THE GOBLIN MARKET: CHICAGO MAY’S STORY runs 12, 13, 14 June in The Dot Theatre, Dublin.
The two-act play, written by Megan McGurk and Clara Higgins, presents the early years of May Duignan’s life, a mighty woman who emigrated from Co. Longford to the United States in 1891, and became a celebrity con artist known as Chicago May. At the end of a 10-year stretch in Aylesbury Prison (for fleecing rich men), May was politicised by Countess Markievicz, interned there for her role in the Easter Rising. Chicago May was bold, fearless, and the sharpest wit in high or low places.
Chicago May, born in County Longford, was the original sass mouth dame and real-life inspiration for Diamond Lil.
And now her story is coming to the Dublin stage in June!
We are looking for actors (four women and three men, age 20-40) to perform in The Goblin Market: Chicago May’s Story, a two-act play written by Megan McGurk and Clara Higgins.
This is a paid gig.
Please get in touch and send us a showreel if you’re interested:
Please note that refunds are no problem if requested by noon on the day of the screening.
(Give me a chance to re-sell the ticket, please).
Grab a drink at the bar. Outside food and drinks are not permitted.
Woman’s World (1954)
Screens Wednesday 18 March at 7.00
Clifton Webb plays an automotive titan who intends to promote one of his men, but before he chooses a top executive, he wants to meet their wives, because in the business world, the woman makes the man. Dowdy June Allyson and ambitious Cornel Wilde are the small-town hayseeds with a large brood. Chic Lauren Bacall is ready for divorce since Fred MacMurray is an ailing workaholic. Arlene Dahl is the bombshell social climber who drags her husband, Van Heflin, up the corporate ladder. Which wife wins? Director Jean Negulesco’s shots of historic Manhattan locations, such as the 21 Club, combined with Charles LeMaire’s lavish mid-century wardrobe, produces a magnificent feast in Technicolor.
BUtterfield 8 (1960)
Screens Thursday 26 March at 7.00
Elizabeth Taylor, in a fury over a torn dress, gives a man hell to pay. Instead of reading the plot about a disillusioned call girl, it’s easy to interpret Taylor’s anger at a personal level, directed at a clutch of MGM executives who worked her like a dog since she was a child, not to mention the outrage she felt at being called a homewrecker by the press. Taylor’s brilliant performance as Gloria Wandrous is a highly stylised portrait of rage done in lipstick, mink, and stiletto heels. Even though Taylor considered the script ‘a piece of shit,’ it still netted her an Oscar for Best Actress. Metrocolor and designs by Helen Rose showcase Taylor’s ability to weaponise glamour.
Victor Mature is a publicist who decides that waitress Carole Landis has what it takes to make it in Manhattan’s café society. After she’s murdered, Vic becomes the prime suspect, but her sister, played by Betty Grable, isn’t so sure. Twentieth Century Fox mogul Darryl Zanuck believed that typecasting was as immutable as an astrological sign. Once typed, a star had little hope of changing their aspect in the studio. Zanuck was especially resolute in keeping women in limited roles. I Wake Up Screaming is the only non-musical picture Betty starred in during her Fox tenure. Betty exhibits a knack for dramatic roles in a downplayed performance.
The Harvey Girls (1946)
Screens 12 February at 7.00
In the Old West, we are told, nice women can ruin a town. Instead of the usual beef between ranchers and outlaws, the story whips up a feud among waitresses and saloon girls which looks like a candy-coloured treat. The picture boasts peak Judy Garland, Angela Lansbury with coiffures to die for, deadpan Virginia O’Brien, Marjorie Main, Cyd Charisse, John Hodiak, gorgeous costumes by Helen Rose and Irene, and songs by Johnny Mercer and Harry Warren. Director George Sidney and the Arthur Freed unit corral a sprawling cast in one of Metro’s most free-wheeling and feel-good musicals. Judy brandishing two six-shooters is not to be missed.
Join Sass Mouth Dames Film Club as we celebrate Christmas with a screwball murder mystery that’s pure gold. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer adapted Dashiell Hammett’s best selling novel The Thin Man starring William Powell and Myrna Loy, who play the screen’s ideal married couple, Nick and Nora Charles. Directed by ‘One-Take Woody’ Van Dyke in only sixteen days, the picture’s brisk pace, sophisticated style, and urbane banter spawned five sequels and a whole raft of imitations. Nominated for four Academy Awards, the picture was one of the biggest hits at the box office in 1934. We musn’t forget mention their dog Asta, played by Skippy, who steals every scene he’s given.
