‘Dancing at Lughnasa’: A masterpiece of beauty and sadness

‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ will be playing at the Wertheim Performing Arts Center from Feb. 23 to March. 4. The Mundy Sisters are seen dancing around the table. Photo courtesy of FIU theater.

By Jose Gil

When you watch a play, the best feeling you can get is being sucked into the world. You’re so drawn in by the performances, the setting, and story that by the time you’ve reached the end of the play, there is a little sadness that it’s over. This is one of those plays.

Irish playwright, Brian Friel, creates a masterpiece with “Dancing at Lughnasa.” It’s a play that tip-toes back and forth between light-hearted humor and melancholic moments.

Throughout the play, you’ll find yourself laughing and tapping your toes at the delight and merriment of the sisters. But, at the drop of a hat, the mood can change as the narrator reveals that this happiness will only last so long and the future is bleak for these five sisters.

“Dancing at Lughnasa” is a memory play, told from the perspective of Michael Mundy (played by understudy Mattheau Monzo) who recounts the Lughnasa festival of 1936 and how after the events taking place in those two weeks a dark cloud would loom over the Mundy household.

Photo courtesy of FIU Theater

The Mundy sisters each bring a different flavor to the play. And there is not one weak performance in the ensemble.  All the actors play off each other and truly give off a bond of sisterhood.

Kate, the eldest sister played by Erynn Chapman, is a tightly wound devout Catholic and primary wage earner for the family. She is the most opposed and frustrated at the condition of their brother, Father Jack (JC Gutierrez), who after years as a missionary in Uganda has “gone native.” He has returned to Ireland under questionable health conditions which have left him confused and at a loss for English words.

Emma Merrit plays the vivacious Maggie. She’s the joker of the family, and when things get tense—which they often do—she’s always there to diffuse the gloom. For brief moments, she brings a happiness into the home whether it be a riddle, a joke or a spontaneous dance.

Diana Buitrago’ (the understudy for the role) subtle performance as Agnes was captivating to watch at moments. Through minor actions, you could tell she is a quiet but strong force acting as a mature maternal figure for the sisters. This is exemplified in the manner that she takes care of their developmentally disabled sister, Rose (Rachel Gil de Gibaja), an innocent character who, alongside Maggie, brings some levity to the play.

The youngest of the Mundy sisters, Christina, is a mother with no job and a “husband” who leaves for long periods of time. She is the mother of Michael, our narrator, and a character who seems to fluctuate between depressive episodes and optimistic dreams.

Michael’s memories circulate around two moments between his mother and his estranged father, Gerry Evans (Robert Ayala). He recollects the charisma and effect Gerry had on her. A smile would light up her face and she would laugh as they danced together. Christina’s face says it all. If she had the chance, she would freeze time right there.

The arrangement of the sisters as they converse and tend to the house is reminiscent of family gatherings where my mother and all her sisters get together to make food, gossip and reminisce about old times. It’s a memory I’m sure I’m not alone in experiencing. Many Hispanics from big families will surely get the same feeling while watching this play.

This ties into the theme of family that the play focuses on. The play highlights hardships that families face, the deferment of dreams in order to survive and help each other out. The Mundy sisters gather strength one another, form their beliefs and push through any self-pity in order to thrive, even in the toughest of times.

The play’s themes of resilience in the face of adversity are uplifting in these trying times filled with violence and corruption and are likely to resonate with people from all walks of life.

The production will run from Feb. 23rd to March 4 in the Wertheim Performing Arts Center. General admission is $15 but FIU students pay $10. If you have the chance to go check it out, you won’t regret it.

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