The Irish … and How They Got That Way: Highlights from Seasons 9–15: 1996–2003

“The Irish … and How They Got That Way: Highlights from Seasons 9–15: 1996–2003,” discusses the Irish Repertory Theatre’s productions of The Importance of Being Earnest (1996); My Astonishing Self (1997); The Nightingale and Not the Lark and The Invisible Man (1997); Eclipsed (1999); Song at Sunset (1998), and The Importance of Being Oscar (2001). The chapter considers one of the Irish Rep’s most successful productions: The Irish … and How They Got That Way (1997), by Frank McCourt. The Irish was so immediately popular that the company staged the show multiple times, including performances in Boston, San Francisco, and Chicago. The chapter reflects on the attacks on New York City on September 11, 2001, and how the Irish Rep responded by staging a benefit of The Irish … and How They Got That Way, and producing The Streets of New York, by Dion Boucicault, to inspire New Yorkers post-9/11.