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Myra's Story

by Brian Foster
Directed by Gemma Whelan

Sponsored by Ellyn Bye

May 5 – 28, 2023

Thu – Sat @ 7:30pm, Sun @ 2pm

Recommended for ages 15 and up.

A scream from the streets. A plea to be seen as human.

Embodying Irish humor and tenacity, Myra chronicles her struggle with alcoholism and the generational and political traumas that fuel it. She introduces a cast of colorful characters from her working-class Dublin community, whose own challenges fill in the larger picture of a battered but resilient Irish society.   

"''I've told yeh, daughter, alcoholism is part of us Hennessys. It stalks us. Pulls us down. The Beast me own Da called it. An' his Da before. An' y'can take it from me... when The Beast comes for a Hennessy, there's no escape."

Special Performance Dates

Artwork by Jan Baross
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4

COVID: For our 2022-23 season, patrons will no longer be required to show proof of vaccination in order to be admitted to a performance, however we reserve the right to change this policy at any time during the year.  In addition, we may require all audience members to be masked at performances at any given time, based on prevailing conditions around the country. Our cast, crew, and staff have been fully vaccinated.

Featuring Luisa Sermol* as Myra

* Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States, appearing under a Special Appearance Contract.

About the Playwright

Irish playwright Brian Foster “fell into” writing at age 39, despite coming from a tough background where visits to the theatre were unheard of and writing was a skill reserved for bookies and dockets. He left school at 16 with no qualifications except street smarts. Woven of truth and fiction, the hugely likeable, hugely vulnerable character Myra is an amalgam of several street drinkers Foster was familiar with in his home town of Derry, Northern Ireland. 

Myra, says Foster, “is not an educated woman — but she has a street nurtured intelligence about her.” And Myra’s Story is merely a small window into the life of someone whom almost anyone could become. 

SOME OF FOSTER’S OTHER WORKS INCLUDE:
The Trophy Collector (2010), The Most Haunted House in Derry (2005), The Butterfly of Killybegs (2000), A Miracle in Ballymore (2000), Colm Cille (film 2000) and, Lillibulerro (1996). 

Gemma Whelan
DIRECTOR
Colin Herring
STAGE MANAGER
Rene Denfeld
ASST STAGE MANAGER / DRAMATURG
Kyra Sanford
SCENIC DESIGN
Gregory Pulver
COSTUME DESIGN
Viola Horton
COSTUME DESIGN
Jimmy Balistreri
LIGHTING DESIGN
Andrew Bray
SOUND DESIGN
Karl Hanover
DIALECT COACH

Help us Support Portland's Houseless Communities
when you attend Myra's Story!

We’re partnering with Here Together Oregon during the run of ‘Myra’s Story’ to support Portland’s houseless communities!

Bring items from the list below to any performance of Myra’s Story and, with help from Here Together, we’ll donate them to Raphael House, a Portland-area organization that helps survivors of domestic violence.

  • Fred Meyer gift cards
  • Products for Black and African American Hair
  • Feminine hygiene products (especially maxi/overnight)
  • Shampoo and Conditioner (full-size bottles)
  • Hygiene supplies for men and teenage boys
  • Standard Pillows
  • Body wash (full-size bottles)
  • Deodorant (all genders)
  • New, plus-size clothing
  • Lotion (full-size bottles)
  • Toothpaste
  • Dish soap and detergent (for sinks and machines)

See Raphael House’s Amazon Wish List for more ways to support their work!

Season Sponsor: Ronni Lacroute

Production Sponsor: Ellyn Bye

 
Supporting Luisa Sermol’s Role as Myra: Charlotte Rubin

Supporting Karl Hanover’s work as Dialect Coach: The All-Ireland Cultural Society