Irish Arts Center presents

CHEKHOV'S FIRST PLAY

A DEAD CENTRE PRODUCTION
U.S. PREMIERE
OCTOBER 19–NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Run time: 70 minutes. No intermission.

Text: Anton Chekhov, Ben Kidd, and Bush Moukarzel
Direction: Ben Kidd and Bush Moukarzel
Producer: Cally Shine

Sofya Yegorovna: Alexandra Conlon
Aleksandra Ivanovna: Tara Egan-Langley
Porfiry Semyonovich Glagolyev: Daniel Reardon
Nikolay Ivanovich Triletsky: Paul Reid
Sergey Pavlovich Voinitsev: Dylan Tighe
Anna Petrovna Voinitseva: Ali White
Understudies: Joey Shaw, Carey Urban

Set design: Andrew Clancy
Costume design: Saileóg O’Halloran
Lighting design: Stephen Dodd
Sound design: Jimmy Eadie and Kevin Gleeson
Effects and onstage design: Grace O’Hara
Choreography: Liv O’Donoghue

U.S. PRODUCTION CREDITS

Production stage manager (U.S., Actors' Equity): Sam Shapiro
Assistant stage manager (U.S., Actors' Equity): Jacob Russell
Production manager (Ireland): Anthony Hanley
Tour re-lighter (Ireland): Gavin Kennedy
Costume/prosthetics (Ireland): Ellen Kirk
Stage manager (Ireland): Olivia Drennan
Senior stage technician (Ireland): Eugenia Genunchi
Assistant stage manager (Ireland): Nora Kelly Lester
Assistant stage manager (Ireland): Allanah O'Leary Murray
Stage carpenter (Ireland): Joe McNicholas
Sound engineer (Ireland): Eoin Gleeson
Head electrician: Saul Ulerio
Electricians: Nicole Malancea, Sarazina Stein, Liam Smith, Corbin Lenard
Carpenters: Michael Harbeck, Thomas Short, Nicholas Santasier, Kaycie Sweeney, Rebecca Bickley, Jarod Bakum
Sound crew: Ryan Mackstaller, Daniel Soto, Jamie Macomber
Assistant wardrobe manager: Kathe Mull

Chekhov’s First Play was made with a Project Award from the Arts Council. It was developed with the help of Battersea Arts Centre and co-commissioned by Battersea Arts Centre and Irish Arts Center. Co-production: Dublin Theatre Festival, Baltoscandal and TnBA. Project co-produced by NXTSTP, with the support of the Culture Programme of the European Union. This revival is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland, Culture Ireland and Georganne Aldrich Heller. 

A Note from the Directors

“There are two scenes in my first play which are the work of genius, if you like. But on the whole it’s an unforgivable, if innocent, fraud.”—Anton Chekhov 

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was born in 1860 in Taganrog, southern Russia. After writing a play at the age of 19, he turned to the short story, and is widely acknowledged as the greatest exponent of the form ever to have lived. Returning to plays later in life, his major works include Ivanov, Uncle Vanya, The Seagull, Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard. He was also a trained and practicing doctor. He suffered from tuberculosis, but failed to diagnose himself correctly for several years, leading up to his death. His brother said of this, “everyone who saw him secretly thought the end was not far off, but the nearer [he] was to the end, the less he seemed to realise it.” He died in 1904, and his final words are reputed to have been “It’s a long time since I drank champagne.”

The play usually regarded as Chekhov’s first was discovered after he died. Without a title, scholars usually consider it identical to a work he referred to in his letters, which he titled Безотцовщина, most accurately translated as "Fatherlessness." A sprawling, youthful experiment, most renderings of the play through the years have named it after the central character, a philandering charismatic schoolteacher called Platonov.

Never produced during Chekhov’s lifetime, it first appeared in Germany in 1928, under the title Der Unnützige Mensch Platonov ("That Worthless Fellow Platonov"). It has been revisited by writers and directors throughout history. Although things of worth have often been found, the general conclusion is usually that the play remains, in the words of Chekhov scholar Laurence Senelick, “a conversation piece, rather than a viable addition to the repertory.”

 To this day, it is unclear which two scenes Chekhov was talking about.

—Ben Kidd and Bush Moukarzel

About the Cast & Crew

Ben Kidd (co-director and co-author) is joint artistic director of Dead Centre. He has directed Good Sex (Dublin Theatre Festival) and co-directed Bählamms Fest (Ruhrtriennale), Alles, was der Fall ist and Interpretation of Dreams (Burgtheater, Vienna), To Be a Machine (Version 1.0) (Dublin Theatre Festival), Beckett’s Room (Gate Theatre), Shakespeare’s Last Play (Schaubühne) and Chekhov’s First Play (Dublin Theatre Festival). 

As a freelance director, his work includes In the Night Time (Before the Sun Rises) (Gate Theatre, London); Spring Awakening (Headlong); and The Shawl (Young Vic).

Alexandra Conlon (performer) is an Irish actor and graduate of the BA acting course at The Lir, National Academy of Dramatic Art (2015).

Most recently, she starred in the national tour of Tarry Flynn by Livin' Dred Theatre Company directed by Aaron Monaghan. Alexandra also reprised her role as Sofya in Chekhov’s First Play by Dead Centre for its return run at Project Arts Centre (2022). Her other stage work includes Bang! by Michelle Read (DTF 2021), Anna Karenina by Marina Carr at The Abbey Theatre, Sunder, On Corporation Street, and These Rooms by ANU Productions & CoisCéim, Finding Love in an Abattoir by Melissa Nolan and Sounds of Wood on Muscle by Collapsing Horse.

Her screen work includes Aaron Monaghan's Ghost Light, which premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh 2021. Alexandra also plays the role of Mel' in Hiding Trout by Springheel Productions, available on all major streaming platforms.

Tara Egan-Langley (performer): Born in London and raised in the Wicklow countryside in Ireland, Tara Egan-Langley has been involved in performance since her verse speaking competitions at the age of 5. She trained at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin and then studied at the Gaiety School of Acting also in Dublin. Since then, she has worked extensively on stage, screen, and the vocal booth. She wrote, recorded and toured two of her own albums, and has collaborated and guest appeared on many others. 

Tara played Beth in the first stage version of Jeff Wayne's musical The War of The Worlds which toured venues such as Wembley Arena and London’s Albert Hall. Some of her favorite roles include Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Victoire in A Little Hotel on The Side. She played the lead role of Constance in The Constant Wife at the Gate Theatre in Dublin and toured internationally with Donald Sinden’s stage show 7 Deadly Sins, 4 Sinners. Her screen work includes the TV series The Fall, the Sophie Hyde film Animals, and most recently, she appeared opposite Jane Seymour in the new Acorn TV detective series Harry Wild, and as TV presenter Carrie in the dark political drama Red Election from Election Productions. She has just completed composing the music for a new Irish play FreeFall, written by Georgina Miller which is due to be produced early next year. She has toured with Dead Centre Theatre Company’s Chekhov’s First Play to Russia, Hong Kong, and London, and is now delighted to be in the Irish Arts Center with this wonderful show. 

Daniel Reardon (performer) was born in New York City in 1946. He was educated at Loyola School, Fordham University and Trinity College Dublin. He has worked in Irish theatre, film, TV and radio as actor, playwright, producer and director for nearly 50 years. He tours nationally and internationally with the award-winning theatre companies, Pan Pan (The Rehearsal, Playing the Dane; The Seagull and Other Birds), Dead Centre (Lippy), and Brokentalkers (This Beach) for which he was nominated Best Supporting Actor for the Irish Times Theatre Awards. In 2019, he toured with Dead Centre’s Chekhov’s First Play to Hong Kong, Newcastle, and Liverpool. He was a member of the Radio Eireann Players, performing in a multitude of radio plays and adaptations by authors such as Hugh Leonard, Bernard Farrell, Tom Kilroy, and Tom Murphy, and for fifteen years he was “Willie Bracken” in Harbour Hotel by Lee Dunne. Shakespearean roles on radio include Prospero, Shylock, MacDuff, Feste, Puck, Fool in King Lear and Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet. Film and TV credits include My Left Foot, Night Train, Love Eternal, Extraordinary, The Silver Tassie, The Man Within, Fallout, The Clinic, Fair City, and The Tudors. 

As playwright, Daniel’s stage plays include Spenser’s Laye (Dublin, Cork, Edinburgh), The O.K. Thing To Do (Abbey/Peacock), Fun With Bamboo (Winner Bewley’s Café Theatre Award), and Bleeding Poets (Nominated Best New Play for the Irish Times Theatre Awards). He wrote many plays for radio including the daily serial Riverrun. His poetry appears regularly in magazines and journals in Ireland, the UK, America and Australia. His book of poems In the Lion House was published by Gallery Press. A second volume of poems, Fond Pageant, was published by Somerville Press. His play Fond Pageant is based on the book, written and performed by himself appeared at the Smock Alley Theatre, the New Theatre and the O'Donoghue Theatre Galway. For the Dublin Theatre Festival 2019 he acted in Pasolini’s Salo Redubbed at the Abbey/Peacock. Chekhov’s First Play appeared at the Sarajevo National Theatre last November and most recently at The Project Arts Centre in June of this year.

Paul Reid (performer): Most recent credits include Derry Girls for Channel 4 and Hattrick; the TV series Harry Wild alongside Jane Seymour; and the role of Aaron alongside Hazel Doupe in Kate Dolan’s horror feature You are Not My Mother, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. He has just wrapped filming a lead role as D.I. Rory Mahon in the feature The Last Girl alongside Antonio Banderas and Alice Eve.

Further recent work includes the role of the role of Mr. Taylor in the comedy feature Nan directed by Josie Rourke; two seasons of Finding Joy alongside Amy Huberman, directed by John Butler; Oggie Gildersleeve in The Alienist, directed by David Caffrey for Paramount and TNT; the role of Derek in Collapsible by Margaret Perry, directed by Thomas Martin at the Abbey Theatre; The Professionals, directed by Bharat Nalluri; and the role of Robert alongside Rafe Spall in the horror feature The Ritual, directed by David Bruckner for the Imaginarium.

Stage credits include the role of Martyn Wallace in the Corn Exchange’s Dublin by Lamplight, directed by Annie Ryan; Chekhov’s First Play, directed by Ben Kidd and Bush Moukarzel for Dead Centre; and notably the part of Gar (Public) in Philadelphia, Here I Come!, directed by Lyndsey Turner at the Donmar Warehouse.

Andrew Clancy (set design) is an award-winning sculptor and graduate of the National College of Art and Design (1991). His work is in both public and private collections, and over the last twenty-five years he has exhibited widely. He also lectured in bronze casting at NCAD for ten years. He has designed about thirty stage productions including Pan Pan Theatre’s DEFLOWERFUCKED, Mac-Beth 7, One – Healing with Theatre, Oedipus Loves You, The Idiots and Embers, winning Best Set Design (2014) at the Irish Times Theatre Award for his work on their production of Embers. Other work for theatre includes Dead Centre Theatre Company's Souvenir, Lippy, Chekhov's First Play and Hamnet, Barnstorm Theatre’s Jack, Monday's Child, The Messenger, Barney Carey and The Boy with the Suitcase, The Patient Gloria for the Dublin Theatre Festival 2018, and In Vena Cava for Ella Clarke Choreography. Upcoming productions include Collapsing Horse's A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, and Chekhov's First Play by Dead Centre. 

Jimmy Eadie (sound design) is an audio engineer/producer and educator who works within the field of recording, production and sound design. He uses a variety of media which are often presented through extended hybrid forms of installation and performance. His award-winning work has been presented in many Irish and international galleries and venues (National Concert Hall Dublin, Cork Opera House, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Edinburgh International Festival, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Lincoln Centre for Performing Arts, and the Barbican Centre, London). His textual outputs have been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Organised Sound (Cambridge), Leonardo Journal (MIT) and Routledge & Focal Press, Springer Scientific. He is a founding member of the Crash Ensemble (IRE) and was principal audio engineer and technical manager for seventeen years, thereafter, becoming a creative partner. Jimmy has worked and collaborated with notable composers and artists; Phil Niblock, Joanna MacGregor, Steve Reich, Gavin Bryers, Terry Riley, Bang on a Can, Louis Andriessen, Nico Muhly, Bill Whelan, Heiner Goebbels, and many more. He has been nominated (2013) and won the Irish Times Theatre Award for best sound in (2011) and (2015). He has trained extensively in the area of audio engineering with international companies; Meyer (USA), L'Acoustic Audio (FR) and Rational Acoustics (UK), and trained in film sound production with Screen Training Ireland (IRE). Jimmy has collaborated with artists, composers and performers from varied backgrounds, earning music and creative award nominations and much critical acclaim during this time. He has worked in notable recording studios such as Windmill Lane (IRE), Blackbox (FR), and The Church (UK). Jimmy has toured internationally with Irish acts as an engineer/producer and sound designer, working in such prestigious venues as, Carnegie Hall (USA), Royal Albert Hall (UK) and Le Gran Rex (FR). He was a professional musician for many years and released material on Chrysalis, Ensign and Setanta Records.

Kevin Gleeson (sound design) is a 30-year-old composer, music producer and theatre artist from Tipperary, Ireland. After completing an MPhil in music technology at Trinity College Dublin, Gleeson began working with award-winning theatre company Dead Centre. Over the last six years they have premiered work at Burgtheater (Vienna), Schaubühne (Berlin), Stadsteater (Gothenburg) & Gate Theatre (Dublin). Gleeson has toured work to theatres in over 25 countries including BAM (New York), International Theater Amsterdam, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Southbank Centre & Alexandrinsky Theatre (St. Petersburg). Chekhov's First Play was awarded Best Sound Design at the 2016 Irish Times Theatre Awards. Gleeson produces and releases music under the moniker Sour Blood. Good Nevers was released in 2021, a four track EP of original music blending various styles from dream pop & rock to minimal electronic & ambient drone.

*ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION (AEA) The U.S. stage managers employed in this production are member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors an d stage managers in the U.S. AEA was founded in 1913 as the first of the American actor unions. Equity’s mission is to advance, promote, and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Today, Equity represents more than 40,000 actors, singers, dancers, and stage managers working in hundreds of theatres across the United States. Equity members are dedicated to working in the theatres as a profession, upholding the highest artistic standards. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions and provides a wide range of benefits including health and pension plans for its members. Through its agreement with Equity, this theatre has committed to the fair treatment of the actors and stage managers employed in this production. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. actorsequity.org

About Dead Centre

Dead Centre was founded in 2012 and has gained a reputation as one of Europe’s most innovative and exciting companies. Their work has toured throughout the world to venues such as BAM (New York), the Young Vic (London) and Schaubühne (Berlin), as well as many international festivals including Hong Kong, Brisbane, Paris and Milan. Their projects include: LIPPY (2013), winner of the Irish Times Theatre Award for Best Production, a Fringe First, and two OBIE Awards; Chekhov’s First Play (2015) winner of an Irish Times Theare Award; Hamnet (2017); Beckett’s Room, (2019); and To Be a Machine (Version 1.0) which was created in 2020 during the pandemic and streamed live to audiences at home. This production has been streamed to festivals in Liège, Hong Kong and Paris, and a German language version was created for Burgtheater, Vienna in 2021. They have also made work at Schaubühne, Berlin (Shakespeare’s Last Play, 2018), Burgtheater, Vienna, (The Interpretation of Dreams, 2020, Alles, was der Fall ist, 2021) and Göteborgs Stadsteater (The Silence, 2021). They directed their first opera in 2021, Bählamms Fest at Ruhrtriennale. In 2023, they will be creating new work at Burgtheater, Vienna and Deutsche Oper, Berlin.

To learn more, visit deadcentre.org.

About Irish Arts Center

Irish Arts Center, founded in 1972 and based in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City, is a home for artists and audiences of all backgrounds who share a passion or appreciation for the evolving arts and culture of contemporary Ireland and Irish America. We present, develop, and celebrate work from established and emerging artists and cultural practitioners, providing audiences with emotionally and intellectually engaging experiences in an environment of Irish hospitality. Steeped in grassroots traditions, we also provide community education programs and access to the arts for people of all ages and ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds. In a historic partnership of the people of Ireland and New York, Irish Arts Center recently completed construction on a fully-funded $60MM state-of-the-art new facility to support this mission for the 21st century.

See what else is on at Irish Arts Center this historic, grand opening season: irishartscenter.org.