THE LOVED ONES

By Erica Murray

February 14 – March 2, 2025

North American Premiere Production.

Directed by Kyle LoConti.

Love, loss, and the true nature of birds.

Embark on an unforgettable journey of love, loss, and unexpected connections with the North American Premiere of The Loved Ones by Irish playwright, Erica Murray. Fresh from its success at the 2023 Dublin Theatre Festival, this captivating play, originally co-produced by Rough Magic and The Gate Theatre, Dublin, takes audiences on a poignant exploration of grief and healing.

Join Nell and Orla as they navigate the complexities of loss while hosting Cheryl-Ann, an American visitor seeking solace in the serene landscapes of West Clare. When an unexpected guest arrives, their weekend plans take a surprising turn, revealing the power of human connection in the face of adversity.

Don’t miss this exquisite blend of comedy and tragedy, expertly crafted by one of Ireland’s most promising playwrights.  

Additional Programming:

Open Rehearsal (for Subscribers Only): Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at 6:30pm

Community Matinee Preview ($12/Ticket): Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 10:00am
*This season, we’re merging our Community Matinee with our Preview Performance. For just $12/ticket, attend the final dress rehearsal at 10:00am.

Opening Night Reception: Friday, February 14, 2025 at 7:30pm

Pay-What-You-Will Performances*: 
Saturday, February 15, 2025 at 2:00pm
Saturday, February 15, 2025 at 7:30pm
Saturday, February 22, 2025 at 7:30pm
Saturday, March 1, 2025 at 7:30pm
(*Purchase in-person at the Box Office on the day of the performance. Seating subject to availability.)

Speaker Series & Special Event Reception: Sunday, March 2, 2025 at 1:30pm
Join us on March 2nd for a special Speaker Series event featuring acclaimed Irish playwright Erica Murray, in conversation with ICTC’s Artistic Director, Keelie A. Sheridan. As former classmates at The Lir Academy, Erica and Keelie will bring a unique, personal perspective to this intimate Q&A, exploring the creative process behind The Loved Ones, its journey from Dublin Theatre Festival to its North American premiere at ICTC, and its upcoming tour of Ireland. Stick around after the show for a post-performance talkback and a reception where you’ll have the chance to mingle with Erica and gain deeper insight into her work. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to engage with one of Ireland’s most exciting contemporary playwrights, brought to you in partnership with Canisius University’s Hassett Family Endowment and Creative Writing Program.

Talk Back Thursdays: Engage with the Creators! After every Thursday performance, stay for a free Talk Back where members of the creative team discuss their roles and answer your questions about their creative journey.
Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 10:00am
Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 7:30pm
Thursday, February 27, 2025 at 7:30pm

Open Captioned Performance: Saturday, February 22, 2025 at 2:00pm
(Open Captioned Performances: An LED captioning screen, located in the South East corner of the theatre displays the dialogue and any other audio portion of the production in text form in sync with the performance. For questions about reserving seating in view of the captioning signage, please contact ICTC’s Box Office at 716-853-4282 (voice), or email BoxOffice@irishclassical.com.) 

Director’s Note:

Each production is a unique journey. Reflecting on this one, I have a couple of thoughts to share.

It has always struck me that in a time when about two thirds of theatre-going audiences are women, we still see imbalances when it comes to percentages of female playwrights, directors and even leading roles in the plays we see.  Lately, I’ve started to read a bit about the on-going gender imbalance.  There’s clearly a shifting awareness, both here in Buffalo and throughout the country, but the statistics show that there is still a way to go.  Is calling something a “woman’s play” problematic?  We need to get to a place where that type of thinking goes away.

I’ve had the great fortune to direct more than a few all-female plays: Agnes of God, The Vagina Monologues, Steel Magnolias, Stellaluna, and, most recently, here at ICTC, Belfast Girls.  What is it that draws me to these projects?  The energy in the room is very different with an all-female cast.  But it’s more than that.  Each one of these plays deal with the central conflict in a distinct way.  One might call it ‘feminine.’  I choose to think of it as ‘humane.’  

Erica Murray has given us an incredible story that has been described as ‘a play about love, loss, and birds.’  It is that – and a whole lot more.  At the core of the story are the choices each woman makes.  For Nell, Gabby, Orla and Cheryl-Ann, the choices will change the trajectory of their lives.  In the face of indescribable grief and crushing betrayal, the choices of compassion and forgiveness take far greater strength than choosing bitterness and resentment.  If that’s a female characteristic, I’m OK with it.  

The second thought has to do with the way music informs and underscores our lives, and maybe more importantly, our memories.  Throughout the years that my family was growing up, I introduced music into my kids’ lives, and at a certain point, they began introducing me to the music they loved.  Hearing any of those songs today will transport me immediately to a very specific time, place, and feeling.

For The Loved Ones, Sound Designer Stephen Schapero and I went on a little musical adventure to explore the artists and songs that Nell and Robin might have shared with one another.  Stephen started hunting, I added some thoughts about music I particularly liked from the time Robin would have been growing up, and we were even assisted by our playwright, Erica Murray, with suggestions of things she remembers from her life growing up in Ireland.  I like to think of it as the mix tape that a young Robin might have made for Nell; Maybe a birthday present, crafted with love by a son for his mother.  If you get to the theatre for the half hour before the curtain, you can sit in the house and listen to the music this little family shared as they grew up together in West Clare.   

Enjoy.

Kyle LoConti, Director

About the Playwright:

Erica is originally from County Limerick, Ireland. She holds a BA in Drama and Theatre Studies from Trinity College Dublin and an MFA in Playwriting from The Lir Academy. She is a previous member of the Soho Young Writers Group, Lyric New Playwright’s Programme and the Six in the Attic programme at Irish Theatre Institute. In 2018, her play; The Cat’s Mother, toured to London, Edinburgh and Dublin Fringe where it won the Fishamble Award for Best New Writing and was subsequently nominated for the Stewart Parker Award. In 2019, she was the Channel 4 Writer-in-Residence at The Lyric Theatre in Belfast where her second play All Mod Cons premiered. The Loved Ones premiered at the Dublin Theatre Festival 2023 in a co-production between Rough Magic and The Gate Theatre to critical acclaim and is going on an Irish tour in spring 2025. In 2023 she received the Sonia Friedman Award for her play The Magnificent which is currently in development. In 2024, The Abbey Theatre commissioned her to write a play for schools called In Real Life which will be touring to primary schools in Ireland in 2025. She is currently under commission for a new play for The Gate Theatre.

About the Director:

Kyle LoConti is delighted to be returning to ICTC where she last directed the 2023 production of Belfast Girls. Directing favorites include Stellaluna (Artvoice Artie Award – Outstanding Direction of a Musical 2017-18) at Theatre of Youth, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (Artie Award – Outstanding Direction of a Play 2020) at The Kavinoky Theatre, the virtual production of The Year of Magical Thinking at Irish Classical Theatre Company, and Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express for All For One Productions (Artie Award – Outstanding Production of a Play 2023.)  LoConti is a retired Professor Emerita from Niagara County Community College where she served as Chair of the Division of Arts, Media & Technology. Big thanks to Keelie and the ICTC team for this opportunity.

About the Cast:

Eileen Dugan (Nell) has performed with many of Buffalo’s theater companies, including ICTC, Jewish Repertory Theatre, Buffalo United Artists, and more than 40 roles at the Kavinoky Theatre. She has also worked as an actor and director for Shakespeare in the Park over many years, and will direct Twelfth Night for next summer’s 50th anniversary season. Eileen has won multiple Artie Awards for acting and directing. She is a long time instructor at Canisius University, and has directed some 50 shows there.  Eileen is the co-artistic director of Red Thread Theatre. 

Rebecca Elkin (Orla) is thrilled to be making her ICTC debut with this team of powerful women. After 15 years in NYC where she worked as a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist, she recently returned to Buffalo to raise her children, maintain her private practice, be close to family, and reengage with this city’s vibrant theatre scene. Rebecca received her BFA in Acting from Syracuse University and her MA in Drama Therapy from New York University. Over the years she has returned to Buffalo to perform with Shakespeare in Delaware Park, Theatre of Youth, Buffalo United Artists, and the Jewish Repertory Theatre. Favorite credits include: Hamlet (Ophelia), Othello (Desdemona), King Lear (Cordelia), and Love’s Labour’s Lost (The Princess of France) with SDP, Kindertransport (Faith) and Beau Jest (Sarah) with JRT, and The Little Dog Laughed (Ellen) with BUA. Rebecca sends out endless love and gratitude to her family whose support makes this work possible (emotionally and logistically) and above all to her incredible husband Bryan for his deeply generous and loving partnership. She dedicates her performance to the tiny loves of her life, Elliot and Esme.

Smirna Mercedes (Cheryl-Ann) is extremely excited for her debut here at Irish Classical Theatre. She has been a registered nurse for more than 20 years, but her real passion has always been performing on stage.  She is a proud disabled Army veteran. Among her favorite roles: Luisa (Botanica), Ho (Hell Hole Honeys), Estela (Real Women Have Curves), Norma (La Gringa), Luz (La Luz de un Cigarrillo), Abuela Claudia (In The Heights), Buffalo Quickies (2020, 2021, 2023). She has also written a play and performed in the ten minute plays of Desde el Puente. You may also have seen her in several local commercials. She has done costume designing for several shows, too!

Ember Tate-Steele (Gabby) holds a BFA in theatre performance from Niagara University. She has worked on productions such as Violet (Music hall singer), Disenchanted! (Princess Who Kissed the Frog), Cookin’ at the Cookery (Young Alberta), Twelfth Night (Ensemble), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Little Eva/Shirelle) and Crowns (Wanda) at MusicalFare; she has also done Stew (Nelly) and 12 Mo’ Angry Men (Juror 6) at Ujima, and more. She is extremely grateful for the opportunity to work at Irish! She would like to thank her family and especially her Husband Sean for loving and supporting her.