KING by Pat Kinevane – May 8, 10 & 11, 2024
Fishamble: The New Play Company – 2023 Bay Area Premiere
Co-Presented with Irish Culture Bay Area
KING tells the story of Luther, a man from County Cork in southern Ireland named in honour of his Granny Bee Baw’s hero, Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Luther only leaves his apartment for essential journeys, and to perform as an Elvis impersonator. The play explores prejudice, privilege, and resilience, as Luther struggles to live life to the full.
Fishamble’s KING written by and starring Pat Kinevane opened in Ireland in 2023 and transferred to Dance Base as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe where it was nominated for the Mental Health Foundation award and named a Pick of the Fringe.
Pat Kinevane is a native of Cobh, Co. Cork. He has worked as an actor in theatre, film, television and radio for 33 years. In 2016 Pat won a Laurence Olivier Award in London for his Outstanding Achievement as an Actor and a Writer this year. This prestigious award was shared with Fishamble and Jim Culleton who have been integral to the Production and Direction of Pat’s four Solo Shows.
Wed May 8 & Fri May 10, 8:00 PM, Sat May 11, 3:30 PM (80 mins w/out intermission)
Mission Cultural Center, 2868 Mission St, SF, CA, 94110
Post Show Reception: Wednesday, May 8
Post Show Artist Talk with Catherine Barry, Director Irish Culture Bay Area: Friday, May 10
Special ICBA discount – 20% off using 20SFIRISH – $25, Door: $28
Tickets
An Irish Roundtable in the Valley – May 9, 2024
Join tech leaders from across the island of Ireland and Irish America to explore with Silicon Valley trailblazers the global economic impact of AI. This unique gathering will showcase the cutting-edge companies and intrepid entrepreneurs from Ireland, North and South who are staking out new ground in the world of AI.
The cream of the Irish diaspora’s tech pioneers on the west coast of America will facilitate our lively and productive discussion on the transformative impact of generative AI on how we work and do business while guest speakers will highlight the most urgent themes in the world of artificial intelligence.
Among those invited to take part are representatives of Queen’s University Belfast and University of Galway, Invest Northern Ireland, and speakers from Belfast companies Options Technology, Kainos and Unosquare.
Stanford Faculty Club, 439 Lagunita Dr, Stanford, CA 94305
Word for Word on Kevin Barry – June 26 – July 21, 2024
Word for Word—known for bringing short fiction to life on the stage—present the work of Irish author and short story master Kevin Barry for their first full production this year, which runs from June 26 through July 21.
The three works include Who’s-Dead McCarthy, a tale featuring a self-appointed messenger of death in a small Irish city who cannot stop himself from gleefully chronicling and gossiping about the details of the deaths of others to everyone he meets. A tale perfect for those who like their humor a wee bit dark.
In The Wintersongs two strangers meet on a train in Ireland. One, a world-weary old busybody, cautions a younger woman whose life journey has just begun as they both hurtle through the countryside under “the arc of a weak sun” heading toward Dublin. If this story were wine, its descriptor might read, “includes notes of humor, regret, anticipation and Flannery O’Connor.”
The Coast of Leitrim tells the story of a solitary Irish man who falls in love with a Polish woman after meeting her in a café. Finding himself smitten upon leaving the café, he falls down a Google-fueled rabbit hole while trying to translate her social media posts. The result is a European union of sorts between the two that grows more intense and complicated as it deepens, because well, we are our histories, both real and imagined.
“Barry’s stories are at once playful, serious, and beautifully crafted, and provide a needed balm for us in these turbulent times,” says JoAnne Winter, Word for Word Artistic Director
What: Word for Word Presents Who’s-Dead McCarthy: Stories by Kevin Barry
When: June 26 through July 21 (previews June 26, 27, 28; press opening Saturday, June 29), 20 performances total
Where: Z Below, 470 Florida Street, San Francisco
Tickets: $40 – $65 (previews are sliding scale); Tickets at zspace.org/barry
Note: The Sunday June 30 and Thursday July 18 shows will be masked performances