Hedgerow Theatre Kicks off the New Year with Enda Walsh’s The New Electric Ballroom- February 15th to March 3rd

-Courtesy of Perpetual Motion PR
photo by James Kern Photography

Hedgerow Theatre Company is welcoming audiences back to the theatre in the New Year with The New Electric Ballroom, a modern classic from the pen of Irish playwright Enda Walsh. Walsh, who wrote the book to the TONY-winning musical Once, has created a play that illuminates the experiences of those often rendered culturally invisible – the deep complexities of women of a certain age. The New Electric Ballroom is directed by noted Philadelphia playwright and director Emma Gibson (Founding Artistic Director of Tiny Dynamite) and performed by a powerhouse of regional talent, Janis Dardaris, Marcia Saunders, and Stephen Patrick Smith, and Hedgerow’s own Artistic Director Marcie Bramucci, who have all built collaborative artistic trust among each other through the years. The New Electric Ballroom runs February 15- March 3 at Hedgerow.

The New Electric Ballroom is a haunting fable set in a remote Irish fishing village. It centers on three sisters who had all of the possibility and excitement of life before them, until a moment of betrayal causes their worlds to collapse, leaving them clinging to one another, trapped between what might have been and dreams to come. The play is celebrated by The New York Times as Walsh’s “most intoxicating and original piece of writing.” An Edinburgh Fringe First Award winner, it smolders in mystery, and Walsh’s incredible dramaturgy subtly shifts audiences’ own abilities to lift the veil on the characters’ shrouded fates. 

“This play sits deeply with me—a tale of regret and longing, told with Walsh’s customary bold, theatrical language and style,” notes Gibson. “There is much to love including his use of humor, music and repetition to illuminate the very human need for love and connection. It is a cautionary tale, set in the past, that reminds us to move away from regret and live in the present.” 

“Walsh is a master storyteller and as he has noted, he aspires for his work to ‘bypass the intellect and go straight into your bones’,” highlights Bramucci, who steps into the role of the younger sister. “His unique ability to cut to the core makes the work visceral, haunting, and electrifyingly resonant. We could not be more fortunate for the talents of these exceptional artists – I’m pinching myself, really – to inhabit this pulsing and utterly feeling play.  

Hedgerow’s production of The New Electric Ballroom continues its offerings of unique and challenging contemporary plays. The creative team for this exciting new work includes Maria Laster as the Scenic Designer, Lily Fossner as the Lighting Designer, Georgia Evans as the Costume Designer.  Kate Fossner is the Production Manager and Eilis Skamarakas is the Stage Manager.

Opening Night is Friday, February 16 at 7:30 p.m.  Tickets cost $35 for adult tickets and $20 for students and youth (under 18 years old), plus fees, and are available online at www.hedgerowtheatre.org.  Hedgerow Theatre Company is located at 64 Rose Valley Rd in Media.

Run-time: 75 minutes (with no intermission)