By Walter Murphy…
What starts with some innocuous Queens, New York, Irish tropes, the new play Breezy Point—in competition as part of the 2025 Origin 1st Irish festival—builds to a heartfelt admission about the strength and expectation of family bonds. Along the way, there is Irish nonsense, broad caricature, wise-cracking guides, questionable Celtic mythology, and quite a few references to 1980s culture. One may ask: where is this play going . . . and whatever happened to the Walkman?
The play is set on the Irish Riviera—Breezy Point, Queens—which features the highest concentration of Irish Americans in the US. Socially inbred (“I can think of six John O’Connors within four blocks.”) and physically remote, way out in Far Rockaway: “You’d have to take the A-train for like a million stops, then get on a bus—it’s like a whole afternoon trip—you should probably bring a snack, but one that won’t become a toxic threat when paired with the searing heat of pre-Rudy Giuliani public transport,” we’re told. You know you’ve arrived when you see the ocean.
Returning to the land of her father is the estranged daughter, Siobhan (Hannah Victoria Collins), of the recently deceased Johnny O’Connor. She goes to his house and finds a family secret that sets the story in motion. Director Hannah Ciesel cleverly conceals a surprise, which is revealed with great effect.
An annoyed faerie, Rae the Fae (Madeleine Bohn), appears and explains she must consume a person or human remains to fulfill her questionable mission. This is an Irish tale so, of course, the “wee folk” have a part. Although asked to help, Siobhan is more interested in learning whether her father ever mentioned or acknowledged her.
Siobhan’s misgivings aside, the two visit a few of Johnny’s haunts: not surprisingly, a bar and, ultimately, a funeral home where his ashes reside on a shelf. The more Siobhan learns about her father, the more she softens and hopes for acknowledgement. Along the way, Breezy Point characters add color and dark humor to the quest. Two players (Corey Brown and Echo Patriquin) narrate the story, add wisecracks and meta observations, and allude to a tragic family secret.
Due to the Irish way—ignore all unpleasant feelings while sober—no one remembers Johnny mentioning a daughter. Siobhan wants closure, Rae the Fae wants human substance. In the end, Siobhan makes peace with the realization that she was looking for something that wasn’t there. Ultimately, she honors her father by reciting a tribute for which he was well-known.
Playwright Rosie Coursey accurately captures the unique hometown landscape: “You can’t go a block without running into a statue of The Blessed Virgin Mary . . . or her Irish work associate Saint Patrick” And, her writing is peppered with snarky dialogue. “He did mention that he tried to donate his sperm for cash, but he kept having trouble, well . . . getting it from six to midnight.”
The four-person cast is a winning combination of goofy, boisterous and talented. The Players, Corey Brown, and Echo Patriquin, easily shift personas and accents as they take on multiple roles. Hannah Victoria Collins’ Siobhan carries her grief lightly, then powerfully. Madeleine Bohn’s Rae the Fae is a blast and a half. Good turns all.
Director Ciesel manages well the hectic transitions from zany to emotional. Given the performance space, her direction moved the characters smartly to maximize audience proximity to the cast. It made for a fun, intimate evening.
Breezy Point. One final performance remains: Sunday, April 27 at 7 PM at The Churchill Tavern (45 East 28th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). The 60-minute play is part of the 2025 Origin 1st Irish. For tickets: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/breezypointplay/1589598
Photos: Niahm Griffin