Theatre

The play Dancing at Lughnasa by playwright Brian Friel remains one of the more unique presentations of Irish culture and history. The basic premise of the play entails examining a number of characters living together in a cottage. Upon first glance, one would assume such a minimalist venture would be bereft of deep introspection into the Irish traditions and history. In actuality, the minimalist presentation of the play begets a sincere depth. Specifically, a broad  and humorous  overview of Irish culture can be found within the microcosmic world of this play.

The plot of Dancing at Lughnasa centers on the bright hopes of the Mundy Sisters as love may be in the air for them. However, the process becomes bittersweet and does not turn out as they had hoped by the plays conclusion. During the proceedings of the play, we are able to see the events unfold through the eyes of an adult Michael Evans who narrates from adulthood but takes a prominent role in the plays proceedings as a young child. From his recollections, we are able to gain a unique insight into the characters and which opens the viewersreaders eyes to some of the family dynamics that may have existed at the time.

In traditional Irish culture, the family unite is considered to be vital. There is a strong belief in the need to remain close and supportive of family members. However, there is also a notion that there comes a time where independence is required. Within this framework, there can be a fear of spinsterhood. Such a fear hangs as a specter in the play as evidenced via an examination of the sisters in the play. Friels ability to weave such cultural components into the play allow for the work to remain a unique look into cultural components of Irish society as a whole through the specific character traits of the fictional cast.

The characters of the five sisters - Kate, Maggie, Agnes, Rosie, and Christina  can be considered archetypes of the stereotypical spinsters. However, none of the three sisters has reached the point that spinster-hood is unavoidable for them. Rather, there is the possibility that love can save them from a fate of loneliness. Such hope is what carries them and provides an additional amount of dramatic and comic action through the play. Such action is also influenced by the other brother, Jack, who has a rather odd and unique role in the play himself.

The development of the sisters and Jack can be considered Friels crowning achievement in his crafting of the play. This play, in many ways, can be considered an ensemble piece character study. This means the characters in the play must be effectively and properly crafted for the audiencereaders to be drawn into the proceedings. Friel definitely succeeds in his ability to make these characters memorable which can be considered the most impressive aspects of his writing.

In some ways, the character of Jack can be considered a somewhat subversive element to the play. His character is that of a priest who is suffering from malaria and is in a near delusional state. He had been working as a missionary where he contracted the condition and there are subtle hints that he may have acquired venereal disease as well. In some ways, the character is subversive because his presence represents a subtle dig at the long catholic tradition in Ireland.

This is not to say, however, that the character is designed with the intention of completely mocking the church or presenting it in a severely negative light. Rather, Jacks presence in the play seems to be more of a comic relief element. This is done to poke fun at some of the historical troubles with the Catholic Church in Ireland over the years. This could be considered another way in which Friel is able to use the subtle development of specific characters to craft a unique insight into cultural components of Irish tradition.

Again, the character does not serve the role of a deep criticism of Catholicism as much as his is an acknowledgment that the church is comprised of humans and not spiritual entities. As such, he  like other humans  is prone to folly and misguidance and should not necessarily be placed on a pedestal. So, with the character of Jack, we see a more human as opposed to deist face. Throughout Irelands history, the church and worship of God has been integral to the culture. In most instances, humor surrounding religious themes is frowned upon. The presence of the fallen angel in the form of Jack does present a respite from common themes in which religion is approached in Irish lore, poetry, and plays.

Also present as a theme within the play is the notion of financial hardship, struggle, and difficulty. This would seem to go hand in hand with the additional themes of unrealized love.

How do the two themes connect Essentially, both not having love and not having financial security symbolize and emptiness that the characters possess. Lack of love can be considered the loss of self-esteem. Lack of adequate finances can represent a lack of material possession. Then, the religious themes can promote the concept of a lack of spiritual growth and development. In some ways, the collective of these three areas of longing could promote the notion that the characters are collectively together but are not whole. In other words, the missing elements negatively contribute to their feelings of belonging and self-worth.

In some ways, this can be symbolic of the relationship between Ireland and England. For years, Ireland struggled for independence for political and religious freedom. By not being free, the culture of Ireland suffered from feelings of not being whole or fully realized. Again, this can be considered symbolic in the microcosmic sense as the characters of the play may represent such feelings. But, there is always hope even though the characters may not be completely aware such hope exists.

Why is this so Far too often, people will look for salvation from external sources. The characters of the play may be seeking something to save them from their own mundane lives. However, they do not necessarily stop to examine, experience, and feel joyful that they have each other to hold onto. Such an oversight can lead to some of the conflict in the play.

This is not to say that Friel trivializes issues of financial or personal insecurity. He is not trying to make light of the plight of the family. However, he does take the stance thematically that to weigh a great deal of time in areas of worry and concern can draw attention away from other aspects of life that can be considered positive. Namely, there is much family support that is drowned out but some of the woes the individual characters must face.

Again, the family does have itself to draw from for support. The problem is that some of the characters do not always see things in such a way. This creates a host of problems and conflicts within the framework of the play. In some ways, you could say the characters create their own internal conflict which impacts the other characters in the play.

In many ways, this is visible in the relationship between Gerry and Christina. It would not be an overstatement to say that Christina is hoping that a marriage to Gerry can lead to her escape from the current plight she sees herself in. This does raise questions regarding whether or not Christina is seeking to get married for the right reasons. Some might even argue that there is no wrong reason for the marriage since it may bring with it the potential for her to escape from her unhappiness.

Friel seems to leave much of the moralizing regarding Christinas situation to be somewhat ambiguous. This can be considered a brilliant stylistic approach since it avoids sermonizing and allows the readeraudience to draw its own conclusions regarding what is or isnt right in this particular component of the plot.

Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel remains one of the more interesting  and entertaining plays to cover the world of Irish family, culture, and history. While there may be some iconoclast elements within the play, it still remains a touching and humorous character study which provides insightful recollections of family life and dynamics. That alone makes it a work of high merit worthy of critical praise.