An afternoon escape enjoying the charming and witty production of Outside Mullingar at Citadel Theatre in Lake Forest, IL
**Disclosure: Complimentary tickets were received to bring you this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own.
Citadel Theatre in Lake Forest welcomes the community to watch professional theatrical performances in a charmingly intimate theatre. The Citadel features a range of performances each season, puts on children's productions and holds acting workshops and classes. The theater provides a wonderful site for cultural enrichment and exploring the arts.
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| Spectacular set for Outside Mullingar at the Citadel Theatre. |
Experiencing Outside Mullingar
Citadel Theatre's current production, Outside Mullingar by John Patrick Shanley, charmed us with a humorous and romantic Irish tale -- with a twist. Set in Ireland, the quaint set includes the kitchen of an Irish cottage, a homey sitting area with a fireplace and an outdoor porch. The setting really draws the audience into the relationships of the Muldoons and Reillys. Banter in the form of a variety of conversations between Tony (Jack Hickey), Aoife (Susan Hofflader), Anthony (Ross Frawley) and Rosemary (Laura Leonardo Ownby) engaged the audience throughout the entire 1.5 hour show. We thoroughly enjoyed the dialogue and rapport between the actors as they seamlessly wove together both humor and sentimentality into the show.
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| Laura Leonardo Ownby and Ross Frawley delight with their portrayals of Rosemary and Anthony in Outside Mullingar. Image credit Citadel Theatre. |
Outside Mullingar threads together the stories of generations of Irish families living on adjacent plots of farmland with the decades-long love story between Anthony and Rosemary. Conversations between the cast of characters feel to naturally develop on set as family history, past hurts, confessions and love are discussed. The quick pace of conversation also keeps the audience engaged.
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| Jack Hickey as Tony Reilly. Image courtesy of Citadel Theatre. |
During the course of the play, the audience follows the development of the relationship between Rosemary and Anthony including its many missteps. Through twists and turns, we wonder if Rosemary and Anthony will ever admit to each other their feelings. I don't want to spoil anything, but there were a few truly unexpected hurdles and misunderstandings between Anthony and Rosemary. You will certainly enjoy a few surprises!
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| Aoife (Susan Hofflader) talks with her daughter Rosemary (Laura Leonardo Ownby). Image courtesy of Citadel Theatre. |
Jeff Recommendation for Outside Mullingar
This outstanding production of Outside Mullingar has received a prestigious Jeff Recommendation. Jeff Recommendations highlight the excellence of Chicago theater. The Jeff Awards are highly esteemed Chicago theater awards. After viewing Outside Mullingar, I can tell you that the production is incredibly worthy of the Jeff Recommendation. Any production earning a Jeff Recommendation is eligible for the Jeff Awards at the end of the season. What an incredible accolade for a show to receive!
Citadel Theatre provided a pleasant setting for sitting back and immersing yourself in a live production. The theater is a nice size -- not too big, not too small. We found our seats comfortable and were easily able to kick back a bit to take in the show!
If you are looking for an afternoon or evening full of jovial banter woven into life stories featuring loss, joy, and humor, Outside Mullingar is for you. We felt that the acting is absolutely top-notch. You will truly find yourself swept up into the story during this production. Of course, we all like a laugh and Outside Mullingar certainly inspires some laughs while also touching the heart. Outside Mullingar runs through March 13, 2022. Tickets are easily reservable online. Treat yourself to an evening or afternoon at the theatre!
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