CARLSBAD — Recordings of Margaret Thatcher, the death of hunger striker Bobby Sands, goose, whiskey and the IRA and set the tone for the Dea Hurston New Village Arts Center‘s first play since returning indoors following significant renovations and a pandemic hiatus.
And NVA’s return did not go unnoticed: In its first off-Broadway run, “The Ferryman” sold out the newly-revamped theater from Jan. 27 to March 5.
“We sold out every single show in a six-week run,” said NVA founder and executive artistic director Kristianne Kurner during an added afternoon slot on March 3. “We have never done that before.”
Set in a farmhouse in rural County Armagh, Northern Ireland, “The Ferryman” is a commentary on life in the middle of the Troubles. From the late ‘60s to 1998, the country was caught in political turmoil that pitted many residents as Irish “republicans” or “loyalists” in the campaign to separate from the United Kingdom.
“All kinds of universal truths to this story,” said Kurner, who stayed in an Armagh farmhouse doing background, “At its core, it’s about a family.”
Jez Butterworth’s critically-acclaimed play takes a cast of 21, a goose, and some rabbits and invites playgoers to the dinner table of a republican family in the middle of the Northern Ireland conflict.
“Both sides thought were right,” said Kyle Ryan, who plays Frank Magennis, who was able to pull from a little family history for his role.
Jez Butterworth’s national tour of his Tony-winner was postponed in 2020 after its 2017 debut in London’s West End. Between then, though, “The Ferryman” had a successful run on Broadway, where some in the crew were first unknowingly introduced to their characters.
“As soon as I saw it, it became one of my top two favorite plays of all time,” Ryan said, “I was just moved, and when I saw the casting, I knew I had to do it.”
For some actors, like Ryan, “The Ferryman” was a professional debut. Baltzer, who played Declan Corcoran, said they struggled to find the right accent and act drunk — something they (jokingly) regretted not method acting.
“[Instead] backstage, I do a little dance to get a little dizzy,” Baltzer said of one of their scenes, warning that if any patrons saw movement behind the curtain, “that’s me having a blast.”
“The Ferryman” required practice from all 21 multigenerational actors. Luckily, while researching in rural Northern Ireland, Kurner found herself chatting with Amanda Doherty of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland: And so Carlsbad’s “The Ferryman” had a cultural consultant and voice coach for a show that is “nearly impossible to produce,” Kurner said.
“Everybody on stage is so talented and brings so much to their role; it makes me better,” Ryan said.
Patrons seemingly needed a reminder of how to behave during an indoor performance. Doors generally open 30 minutes before a performance, giving visitors half an hour to find seats and turn off their phones. Unfortunately, playgoers cannot Google the Irish toast “slainte” during the performance (it means health).
