University Players' 'Dancing at Lughnasa' Opens Friday, Sept. 26

By Marcus Smith '27, student correspondent

Shrieks of excitement and feet stomping out an Irish reel resound through the McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts as The University of Scranton Players prepare for their first production of the theater season.

The Players will perform "Dancing at Lughnasa" on Friday, Sept. 26; Saturday, Sept. 27; Sunday, Sept. 28; Friday, Oct. 3; Saturday, Oct. 4; and Sunday, Oct. 5. The Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 p.m. and the Sunday shows are at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for general admission or $7 for students and faculty/staff and can be bought online or at the door.

"Dancing at Lughnasa," written by Brian Friel, is about the Mundy sisters, five middle-aged women living in County Donegal, Ireland, during the late summer weeks of 1936.

The story is told against a background of large lattice-work frames of the Mundy kitchen by one unmarried sister’s son, Michael, who left the family as a young man and is remembering several major incidents from his childhood.

First, his aunts buy their first radio set and it transforms the serene home into a nest of shrieking banshees shortly before his father, a Welshman, comes to visit for the first time.

Meanwhile, Michael’s uncle, a priest who has been serving as a missionary in Africa for the last 25 years, is sent home sick and dying, but there may be other reasons for his unexpected return.

The play, first produced in 1990, still rings with poignancy more than 30 years later.

“It's about time changing families, a family aging beyond its current makeup. It’s about lost love and those things are timeless,” said Michael O’Steen, MFA, associate professor and the director of the play. “It's relevant to everyone because we all have families and we all experience time going by.”

For Bryanna Grossman '26, the play is relatable to everybody in one way or another.

Grossman plays Christina (Chris) Mundy, Michael’s mother and the youngest of the five sisters.

Working on the production has been a wonderful experience for both the cast and O’Steen.

“I really like my character because she stands her ground as a woman and that makes me very happy,” Grossman said.

“I'm having a wonderful time creating the behavior of the time and people,” O’Steen said.

The company features Scranton students Lauren DeSantis, of Long Island, New York; Grossman, of Easton; Grace Mansfield, of Bethlehem; Gabriella Palmer, of Phoenixville; Alek Panchik, of Hershey; Marcus Smith, of Schuylkill Haven; and Arion Solomon, of Jersey City, New Jersey. Also featured is Richie Kraus, of Wilkes-Barre, who plays Michael Mundy.

For more information, contact the University Players box office at 570-941-4318 or visit the Players on Instagram @scranton_players.

The University of Scranton Players bring exceptional theatre to Northeastern Pennsylvania every season. The Players’ productions feature University of Scranton students in a mix of classical and contemporary works under the direction and mentorship of award-winning faculty and guest artists.