New Island Project, the three-year old wing of the Keegan Theatre that performs only Irish plays, is currently producing a new work by Liam Heylin, “Love, Peace and Robbery.” It’s about two convicts fresh out of Ireland’s Cork Prison, who are struggling to start law-abiding lives.
“This is only the second time this play has been produced in America,” said Kerry Waters Lucas, director of “Love, Peace and Robbery.” “We produced its American premiere in New York City’s Irish Festival this past September.
“It’s very obvious how Heylin’s experiences feed into his play,” she explained. “He’s a court recorder in Cork and he deals with all kinds of people who go through the court system. He’s done interviews with men who are trying to move forward with their lives.”
Heylin represents the emergence of a new kind of Irish writer, according to Lucas. “Their style is almost derivative of stream-of-consciousness writing or a series of monologues that are set in different situations than you would normally consider to be ‘Irish,’” she explained.
“The subject matter is specifically about the changes since the Celtic Tiger took over, how Ireland is dealing with the new economy. This play is about two guys who are not part of the new, successful Ireland. In fact, one of the characters can’t even read. That’s unusual because Ireland has one of the highest percentages of literacy in the world.”
According to Lucas, “Love, Peace and Robbery” is neither a comedy nor a tragedy. “There’s a lot of humor in the play,” she said. “There’s a third person who plays 6 characters, including a woman and dog. Though the subject matter is serious, the playwright is representing these people in a very simpatico way. These are not evil guys, they’re just normal people who are lost, they’ve made bad choices and they’re trying to rectify them. Parts of the play are really very moving.”
“Love, Peace and Robbery” will be produced at Arlington’s Theatre on the Run until Dec. 21. For information, see www.keegantheatre.com
