Get Your Irish Up On the History

By Wes Hessel with Beth Tomas

Porchlight Music Theatre’s fascinating production of “The Irish…And How They Got That Way” opens with a set having the general appearance of a seaport. The actors start off raising sails, then their voices in story and song. But first, a lively violinist begins playing Irish/Celtic music – she then joins the pianist, moving from soloist to accompanist for the show. Make no mistake, they are very much part of the cast. That group rounds out with four singers, listed simply in the program as “Man #1”, “Woman #1”, “Man #2”, and “Woman #2” – understandable considering the sheer volume of stories, histories, and anecdotes shared that progress through the centuries.

Brilliant use of Gaelic music brings to life the history of the Emerald Isle, beginning with the “Great Experiment,” and proceeding through the “Potato Famine” that brought so many Irish to the United States. The work continues to depict Irish life in the U.S. up to modern day. The audience, while learning, or perhaps confirming, facts about the Irish people, is taken through a range of emotions. Gut wrenching stories of the cruelty that caused the legendary starvation period will make you cry, and yet they are juxtaposed with plucky songs meant to shore up those who went through it. Tales of how the Irish found their strengths and lifted themselves out of oppression will have you cheering them on…and the music will invite you to clap your hands, both in rhythm and applause.

The stories are “illustrated” with a single 50-inch monitor sitting to the side of the set (and still very much part of the scenery, along with the “accompanists”), displaying coinciding historical images. The pictures are also projected onto the sails that were raised at the beginning of the play. This is a no-holds-barred history of the plight of the Irish and their resilience. It is saturated with spirit, sarcasm, loads of humor, cultural pride, and love, all accompanied by the music and songs that sprang from the times. This is the most entertaining social studies lesson ever experienced, so let yourself be swept away to www.porchlightmusictheatre.org before March 15th for tickets or more information.

Category: Uncategorized