SONGS OF WANDERING AENGUS
A dramatic presentation on the life and loves of Ireland's greatest
poet
W. B. Yeats
written and performed by Joan and Sam McCready, formerly of the Lyric
Theatre, Belfast. The accompanist is Richard McCready (Celtic Harp and
Bodhran). The program has been presented at various private venues, including
the New York Yeats Society, the High Gallery of Art, Atlanta, Georgia,
the University of Maryland, and the Yeats International Summer School in
Sligo, Ireland (August 1999, 2000). Performances from 2000 have
included Lyric
Theatre, Belfast, Ireland
Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter,
Minnesota Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore The program has
had an overwhelming response at
each venue. |
An appreciative member of the audience wrote:
'Your performance of Wandering Aengus was wonderful.
I enjoyed every word spoken, every pluck of the harp strings and every
beat of the bodhran...I had such a wonderful time, and when I got home
I had to leaf through my book of Yeats's Poems, and dwell a while on The
Song Of Wandering Aengus.'
Songs of Wandering Aengus is an entertaining and informative
account of W. B. Yeats's relationship with women, among them Maud Gonne,
Olivia Shakespear, Lady Gregory, Margot Ruddock, Dorothy Wellesley, Edith
Shackleton-Heald and Georgie Hyde-Lees. Through selections from Yeats's
poems, plays, journals and letters, and a narrative written by Joan and
Sam McCready, the audience shares the complex relationships which Yeats
had with women and discovers how he wove these often tortuous relationships
into his major writings. The program, which lasts approx. 60 minutes, is
informative, moving, and entertaining. It is suitable for all audiences.
Minimal staging is required.
Host venue is
responsible for travel and accommodation. Where there are a number of
venues in an area, expenses will be shared. Fee is
negotiable.
Both Sam and Joan McCready are experienced teachers in grade school and
college. Workshops on Yeats's poetry and related literature are available
for students and adults for an additional fee.
References are
available on request.
'Although I often teach Yeats's poetry, I hadn't
really succeeded in getting a coherent sense of him as a person until I
saw your production. Splendid work! Kudos all around!!!'
James McKusick, Chair, Department of English, UMBC
For further details, please E-Mail us:
mccready@umbc.edu