By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current
Geneseo’s Richmond Hill Players continue their 2023 season with “The Seafarer,” a play by Conor McPherson. The show will be presented Thursdays through Sundays, Oct. 5-15, at the Barn Theatre in Geneseo. Justin Raver, Kewanee, directs the show.
ABOUT THE PLAY – TAKEN FROM INFORMATION RECEIVED
“The Seafarer” offers a devil of a Christmas at Richmond Hill. –
Set on a dreary Christmas Eve in a coastal suburb north of Dublin, the play follows James “Sharky” Harkin, who, having lost his job, has returned home to car for older brother Richard, recently blinded in an accident.
While Sharky battles to say off the booze over the holiday, irascible brother Richard is determined to celebrate the season, inviting old drinking buddies Ivan and Nicky to the house to play poker. But Nicky brings along a stranger – the mysterious Mr. Lockhart, who reminds Sharky of a long past meeting they had on exactly this date, years ago. With the addition of this figure from Sharky’s haunted past, the friendly poker game takes a sinister turn; soon it’s clear that Sharky may be playing for his very soul.
“The Seafarer” is at once a dark comedy, a chilling story about the sea, Ireland and the power of myth, and a tale of redemption by one of Ireland’s best playwrights. Rated MATURE for language and alcohol use.
The cast features Matt McConville, Bruce Carmen, both of Geneseo; Pat Kelley, Kewanee; Bobby Metcalf, Davenport; and Gary Talsky, Spring Valley.
The staff includes stage manager Leslie Day; sound designer Larry Lord; light designer booth operator Jennifer Kingry; set builder Mike Skiles; set painter Dana Skiles, all of Geneseo; and set builder Jim Skiles, Colona.
On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, the doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the show beginning at 7:30 p.m. Sunday shows are 3 p.m. matinees with the doors opening at 2 p.m.
Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling the Richmond Hill box office at 309-944-2244 or by visiting the website at rhplayers.com.
Late seating is not permitted; no one will be admitted to the theater after the show has started.
Admission to all performances is $12.
An audio description performance will be held Friday, July Oct. 6. Richmond Hill also offers Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs), which can be requested at the time reservations are made.
ABOUT RICHMOND HILL PLAYERS: A non-profit community theater group presenting plays in the converted top floor of an old dairy barn in Geneseo since 1968. Approximately 100 active members are involved on and off-stage each year, with actors, directors, backstage personnel, support staffs, and audience drawn form a 75-100-mile radius that includes cities in both Illinois and Iowa.
Bruce Carmen and Matthew McConville, both of Geneseo, are among the cast members of the October production by the Richmond Hill Players.
Gary Talsky, Spring Valley; Matthew McConville, Geneseo; and Patrick Kelley, Kewanee, rehearse a scene from “The Seafarer,” to be staged in October by the Richmond Hill Players.
