Dolly West's Kitchen
by Frank McGuinness
directed by McKerrin Kelly
Scenic Design – Dan Conroy
Costume Design – Jessica Dalager
Lighting Design – Bosco Flannagan
Sound Design – Mark McClain Wilson
Awards: Casey Kramer ~ Best Featured Performer Award ~ LADCC
FEATURING: Greg Bryan, Kacey Camp, Martin Do rdan,
Natalie Hope MacMil an, K irsten Kol ender, Casey Kramer,
Bret Mack, Cameron Oro, and Shawn Savage
Produced by Theatre Banshee Theatre in Los Angeles, CA
"Director McKerrin Kelly serves the quasi-Chekhovian property with detailed efficiency" LA Times
"McKerrin Kelly's direction is subtle and carries just the right amount of passion" BackStage West
"McKerrin Kelly slaps her writer sillier than I could do by directing his play so beautifully, so much more subtly than its writing deserves: she even directs a scene change into babbling, coherent life." Bitter Lemons
Director's Note
"Peace is dependent upon the will of the great States. All the small States can do, if the statesmen of the greater States fail in their duty, is resolutely to determine that they will not become the tools of any great Power and that they will resist with whatever strength they may possess every attempt to force them into a war against their will."....1936, Eamon de Valera
Welcome to Dolly West's Kitchen.
As World War II raged all around, Ireland determined to hold strong to it's neutral stance. Memories of the Anglo-Irish War convinced Eamon de Valera that neutrality was the only way to assert Independence from Britain and avert civil war with the north. Although many Irish sympathized with Allied forces, some supported the Axis solely because of their anger at the British . Whatever side they stood on, the results were the same. Neutrality did nothing to prevent the Irish from suffering the effects of war while denying them any satisfaction of fighting back. Harsh wartime measures were imposed from both sides including information blackouts, trade blockades and Axis bombing attacks on both Dublin and Belfast. For most, neutrality felt less like peace and more like war from both sides.
In Dolly West's Kitchen, Frank McGuinness has given us a microcosm of this conflicted, 'neutral' world. The kitchen, traditionally the heart of the house, is the place where different ingredients come together through the alchemy of cooking to provide nourishment and a sense of connection to all who gather there. The West kitchen provides the perfect backdrop for this damaged, dissatisfied family, still fiercely loyal to their own and willing to do anything they can to save the ones they love. Just as heat is required for cooking, outside forces must be introduced to this unique, neutral space to spark reactions which allow each person to move forward.
Come on in to the kitchen ~ it may be messy, it may even get hot, but you'll most likely leave a better person for the people you meet there.
directed by McKerrin Kelly
Scenic Design – Dan Conroy
Costume Design – Jessica Dalager
Lighting Design – Bosco Flannagan
Sound Design – Mark McClain Wilson
Awards: Casey Kramer ~ Best Featured Performer Award ~ LADCC
FEATURING: Greg Bryan, Kacey Camp, Martin Do rdan,
Natalie Hope MacMil an, K irsten Kol ender, Casey Kramer,
Bret Mack, Cameron Oro, and Shawn Savage
Produced by Theatre Banshee Theatre in Los Angeles, CA
"Director McKerrin Kelly serves the quasi-Chekhovian property with detailed efficiency" LA Times
"McKerrin Kelly's direction is subtle and carries just the right amount of passion" BackStage West
"McKerrin Kelly slaps her writer sillier than I could do by directing his play so beautifully, so much more subtly than its writing deserves: she even directs a scene change into babbling, coherent life." Bitter Lemons
Director's Note
"Peace is dependent upon the will of the great States. All the small States can do, if the statesmen of the greater States fail in their duty, is resolutely to determine that they will not become the tools of any great Power and that they will resist with whatever strength they may possess every attempt to force them into a war against their will."....1936, Eamon de Valera
Welcome to Dolly West's Kitchen.
As World War II raged all around, Ireland determined to hold strong to it's neutral stance. Memories of the Anglo-Irish War convinced Eamon de Valera that neutrality was the only way to assert Independence from Britain and avert civil war with the north. Although many Irish sympathized with Allied forces, some supported the Axis solely because of their anger at the British . Whatever side they stood on, the results were the same. Neutrality did nothing to prevent the Irish from suffering the effects of war while denying them any satisfaction of fighting back. Harsh wartime measures were imposed from both sides including information blackouts, trade blockades and Axis bombing attacks on both Dublin and Belfast. For most, neutrality felt less like peace and more like war from both sides.
In Dolly West's Kitchen, Frank McGuinness has given us a microcosm of this conflicted, 'neutral' world. The kitchen, traditionally the heart of the house, is the place where different ingredients come together through the alchemy of cooking to provide nourishment and a sense of connection to all who gather there. The West kitchen provides the perfect backdrop for this damaged, dissatisfied family, still fiercely loyal to their own and willing to do anything they can to save the ones they love. Just as heat is required for cooking, outside forces must be introduced to this unique, neutral space to spark reactions which allow each person to move forward.
Come on in to the kitchen ~ it may be messy, it may even get hot, but you'll most likely leave a better person for the people you meet there.
Download reviews for Dolly West's Kitchen below
| dolly_wests_reviews.pdf |
