A range of emotions are explored in Gaelic Park Players’ first production of its 2023-24 season.
“Thy Will Be Done,” which opened Sept. 22 and continues to Oct. 1 at Chicago Gaelic Park in Oak Forest, is set in a rural town in the West of Ireland in the late 1990s.
Showtimes are 8 p.m. Sept. 29-30; 3 p.m. Oct. 1.
“It’s relatable on so many different levels, ways, shapes and forms whether it’s arguing with family members or friends suffering a heartbreak and the challenges it brings in moving forward in life and then also mourning a loss of a loved one,” said Taryn McKenna Daou, director of “Thy Will Be Done.”
“This play does center around two brothers who have been in a feud and have not spoken in over 40 years and how it has affected everyone’s lives around them over time, but it’s also about the four characters reflecting back on the choices they have made in their lives and the truth that they expose.
“Then we find out the reason for covering up the truth.”
Longtime Gaelic Park Players fans may remember that the community theater group staged “Thy Will Be Done” in 2000 at Chicago Gaelic Park before taking the production to the Acting Irish International Theatre Festival in Toronto later that year.
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“We do have a personal connection to the playwright, Michael Carey, so we wanted to honor him and his writing legacy and his family as a friend of Gaelic Park Players,” said McKenna Daou of Palos Heights.
“Thy Will Be Done” features four cast members including Gary Murphy of Orland Park, who is making his debut with Gaelic Park Players in the lead role of older brother Jack Griffin.
The cast also includes Oak Forest’s Jaimey Kennedy as housekeeper Bridie Lavin; Mick Kenna, who is originally from Dublin is now in Chicago’s Beverly community and is returning to acting for the first time since 2014 as nephew Martin Griffin; and Blue Island’s Kevin Denny as younger brother Peteen Griffin.
“From a director’s standpoint, I’m very honored and humbled to have and fortunate to just work with this unbelievably talented cast. Words cannot explain how proud I am of Gary, Jaimey, Mick and Kevin,” said McKenna Daou, who is making her solo directorial debut with “Thy Will Be Done.”
People involved in “Thy Will Be Done” behind the scenes include assistant director Kristel Flynn of Oak Lawn, producer Maggie Murphy of Chicago, stage manager Bridget Christianson of Oak Forest and George Skrobuton of Mokena, who sketched the graphics for the show’s advertisements.
Others include Christina Garrivan of Chicago Ridge, who assisted with the set; Barney Farrelly of Lemont, who provided guidance and support; John Devitt of Palos Park who painted the set and also provided guidance and support; and McKenna Daou’s husband, Paul Daou, who assisted with sound and set build.
“It’s all about the fine little details that we want to bring to our Gaelic Park Players’ audience,” said McKenna Daou, who was brought into the group by Kenna and previously served as the group’s president and is currently the recording secretary.
Gaelic Park Players’ season continues in April with “Anyone Can Rob a Bank” by Thomas Coffey.
‘Thy Will Be Done’
When: 8 p.m. Sept. 29-30; 3 p.m. Oct. 1
Where: Chicago Gaelic Park, 6119 W. 147th St., Oak Forest
Tickets: $15
Information: 708-687-9323; gaelicparkplayers.org
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.