‘Ulster American’- Ideology, Ego, and Historical Baggage

By Alix Cohen

British director Leigh Carver (Max Baker) practically salivates over having secured Academy Award winning Jay Conway (Michael Broderick) to star in his upcoming production about The Troubles. (A decade of Irish violence that pitted Protestant unionists against Catholic nationalists.) Rehearsals start tomorrow.Tickets are selling out.

Leigh is old school erudite, the kind of theater person who could quote Shakespeare to fit a situation. He’s polite to a fault and soft spoken. ‘Also pop illiterate. When Jay quotes James Baldwin, the director thinks he’s referring to one of the American acting clan.

Jay is an egotistical, recovering alcoholic who ignores the program’s suggestion to exercise personal boundaries and humility, exhaustively referring to it. The actor drops contemporary show business names, uses the word “fuck” with David Mamet frequency, and peppers conversation with overt sexual references which make his director squirm.

Tonight, at Leigh’s home, the two will meet with playwright Ruth Davenport (Geraldine Hughes) who’s flown in from Belfast, but late. Complimentary towards each other, the men additionally gush about the play and its writer, comparing her to Chekhov.
Jay’s Irish accent is execrable. It’s a testament to how much the director wants popular success that he remains silent. The American absently stretches as they talk. (a wonderful conceit)

During reference to intense roles, the actor brings up one in which the plot forced him to pick a woman to rape or be responsible for the detonation of a bomb. Musing, he says if he had to choose, he’d rape Princess Diana- because it would bring her closer to understanding her causes. A mere five minutes earlier, in regard to Ruth, he’d declared “women’s voices are crying out to be heard.”

Leigh is appalled, but pressed to ameliorate his star, comes up with an equally surprising choice. The misogynous exchange will come back to bite them. Ruth arrives to welcome and praise which she returns in kind. By all rights, the evening should be a love fest. It is not.

The American actor’s heritage is Irish Catholic. In middle age, he’s intent on doing a play about Ireland by an Irish writer. “I feel like I have to know the history of Ireland like I know my own ball sack.” Sensing no issue, Ruth successively declares herself British (she lives in Northern Ireland where citizens make a choice), a unionist (she supports remaining in the United Kingdom), and against Brexit. Both Leigh and Jay are horrified.

“What about some changes? “ Leigh suggests ready to prostitute the script. “We can make Tommy (the protagonist) Catholic, put him in the IRA and add dancing,” Jay adds. Americans, he says, love Irish dancing. This is exemplary of the play’s insidious, wry humor. Wait until you hear about rationalizations for an eye patch. Ruth is indignant. She won’t change a word.

To say exchange becomes heated doesn’t come close to describing a volcanic eruption of misogyny, insults and threats. You won’t see the ending coming.

Playwright David Ireland has built a cozily furnished minefield.

Ciarán O’Reilly (director) changes the landscape from mutual admiration to embattlement with only faint clues of what’s to come.
Each actor has different bearing. Small stage business seems organic. As tension mounts, we experience revelations along with the characters. Surprise upon surprise explodes like well designed fireworks.

Max Baker and Geraldine Hughes inhabit their roles. There’s not a false gesture, timing misstep, or unbelievable, dramatic moment despite burgeoning fury. As Leigh, Baker is offhandedly elegant and discrete about hunger for popular success. Hughes’ Ruth is smart, quick, and unabashedly direct.

Matthew Broderick’s own characteristics infuse whatever role he takes. Like contract players in old Hollywood, his style barely changes. It didn’t hurt them and here, works for him. The actor still seems younger than those whom he plays. Jay is so palpably obtuse and tone deaf, so childlike, one wants to shake him. The public offers and he graciously accepts.

Reliably talented, Charlie Corcoran has done a marvelous job with live-in scenic design, bespoke to character and locale.
‘Love the displayed uniform and blankets on the chairs.
Costumes by Orla Long epitomize characters.
Fight Director Rick Sordeket creates wincingly realistic fighting

Ulster American by David Ireland
Directed by Ciarán O’Reilly
Irish Repertory Theatre 132 West 22nd Street
https://irishrep.org/
Through May 10, 2026