READINGS IN REP

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THE BANK OF MAINE

MOLLY SWEENEY

 A two-act play by Irish playwright, Brian Friel, (Heartwood performed this piece at​ Skidompha Library in 2004, as our first adult production​).   Dixie Weisman and John Strong reprise their roles as Molly and Frank, and Tom Handel joins them in the role of Mr. Rice.

Molly Sweeney tells the story of its title character, Molly, a woman blind since infancy, who undergoes an operation to try to restore her sight. Like Friel's Faith Healer, the play tells Molly's story through monologues by three characters: Molly, her husband Frank, and her surgeon, Mr. Rice.  Friel is best known for his stunning use of language and image, as he delves into human issues of love, memory, and self realization. 

ELEEMOSYNARY 

(e-li-mä-sə-ner-ē) of, relating to, or dependent on charity; charitable (Heartwood performed this as a staged reading in 2008.) Written by Lee Blessing. Susie Stedman reprises her role as Dorothea, with Elise Voigt reading Artie and Rowan Carroll-Christopher reading the role of Echo.  

Staged with utmost simplicity, the play probes into the delicate relationship of three singular women: the grandmother, Dorothea, who has sought to assert her independence through strong-willed eccentricity; her brilliant daughter, Artie (Artemis), who has fled the stifling domination of her mother; and Artie's daughter, Echo, a child of exceptional intellect - and sensitivity - whom Artie has abandoned to an upbringing by Dorothea.  Eleemosynary helps us understand the power of language and relationships in our lives.