Author Archives: Kelsey McGrath
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I think I’ve been procrastinating on writing these blog posts because I want to refuse to believe everything has happened already. I don’t want to process the experience and understand the end. It aches to reflect on the impact of these past few weeks. It aches to think of Sunday. It aches to realize the […]
Beauty Queen//Ma.
I gravitated toward Martin McDonagh’s “Beauty Queen of Leenane.” The text satisfied the ugly in me. You know? When your brain thinks astonishingly morbid thoughts and you’re like “WTF Brain?! Why did you think that?” But you do. And it’s an arena to be recognized. And in “Beauty Queen’s” case, embraced. The story relays a […]
Right on, Write on.
OHMYGOD. This morning, we staged my play and it was other worldly. Honestly. It’s difficult to articulate the sensations I felt as Terri directed and Alison and Joan starred in “Ma.” This piece was excruciating for me to write. The more we work with it, the more comfortable I get with the material. The work […]
Mag’s Spine.
A super objective is “the unit of desire that drives the unity of action that is the spine of the plot;” this imagery and word choice intrigued me. In Beauty Queen of Leenane, Mag is a character of unparalleled intrigue. She also often complains of her “bad back.” Her super objective is to maintain the […]
Playing Catch Up, Y’All.
July 13th– Dublin & Halfin’. Welcome to Dublin! What experience stands out the most? How is Dublin similar or different from Belfast? I spent a few days in Dublin prior to meeting my iEi group; I adored the city. Dublin has a bustling, cosmopolitan energy. It encourages a consumer-centric lifestyle and is, unfortunately, a hotspot […]
Little Monster.
While I could speak infinitely about the brilliant iEi students I’ve gotten to know, I feel that this would be a cop out… ;D Let me introduce Pearsey McGuigan: [Pearsey is on the far right] Post PRIDE and Harlem Cafe, after lazing on the City Centre’s lawn among locals, my iEi friends and I […]
Impression Structure
In relation to conflict, objectivity is an idealistic perspective. The word is defined as: “Not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts.” In my theatrical experience, we refer to audience inherent biases as “impression structure.” This idea encompasses the spectators’ history with the show itself and the show’s themes, feelings toward […]
Dinner with Belfast
It is Day 7 and I have learned SO much beyond Armagh and Irish history, thanks to my classmates. They are all brilliant and our dynamic is joyous. Last night, after arriving at The Barge, that the kitchen aboard was closed! We were famished, withering away and cranky after a long day of fast bells. […]
I, Too.
I, Too, Sing America by: Langston Hughes I, too, sing America I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong. Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table When company comes. Nobody’ll dare Say to me, “Eat in the kitchen,” Then. […]
If My Heart Was A House, You’d Be Home.
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, “Home”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHEOF_rcND8 Simon and Garfunkel, “Homeward Bound”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex8YNIhXydE Considering this theme, Joliet is my immediate thought. Geographically, I was born and raised in Illinois, but I do not proclaim this place as my home. I’ve fit in there, my family also resides in the city, but the soulmates I’ve adopted and […]
