca Lustig's costumes add much to the play's period feel. The musical sound-effects provide additional authenticity.

Acting by Curzon Dobell (Anderson), Jenny Fellner (Judith), Lorenzo Pisoni (Dick), Craig Pattison (dual role as Christy Dudgeon and the Executioner), Darcy Pulliam (Mrs. Dudgeon), Robert Sedgewick (Swindon) and John Windstor-Cunningham (Burgoyne) was crisp throughout.
This play has been revived on Broadway, the last being in 1998-89. Don't wait the requisite years for the next revival. This one is outstanding, and closes Feb. 10th.

Patricia Jameson-Sammartano
Culture Editor, TheWildGeese.com

The Iceman Cometh: Ted Mann Reflects on O'Neill

The O'Neill Festival screened "The Iceman Cometh," a 1960 Play of the Week directed by Sidney Lumet, starring Jason Robards Jr. and a very young Robert Redford.

The film depicts the accounts surrounding the 60th birth day party of saloonkeeper Harry Hope, an Irish ward heeler, and the down and out characters who inhabit his Last Chance Saloon. They correspond to O'Neill's friends in his younger years, and the play is highly political. They are waiting for Theodore Hickman(Hickey) to arrive; Larry Slade and Don Parrit are dropouts from the anarchist movement.
Ted Mann, Producer, Circle in the Square
and Avrim Ludwig of "Inside the Actors' Studio"
Photo credit: Patricia Jameson-Sammartano

Ted Mann, who produced the 1956 Circle in the Square presentation of "Iceman", told of the play not succeeding on Broadway and of being summoned, with director Jose Quintero, by Mrs. O'Neill to talk about putting on the play at Circle in the Square, which had been a former nightclub with the windows painted over(to avoid the Prohibition revenue agents) The actors entering looked like ghosts.

Howard da Silva had originally been cast as Hickey, but left due to other commitments. According to a search of both Internet Movie and Broadway Databoards, he never did an O'Neill play; talk about missed opportunities. Jason Robards insisted on auditioning for the role, even though he had already been cast in the play. He read the 4th act monologue, and Mann said, "It was his role; nobody could touch Jason." Mann also recounted how he and Quintero called Robards' 12th Street home after the audition and asked for Hickey, just to let Robards know he had the role.

We were treated to a first-person account of theater history; Robards became associated with male roles in O'Neill plays, just as Jose Quintero became the "O'Neill Director." Mann produced both of them. Redford, who was an unknown actor cast by Sidney Lumet in the movie, went on to become Bob Woodward in "All the Presidents' Men," in which Robards appeard as Washington Post Managing Editor Ben Bradlee.

Returning to "Iceman," the denizens of the Last Chance all have hopes of one sort or another, and "these pipe dreams or aspirations are what kept them alive," according to Mann. He sees that as the essence of the play. He said that the current Broadway hit, "The Seafarer" also is acted much the way "Iceman" was, very naturalistically, and said of Robards, "Jason was needier onstage."

Mann has recently publlished his memoir, "Journeys In the Night."

And of "Long Day's Journey Into Night" which Mann also produced in 1956, he said that Mrs. O'Neill approached them and said no changes were to be made to the script and she would have to approve the cast. Eugene O'Neill had left instructions in his will that this play not be published until 25 years after his death(1953); by 1956, his sons Shane and Eugene Jr. had both committed suicide, and his daughter Oona was disinherited because she had married Charlie Chaplin. "The children were all dead to O'Neill," said Mann.

Production details on the original "Long Days Journey:" the cost of production was under $200,000 in 1956, and dentist friends of Mann's put up $250 a share for the play. Better than pulling teeth.

Patricia Jameson-Sammartano
Culture Editor, WGT

http://www.backstage.com/bso/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003685021

O'Neill Festival at Provincetown Playhouse: O'Neill's Favorite Film

Think of John Wayne in a movie directed by John Ford. "The Searchers?" "Fort Apache?" "The Quiet Man?" "Rio Grande?" "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence?" All are correct answers, but not the one we're looking for.

Imagine Wayne cast as an able-bodied Swedish seaman, complete with accent, and you have him in Eugene O'Neill's "The Long Voyage Home." Ole Olsen, who just wants to get back to his mother on the farm in Sweden. Motif, anyone?

Ed Berkeley, Julliard, director, Sea Plays

Photo credit: Patricia Jameson-Sammartano

"Voyage" is really four O'Neill plays distilled into one:"Bound East for Cardiff"(1916), "In the Zone"(1917), "The Long Voyage Home"(1917), and "The Moon of the Caribees"(1918). Dudley Nichols gets the screenwriting credit. The movie was filmed in 1940, explaining the references to the Fifth Column and the World War II propaganda.

John Ford's well-cast ensemble included a seaman of every ethnic type(the beginnings of political correctness masquerading as assimilation?), including Thomas Mitchell, who had played Gerald O'Hara in "Gone With the Wind" the year before. Mildred Natwick, who would play the Widow Tillane, Barry Fitzgerald, Michaleen Oge Flynn, and Ward Bond, Father Lonergan, all in "The Quiet Man," were also in "The Long Voyage Home."

Proving, we guess, that a good ensemble knows how to stay together.

According to the Internet Movie Database, this was Eugene O'Neill's favorite film; John Ford gave him a print and he watched it so many times, he wore it out.

Next up: "The Iceman Cometh" and Wednesday evening,"Anna Christie" with post- screening discussion by Liam Neeson.

Patricia Jameson-Sammartano

Culture Editor, WGT

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032728/