Kimberley Lynne – Armagh Project 2015

Gatekeeper

Kimberley Lynne — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 08:57:35 +0000

The archetype of the ancient storytelling Irishman surfaced again at the Translink bus station in Belfast on Sunday afternoon. He perched on the line of curved plastic chairs by the sliding door to gates 14-17, waiting for a subject, anyone. His face was craggy but soft like room-temperature cream cheese; the rough sandpaper tongue of time left its mark on his cheeks and lips. His once-white hair was clumped into twisted bunches; the imprint of his wool cap formed a tunnel around his skull. He slumped in a plaid flannel shirt and tatty khakis. His feet were planted on the dusty tile in flaking work boots.

“Where ya goin’?” he asked a handsome young man of color, maybe African-American, dressed in shades of navy. They discussed the Belfast sights and the crappy tea quality at the restaurant across the aisle. When the young man caught his bus, the old man turned his attention to the raucous toddlers crawling under the seats, screeching, evading their father.

“What ya two doin’ down there?” he asked, and the stories rolled around again.

Casting for History of the Troubles

Kimberley Lynne — Mon, 13 Jul 2015 19:17:07 +0000

Can’t wait to hear it again out loud. Here’s what we think:

Gerry = Chris Warman
Seamus = Carolyn
Derek = Jeff
civil servant = Carolyn
Fireball = Sharea
Felix = Allie
Eleanor = Bryonna
Eugene = Charles
Maggie = Kimberley
Andy = Chris Rizzo
Vinty = Bryonna
Benny = Robert
Colm = Jeff
Taxi driver = Charles
Goon = Robert

And a myriad of small roles that Kimberley will read: voice over, Jack Lynch, Mr. Carson, son, warder, newsreader, reporter, Colm’s Mate, and DJ

Stage directions and a myriad of other small roles read by Terri: community worker, Mr. Bryans, Banjo player, countryman, barman, voice, and deLorean

Enjoy the read.

Faith Healer

Kimberley Lynne — Sun, 12 Jul 2015 09:43:54 +0000

Dear playwrights, remember I suggested to Bryonna that she take a look at Brian Friel’s play, Faith Healer, as an example of a story structured around monologues. (And also a fine example of different versions of the same story.)

Here’s a clip of the great Ralph Fiennes performing Frank.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA2wl0X1XGc

Enjoy.

Daily Protests

Kimberley Lynne — Sun, 12 Jul 2015 08:52:11 +0000

As we walked along the North King Street back to our hotel, calls of protest stopped us. The protesters blocked a lane of traffic as they marched, and the police showed up quickly. We think the protest focused on a housing complaint.

Later, when we told fellow faculty Nessa O’Mahony of the experience, she nodded. “Protests daily.”

I like that the Irish stand up. Good for you to care about your community enough to walk through an open lane of road and swing a sign.

Soyer’s Sultana’s Sauce

Kimberley Lynne — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 08:32:46 +0000

During the Irish Famine, British Prime Minister Lord Russell asked French Victorian celebrity chef Alexis Soyer to implement his idea of a soup kitchen in Dublin. He did and fed over 5,000 famine victims daily, but he charged the rich ex-pats four shillings to watch the victims eat his celebrated soup. In the adjacent zoo in Phoenix Park, it cost five shillings to watch the monkeys eat.

This fact so intrigued and appalled me that I wrote a play about it. Did Soyer ever realize how demeaning that must have been to the victims? Theoretically, the money raised funded a nearby workhouse, but Soyer also sold his cookbooks and famous Sultana’s Sauce to his customers at a wide profit.