From left: Tom (Tim Palmer), Ned (James Russell), Public Gar (David McElwee), Private Gar (A.J. Shively), and Joe (Emmet Earl Smith) are full of bravado as they share memories of old times.
Philadelphia, Here I Come, written in the 1960s by Irish playwright Brian Friel, poignantly captures the anticipation, fear, and excitement of emigrating to a new place. Set on the eve of departure, Friel’s play focuses on Gar, the would-be émigré, in both his Public self (played with subdued melancholy by David McElwee) as he struggles with his decision to leave, and his Private self (played with exuberance by A.J. Shively), screaming to get out. It’s deadly boring in Ballybeg, a tiny little corner of County Donegal, Ireland, where the most exciting things are a game of checkers and memories of teenage shenanigans.
Gar’s father, S.B. “Screwballs” O’Donnell (Ciarán O'Reilly) and Madge (Terry Donnelly) in a moment of reflection.
Gar makes the rounds between family and friends to say his goodbyes, including a handful of schoolmates—Ned (James Russell), Tom (Tim Palmer) and Joe (Emmet Earl Smith)—who recount a glorious high school past of girls and late nights. A moment of silence amid the bravado is given to the careful pouring of Guinness into a glass (to avoid the foamy head). The social dynamics are playful but tense, especially with Ned, who seems slightly dangerous—his memories of the past are so glorified and asserted with a veiled threat at being challenged, that the others, including Public Gar, nod along, complicit in the revised memories. Private Gar sets the story right, but which is better: the revised memory, or the real one?
In flashback, a visit from Aunt Lizzy (played with a touch of humor by Deirdre Madigan) and Uncle Ben (Peter Cormican) reveals the invitation to America: Aunt Lizzy and Uncle Ben have done well for themselves; they have a car with air-conditioning, a radio with more than one channel and a large house with a beautiful garden, and they want to share it with Gar, whose mother, Lizzy’s sister, died years earlier. Who could say no? But Public Gar is tentative and uncertain, wrestling with his goodbyes.
Gar’s high school sweetheart, Katie Doogan (Clare O’Malley) talks with her father, Senator Doogan (Ciaran Byrne,) about her future with another man than Gar.
Directed by Ciarán O’Reilly, the tension between past and present is beautifully teased out and has the right accents of reflection and action. For Public Gar, there is a sense of stones unturned and love lost. Gar’s first love, Katie Doogan (Clare O’Malley), hears that he’s leaving and stops by. But, just like all those years ago, he’s tongue-tied and can’t say how much he still thinks of her. Private Gar is disappointed that he cannot express himself and worries that he will he become like his father, a monosyllabic man fixated on his work and “tea,” the 4 o’clock teatime and biscuits that housekeeper Madge (Terry Donnelly) sets out like clockwork. His father, which Private Gar refers to as “Screwballs” (Ciarán O’Reilly), is far from funny, and Gar struggles to accept the half measures of his familial ties. Since Gar’s mother died, Madge has been the anchor in their life. Without her, there is a sense that Gar and his father would completely drift apart.
Screwballs solemnly works on his “tea” as Private Gar (Shively) tries to light up a mundane moment at the table with Public Gar (McElwee). Photographs by Jeremy Daniel.
Private Gar and Public Gar are sometimes matched in energy and, as they look to the future, they do a quick Irish jig in perfect synchronicity, jump on the bed, fly a plane, and make a radio announcement as they imagine life in the U.S. The set (Charlie Corcoran) captures the compact home, with a raised bedroom to offset its location. Scrubbed into shape, probably by Madge, the effect of a well-cleaned but aging home is further captured in a wash of lighting (Michael Gottlieb) and costumes (Orla Long) that reflect the period.
Philadelphia, Here I Come! has been produced many times since 1964, including a long run on Broadway (earning a Tony nomination and putting Friel on the international map as a playwright). Its themes of immigration, the desire for something more, and the exploration of self, are still relevant.
In the end, Gar is convinced that leaving is the best thing, but he wants to make sure he isn’t running away. He wants to say his goodbyes properly and put his memories in order. But Friel’s play suggests that memory is a flexible thing that we adapt to suit our own narratives. Sometimes we just have to accept that nothing is perfect. Even our memories.
Philadelphia, Here I Come, runs through May 5 at the Irish Repertory Theatre (132 W. 22nd St.). Evening performances are at 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturdays; matinees are at 2 p.m. on Wednesday and Saturday and at 3 p.m. Sunday. For tickets and more information, visit irishrep.org.
Directed by Ciarán O’Reilly
Scenic Design: Charlie Corcoran
Costumes: Orla Long
Lighting Design: Michael Gottlieb
Sound Design: M. Florian Staab
Original Music: Ryan Rumery
