Outside Mullingar
Written byJohn Patrick Shanley
CharactersAnthony Reilly, Tony Reilly, Rosemary Muldoon, Aoife Muldoon
Date premieredJanuary 23, 2014
Place premieredSamuel J. Friedman Theatre
SettingIrish countryside
Official site

Outside Mullingar is a play by John Patrick Shanley, which ran on Broadway in 2014.

Production

Outside Mullingar premiered on Broadway at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in a Manhattan Theatre Club production on January 3, 2014 (previews), officially on January 23, 2014.[1] Directed by Doug Hughes, the cast stars Brían F. O'Byrne, Debra Messing, Dearbhla Molloy and Peter Maloney.[2]

The play ended its limited engagement on March 16, 2014.[2]

Outside Mullingar marked the Broadway debut of Debra Messing.[3]

The play was commissioned by the Manhattan Theatre Club through the U.S. Trust New American Play Commissioning Program, and received the Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award.[4]

Background

Shanley wrote about how he came to write the play, noting that he had his 60th birthday, and decided to write about the family farm. He also said that he wanted to write about love. "I found a strange relief in the play."[5]

Overview

The play is set in the Midlands of Ireland, and involves two farmers, Anthony and Rosemary, who live next to each other. Rosemary has been romantically interested in Anthony her entire life. Anthony, who is shy and unaware of Rosemary's feelings, dislikes farming, so his father intends to leave the farm to a nephew.

Critical response

Charles Isherwood for The New York Times wrote: "Outside Mullingar...represents Mr. Shanley’s finest work since Doubt...Mr. Shanley’s lyrical writing, and the flawless production, directed by Doug Hughes... give such consistent pleasure that even though we know the equations that define romcoms will add up to the familiar sums, we are happy to watch as they do."[6]

The reviewer for USA Today wrote: "Had Shanley made Anthony and Rosemary, say, career-obsessed urbanites still living with their folks in the same apartment building, the story would seem ridiculously contrived. But by placing them in a rural setting where dating options are considerably more limited — not just by a less-dense population, but by cultural and religious mores...he makes their plight more credible and, despite some hokum, intriguing...if Shanley is raising less-complicated questions this time, there are flecks of wisdom in his sweetly diverting study."[7]

The play was less well reviewed by Irish publications, with Fintan O'Toole of The Irish Times describing it as "mystifyingly awful" and "beyond the edge of awfulness."[8] Similarly, it was described as an "overwrought comic romance" which "contains uncontrolled blarney, overwrought symbolism and emotional bogginess" by Lyn Gardner at The Guardian in the United Kingdom.[9]

Awards and nominations

Outside Mullingar was nominated for two 2014 Outer Critics Circle Award nominations, for Outstanding New Broadway Play and Outstanding Actor in a Play (Brían F. O’Byrne).[10] The play received two 2014 Drama Desk Award nominations: Outstanding Play and Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play (Peter Maloney).[11]

The play received one 2014 Tony Award nomination, for Best Play.[12]

Film adaptation

Shanley wrote and directed a film adaptation of his play titled Wild Mountain Thyme. It stars Emily Blunt and Jamie Dornan and was released on December 11, 2020.

References

  1. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "John Patrick Shanley's 'Outside Mullingar', Exploring Land and Love, Opens on Broadway Jan. 23" playbill.com, January 23, 2014
  2. 1 2 Gans, Andrew. "John Patrick Shanley's 'Outside Mullingar' Ends Broadway Run March 16" playbill.com
  3. ↑ Voss, Brandon. "Gracing Broadway — Debra Messing Returns to the Stage in MTC's 'Outside Mullingar'" playbill.com, January 4, 2014
  4. ↑ " 'Outside Mullingar' " manhattantheatreclub.com, accessed April 23, 2014
  5. ↑ Shanley, John Patrick."John Patrick Shanley on His Irishness and 'Outside Mullingar'" The New York Times, January 9, 2014
  6. ↑ Isherwood, Charles. Outside Mullingar,’ by John Patrick Shanley, Opens" The New York Times, January 23, 2014
  7. ↑ Gardner, Elysa. John Patrick Shanley returns to Broadway with a modest, charming romantic comedy" USA Today, January 23, 2014
  8. ↑ O'Toole, Fintan (22 February 2014). "Outside Mullingar, and beyond the edge of awfulness". The Irish Times.
  9. ↑ Gardner, Lyn (28 April 2015). "Outside Mullingar review – emotional bogginess in rural Ireland". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  10. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "64th Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards Nominations Announced; 'A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder' Leads the Pack" Archived 2014-07-14 at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, April 22, 2014
  11. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "2014 Annual Drama Desk Awards Nominations Announced; 'Gentleman's Guide' Earns 12 Nominations" playbill.com, April 25, 2014
  12. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "68th Annual Tony Awards Nominations Announced; 'Gentleman's Guide' Leads the Pack" playbill.com, April 29, 2014
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