This book is a literary tour de force, where 28 Irish plays are examined and their rich cultural context exposed in a way that educates and excites.

This is a book of insight and imagination. It is a literary tour de force, where 28 Irish plays are examined and their rich cultural context exposed in a way that educates and excites. To read Anne O'Reilly's analysis leaves one longing to return to theatre and to play. While the text is utterly readable, the ideas shared are profound. The theme 'journey' is common in every play but it is explored from different angles; we glimpse understandings of the journey in search of soul, of self, of healing, of sacred meaning, of the possible, even of transformation. One of the captivating aspects of this book is that, while it's about plays and their stories, it also challenges the reader to rethink and re-imagine his/her own story. It is indeed a literary work of art. Ann Louise Gilligan

Inhalt

Acknowledgements- Introduction- Theatre as temenos - Theatre as Alternative Sacred Space - Interpretive Lenses - Soul-journeys- Thematic Overview of Chapters - Journeys Through Memory - Baglady, Frank McGuinness (1985) - Bailegangaire, Tom Murphy (1985) - Dancing at Lughnasa, Brian Friel (1990) - Tea in a China Cup, Christina Reid (1983) - La Corbière, Anne Le Marquand Hartigan (1989) - Eclipsed, Patricia Burke Brogan (1992) - Conclusion - Journeys Through Ritual - The Sanctuary Lamp, Tom Murphy (1975) - Misogynist, Michael Harding (1990) - Someone Who'll Watch Over Me,- Frank McGuinness (1992) - Cell, Paula Meehan (1999) - Wonderful Tennessee, Brian Friel (1993) - Conclusion - Journeys into the Dark - The Mai, Marina Carr (1994)- Portia Coughlan, Marina Carr (1996 ) - By The Bog of Cats, Marina Carr (1998) - On Raftery's Hill, Marina Carr (2000) - Ariel, Marina Carr (2002)- Conclusion - Journeys of Transformation - Faith Healer, Brian Friel (1979) - The Gigli Concert, Tom Murphy (1983) - Innocence: The life and death of Michelangelo- Merisi, Caravaggio, Frank McGuinness (1986) - Mrs. Sweeney, Paula Meehan (1997) 241- The Lonesome West, Martin McDonagh (1997 ) - Journeys and Vision- After Easter, Anne Devlin (1994) - Pentecost, Stewart Parker (1987) - Prayers of Sherkin, Sebastian Barry (1990) - Una Pooka, Michael Harding (1989) - Carthaginians, Frank McGuinness (1988) - Conclusion:- Sacred Play and the Imagination of the Possible - Bibliography - Index.