In the Red Hanrahan, John Gentile has adapted the stories and poems of W.B. Yeats for the stage.
The stories are timeless, they capture to endless odyssey of the human spirit. What is really good about this production is it takes the old school Irish setting and places Hanrahan in context as the deals with his internal musings.
Hanrahan, the traveling Irish bard shares his wisdom and the tiny ink well showcases that he is a philosopher of life’s timeless lessons. The intimate space of the Onyx Theatre facilities the audienc being able to blend into the mosaic scenery of with the exotic sounds by the in house musicians.
The story relies on symbolism and as the story evolves you are minded of the representation of the stone, the spear, the cauldron, and the sword. The right mix of magic and Irish mythology is part of W. B. Yeats’ work and is inspiring.
This production is a good blend of the old and the new, the vibrant young cast brings a zeal that adds to the excitement of the tale and besides that there is a role for each of the actors to have their talents shines.
Not being a Yeats scholar or deeply familiar with his work, it did take a bit to catch on the start of the play, but in the end, you realize that this story is really about all of our own journeys and discovering the truth.
Red Hanrahan will run through February 24 and is directed by John Gentile and Henry Scott at the Onyx Theatre.
Red Hanrahan will be presented at the Edinburgh Festival in August 2013, so check out a beautiful production while you can on the campus of Kennesaw State University.
For info visit: “Red Hanrahan,” visit the production’s dramaturgical website:http://redhanrahanksu.weebly.com.
Tickets for each performance are $12. For more information, visit the KSU Box Office online or call 770-423-6650.
