Rooms
About the show
Irish Arts Center presents Galway International Arts Festival’s trio of installations exploring solitude, where each room frames a new voice from Tony winner Enda Walsh ('Once'). More…
In 'Room 303,' an old man lies in bed waiting for the end. In 'A Girl’s Bedroom,' a six-year old leaves her bedroom and never stops walking until now. In 'Kitchen,' a wife wills her own implosion. Each playlet runs for approximately 15 minutes for audiences of six, who experience all three 'Rooms' in under an hour. A companion piece to 'Arlington' at St. Ann's Warehouse.
"The effect is weirdly intimate, creepily insinuating, and oddly seductive—in short, a haunting...Murphy, like her costars, delivers the text as if her life depended on it...Walsh, who also directed, has created an experience that inexorably draws you in and shakes you to the core. The people who once inhabited these rooms may have vanished, but their souls have stayed behind, and are raging far into the night." Full Review
“A haunting installation…A distinct, self-hypnotized voice fills each room, describing its environment as a limbo where life is frozen, even as it drifts into nothingness. The voices belong to Charlie Murphy, Eileen Walsh and Niall Buggy, and they are guaranteed to take up residence in your head, too. The contemplative ‘Rooms’ might be called disturbingly relaxing.” Full Review
"The attention to detail in the creation of the rooms is marvelous, with many items that have obviously been brought over from Ireland to give authenticity to the place, especially in the kitchen room. Lighting and sound are used to great effect to punctuate the pieces. The recorded vocal performances are haunting and, with the poetry of Enda Walsh’s script, paint vivid pictures of these three individuals." Full Review
“Each of IAC’s 'Rooms' allows immersive rifling and snooping before and during the audio...It is Room 303 that is the standout piece. A dying man in a poky hotel room focuses on the futility of his lot, personified by an annoying fly. Buggy’s delivery of Walsh’s words is beautifully poignant and droll, a playwright’s dream.” Full Review
"More of an installation than a show...While the sets were perfectly fine in capturing the shabby anonymity of a hotel room from afar, for example, there was literally nothing of note in any drawers or anywhere else. Why encourage people to explore a kitchen when most cabinet doors were glued shut?...Each monologue charted a drab life with a modest twist towards the end that I won’t spoil. They were ably performed but the overall effect was a lot of bother for very little effect." Full Review
See it if like unusual thought- provoking theatre. it was wonderful to be immersed in these 3 separate worlds. beautifully done. moving experience.
Don't see it if you need a straight- forward story. this is something to immerse yourself in and allow yourself to be carried away.
See it if you want a new immersive theatrical experience
Don't see it if you enjoy traditional actor-driven theater
See it if You like intense Irish storytelling in an unusual setting. The stories were beautifully written with clearly expressed points of view.
Don't see it if You want to see something uplifting or you are claustrophobic.
Also You enter three different rooms to experience the stories. Each room i... Read more Read less
See it if Immersive theatrical experience of travelling to 3 different installations (rooms) Each metriculously designed & enhanced by Walsh's prose
Don't see it if Could get claustrophobic w/maximum number of people viewing Monologues are a bit dense & fused w/Irish morbidity; very powerful nonetheless
See it if if you like innovative theatrical experiences, brilliant "acting" (the acting is actually three monologues piped into three rooms)
Don't see it if you can't handle difficult, depressing subject matter, no matter how worthwhile
See it if You are in the mood to listen. You like Enda Walsh' non-commercial work.
Don't see it if you are claustrophobic or do not like darkness. You do not want to hear dark or depressing texts.
See it if you saw and enjoyed "Arlington" and want to see more by Enda Walsh.
Don't see it if you expect traditional theater with actors, or if you can't climb the stairs to the installation.
See it if You're interested in listening to monologues and testing out a mild immersive show. Also cool to check out the future new home of the IAC.
Don't see it if You are expecting to interact much with the environment or be very invested in the stories.
See it if you never seen an experiencential theatrical event.
Don't see it if you are bored with meandering monologues in dark rooms and canned voices masquerading as art.
See it if You have super sensitive acute hearing. This is a brilliant, engaging concept that is hampered by muffled sound in each of the three rooms.
Don't see it if You want to hear every word.
See it if if you like climbing rickety stairs, sweltering heat,and have extraordinary acute hearing.
Don't see it if You don't mind waiting in the street in the sweltering heat and miss the potentially lilting monologues as you move from room to room..
Cast & Creatives (6)
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