The Weir Go Bragh!
First Night of The Weir, Friday, March 18th, was a great night for the theatregoers, who settled back in their seats to watch a brilliant cast of actors get into the skins of five fascinating characters, whose haunting stories kept them enraptured.
Marilyn Sutton summed up their feelings. “This production held the audience spellbound, with the haunting quality of the stories somehow eased by compassion. The cast was superb. You could forget they were a cast and believe you were in the pub, hanging on the next word.”
Former SCR Trustee Tom Rogers echoed Marilyn’s words. “You felt you were in that Irish country bar…”
That ambiance continued at the Cast Party held in the Garden Room and on the outdoor terrace at The Center Club, where Rogers, Sally Anderson and their guests talked about the play. “It was a very thought-provoking evening,” Rogers continued, “and beautifully acted, especially by Richard Doyle, who delivered his usual spot-on performance.”
Laurie Smits Staude agreed. “The stories each tell are spellbinding. This is a jewel of a play, and Richard Doyle gave one of the best performances I have ever seen him do.”
Doyle was further lauded in Paul Hodgins’ Orange County Register review a few days later: “Among theater's many pleasures, one of the greatest is watching an actor tackle the right role at the perfect moment. The result can seem like magic … You can see such alchemy at South Coast Repertory, where Richard Doyle plays Jack, a role that caters to his strengths, but Doyle doesn't coast. He's explosive and full of fierce rage when the story calls for it, yet Doyle understands Jack's profound sadness, too, and knows that it's expressed most effectively in quiet moments.”
Doyle and the other actors, along with Director Warner Shook, joined First Nighters at the party, graciously accepting the praise.
In keeping with the Irishness of the evening, beverages included Guinness beer and such treats as mini corned beef and cabbage sliders, fish and chips, vegetable crudités with Emerald Isle dip, and sweets including mini Irish coffee cheese cakes and shamrock cookies. All the while, partygoers enjoyed music played on four different sets of Irish Uilleann Pipes, by Richard Cook with Mark Wood Entertainment, who wore traditional Irish kilts.
As the evening wore down, more accolades flew in the actors’ direction, summed up by Bette Aitken: “The actors were magnificent, each and every one. Directed by Warner, every detail was created to enhance the spooky atmosphere with much comic relief. I loved it!”
