Check out Wilmington's Jennifer Soucy in the title role of AFD's irish drama "The Mai"

The Arlington Friends of the Drama is looking ahead to its upcoming production of "The Mai", opening February 28th.  "The Mai" is an Irish drama by Marina Carr and AFD's production will mark its American community theatre debut.  AFD is making a strong push to reach out to Greater Boston's Irish-American community.  

Wilmington resident Jennifer Soucy plays the title role in "The Mai".  Soucy was inspired to read the play after learning that Nancy Curran Willis would be directing the show at AFD.  After reading the play, she knew immediately she wanted to be part of the production.  Specifically, Soucy was drawn in by the Irish mythology that metaphorically represents the collective psyche of human beings.  This play has special meaning to Soucy too, given that she is of Irish descent.  For Soucy, relationships are the most important things in her life, and she feels this play beautifully embraces the notion that this is true for many people.  This is her first Irish drama and by extension, it is like no other play she has done, given the very complex nature of the work.

Soucy is not accustomed to performing with an Irish accent, but she has worked with an English and Southern accent in the past.  She feels that the Irish accent is more like the Southern accent due to its underlying musicality and melodic essence.  Jenna Lourenco, the production's dialect coach, who also plays Millie in the play, has helped Soucy and others with the accent.   Further, Soucy has practiced her lines at home with her husband Mark, who can speak with a very good Irish accent.  She says that in addition to helping her with the accent, she found Lourenco's master's thesis about this play to be instrumental in helping her develop The Mai's character.  

Soucy says that The Mai is the most complicated character she has ever played.  The Mai has to be the "center of gravity, yet she must also be just one of an ensemble…(she) has to represent women in families of women."  This is part of what makes the role all the more complex and challenging.  In developing her character, she tried to familiarize herself with Irish storytelling, folklore, and mythology.  Soucy goes on to say that it's not just the tale, but also very much about "who tells" that tale.  She says that the play has given whole new meaning to the notion that "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts."  The cello is a key piece in the play, but at the same time, the cast has had to grasp time, mythology, and Marina Carr's rich dialogue while working hard to deliver on the the director's vision.  Soucy explains that the "sum" of all these helps her truly understand "theatre art in service of humanity."  

Without giving too much away, Soucy hopes the audience leaves the theatre with the feeling of "being known, especially in the sense of their layered family relationships."  You will see this both within the different generations as well as among siblings.  You do not need to be Irish to find some sort of connection to this play.   There is an overarching theme that suggests that our lives are very much affected by those of others a hundred years before us and that what we do now can impact the lives of those who come a hundred years after us.  Soucy points out that Grandma Fraochlan sums all this up by saying, "We repeat and repeat".

Echoing similar sentiments as her fellow cast members, Soucy has high praise for Nancy Curran Willis.  She has seen many of the plays she has directed, especially those at AFD, including "The Memory of Water" and "Grey Gardens".  Soucy puts a lot of trust in her vision as a director and she has exceeded all of her expectations.  As an added bonus, Soucy says Willis is also quite the riot, with a great sense of humor.

Don't miss your chance to see Wilmington's Jennifer Soucy as "The Mai" in Arlington Friends of the Drama's production of "The Mai".  

"The Mai" runs two weekends between February 28th and March 2nd as well as March 7th through the 9th.  Tickets are $20 and are available online at www.afdtheatre.org or by calling 781-646-5922. The Arlington Friends of the Drama is located at 22 Academy Street, Arlington, MA.