The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
THEATREWORKS HOSTS VIRTUAL SHOWING OF ‘PORT AUTHORITY’
Regret takes the spotlight in Conor McPherson’s play “Port Authority,” which will be presented virtually from TheatreWorks New Milford from April 8-11.
“Port Authority” is the intersecting story of three generations of Irishmen who live in their own private worlds, taking turns at confiding their memories of “what might have been” to the audience.
Francis Daley, the director for “Port Authority,” explained that the play revolves around remorse and contrition.
“Each man tells their story of a seminal event or series of events that represent perhaps the biggest regret of their lives,” Daley said. “The stories told are indicative of the legacy of Irish storytelling, using common occurrences to illustrate larger tendencies with the tools of insight, self-deprecation, good humour and ultimately tears.
“The men seem to have familial connectivity though it is not certain. What is certain, however, is that their own patterns of behavior have brought about the conditions that lead to their regrets.”
The play will feature local actors. Kevin (played by Jim Dieter, of Watertown) is a young underachiever in love with his roommate, Dermot (Fred Rueck, of Ridgefield), a middle-age man starting a job he is unqualified for. Joe (Will Jeffries, of Southbury), a widower, meanwhile, looks back on a period of great passion in his life.
Daley said audiences can expect “a great intimate, and at times humorous, sentimental storytelling experience from three wonderful Fairfield County actors.”
For this production, “Port Authority” will be filmed in advance and uploaded to Broadway on Demand. Daley said TheatreWorks is working to minimize the editing for the performance to ensure the video “enhances the story telling” of the play.
When asked if the pandemic threw any wrenches into the rehearsals for “Port Authority,” Daley said the show was “easy enough” to pull together.
“The show is essentially three monologues, so we could rehearse each actor individually or maintain safe spacing by virtue of the fact we had the theater to ourselves,” he said. “It was joyful to be back in a theater once again, falling into the disciplinary rhythm of a rehearsal schedule.”
Tickets for “Port Authority” are $10. For more information about “Port Authority,” visit theatreworks.us.