‘Outside Mullingar’- A Tale of Two Fields and A Thousand Unsaid Words

By Alix Cohen

Outside Mullingar is the tale of two lonely souls livin’ side by side on neighboring farms. Anthony Reilly’s a soft, odd sort of man, tangled up in thinkin’ somerthin’s wrong with himself, while Rosemary Muldoon’s fierce as a winter wind and after lovin’ him since they were young gossoons. (youngsters)

There’s old parents meddlin’, land to be fought over, and enough stubbornness to sink a boat — but beneath all the slaggin’ and silence, it’s really a grand little tale about lonely people findin’ the courage to love before it’s too late.

Tony Reilly (Michael Daley) and his son Anthony (Dana Watkins) have just returned from the funeral of a neighbor. “All you needed to say was good night and sorry for your trouble, but you had to say come by,” Tony complains. Widow Aoife Muldoon (Carole Monferdini) does just that, while her daughter Rosemary (Thea McCartan) remains outside smoking. Aoife tells Anthony her daughter hasn’t liked him since he “pushed her at six when she was doin’ a little ballet. She holds it against you.” (Both are in their forties now.)

The Reilly/Muldoon farms have sat shoulder to shoulder for generations. “When a husband goes, a wife follows. You’ll be dead in a year,” Tony comments to his son’s consternation. Both war horses are nonetheless comfortable natural order.

Talk turns to inheritance. Chris Muldoon left everything to his wife who will in turn leave it to her daughter. Though Anthony has done everything on the farm, Tony hasn’t made him the legatee. He doesn’t see “a clear path” to a son he calls “not normal.” There’s a nephew in America.

“It’s not in ya to stand on the land and draw strength from it,” he tells Anthony. “There’s no joy.” To Tony, ike Scarlett O’Hara’s father, land and legacy are all important. “Some of us don’t have joy, but we do what we must,” comes the compounding response.
That Anthony hasn’t married is also a consideration. At 16, Fiona broke his heart. Not once has he cast an eye elsewhere.

Also in discussion is a strip of land near the Reilly driveway that Tony sold to Chris when times were hard. He wants to buy it back before passing. Rosemary won’t sell. It’s the spot where Anthony pushed her. We learn that despite all the signs, she’s sure they’ll end up together.

Conversation between Rosemary and Anthony is awkward. She’s exasperated by his utter passivity. As the Irish might say, “He wouldn’t know what to say to a woman if it was wrote on the wall for him.” Anthony’s fantastic belief that he’s not human barely gives her pause.

Two-handers featuring the star-crossed lovers are wonderfully written and beautifully acted. The parents die. Years pass. Rosemary waits, palpably frustrated, occasionally putting herself in Anthony’s path to no avail, until…

This is one of Patrick Shanley’s most tender and charming plays, the one closest to his roots. Its lyrical, folkloric Irish tone is filtered through memory, ancestry, and imagination. The Schoolhouse’s worthy production is a lovely evening of theater.

Carole Monferdini exudes a warm, maternal quality, yet wisely doesn’t present soft. Aoife was a farmer’s wife. She’s plain spoken, sensible, observant- and tired. Monferdini brings the widow to nuanced life.

As Tony, Michael Daley is carved out of stubborn soil and old disappointments. He’s blunt, often curmudgeonly, and bears little patience for sentimentality. Pride, grief, and practicality are all aspects of the splendid performance.

Dana Watkins’ Anthony begins as a repressed cipher. Shanley gives us only glimpses of root issues. The actor is understated, but aptly vibrates. In Act II, Watkins comes into his own. We palpably feel the extent of what’s roiled and lurching within.

Thea McCartan’s interpretation of Rosemary is stunning. As frustration mounts, furious dignity fuels the character’s endurance. The actor offers a profound sense of wrestling humiliation and hope. Even the way she smokes reflects personality. Release is deeply affecting.

Bram Lewis’s immensely sensitive Direction evinces a light, but sure touch. The piece is powerful without losing its rustic feel. Characters are very much themselves rather than archetypes. Actors visibly listen and think. Pauses are never empty. Emotional resolution arrives at human, not theatrical scale.

Set and Scenic Design- Isabelle Favette- works nicely utilizing mobile components and evocative scenic projections. Though the story takes place in 2008, I have to say empty pizza boxes threw me. The tale itself is timeless.
Dennis Parichy’s Lighting is insidiously subtle.
Sound Design by Jessica Klee features realistic rain and atmospheric music.
Costumes by Nancy Nichols are period, place, and personality perfect. ‘As if characters walked into the theater in their own clothes.

Photos by Doug Abdelnour

Outside Mullingar by John Patrick Shanley
Directed by Bram Lewis
Through May 31, 2026

In 2020, the play was adapted into the film Wild Mountain Thyme, written and directed by Shanley.

The Schoolhouse Theater
The North Salem Community Center
3 Owens Road, Croton Falls, NY
https://www.theschoolhousetheater.org/

NEXT: Noel Coward’s Private Lives- September 4-20, 2026

SIMPLE TRAVEL DIRECTIONS:
Take Metro North on the Harlem Line from GCT or 125th Street to Croton Falls. Once there, there is about a seven minute walk (up a gentle hill) to the theater building at 3 Owens Road, Croton Falls, New York. Ubers are available or folks can call ahead to Croton Falls Taxi Service at 914-290-5400.