The Irish Curse
by Martin Casella

Name: The Irish Curse
Brand: Martin Casella
SKU: 9780573698910
Rating: 3.8 (13 reviews)

The Irish Curse Book Cover — The Irish Curse Cover

Highlights

Male

90 mins Present Day All Men Interior Set Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes Comedy

Synopsis

What "The Irish Curse" is – and how it manifests itself – is the raw centerpiece of this wicked, rollicking and very funny new play.

From its blistering language to its brutally honest look at sex and body image, The Irish Curse is a revealing portrait of how men, and society, define masculinity.

In doing so, it dares to pose the fundamental question that has been on the minds of men since the beginning of time: "Do I measure up to the next guy?" Size matters to a small group of Irish-American men (all professionally successful New Yorkers) who meet every Wednesday night, in a Catholic church basement, at a self-help group for men with small penises.

This alleged Irish trait is the focus of their weekly sessions, as they all feel this "shortcoming" has ruined their lives.

One evening, when a twentysomething blue-collar guy joins the group, he challenges everything the other men think about "the Irish Curse"... tackling their obsession with body image and unmasking the comical and truthful questions of identity, masculinity, sex and relationships that men face every day.

Press Reviews

"Casella is at his best when he's going for laughs. He gets a lot of them."
— The New York Times

"ONE OF THE BEST PLAYS OF THE YEAR! Truly original, truly hysterical and truly touching! You will be enthralled!"
— Talk Entertainment

"The Irish Curse is a very human and even humane play. You will find yourself rooting for these esteem-building sessions to succeed."
— Michael Kuchwara, Associated Press

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Joseph Flaherty 40s, the short side, stout and balding; born in Savannah, Georgia, and now an angry, liberal contracts lawyer who lives on the "way Upper West Side;" his wife recently walked out, leaving him with two young daughters	female	40s	40s, the short side, stout and balding; born in Savannah, Georgia, and now an angry, liberal contracts lawyer who lives on the "way Upper West Side;" his wife recently walked out, leaving him with two young daughters
Stephen Fitzgerald late 30s; tall, handsome gay cop from the Bronx; a moody, dark, taciturn smart-ass; lives with his father, who's also a cop; never ever ever sees the glass as half full, although he would probably like to	male	30s	late 30s; tall, handsome gay cop from the Bronx; a moody, dark, taciturn smart-ass; lives with his father, who's also a cop; never ever ever sees the glass as half full, although he would probably like to
Kevin Shaunessy late 40s early 50s, a Catholic priest originally from Boston; principal of a parochial school in Brooklyn Heights, which donates rooms to various support groups; a sweet, caring guy with acting aspirations; actually looks like he could play a priest on TV	male	40s	late 40s early 50s, a Catholic priest originally from Boston; principal of a parochial school in Brooklyn Heights, which donates rooms to various support groups; a sweet, caring guy with acting aspirations; actually looks like he could play a priest on TV
Keiran Riley late 20s, nice-looking, middle class guy from Queens who works at a roofing company; exuberant, very nervous, and very sincere; also really Irish and someone you'd want to be your best friendAuthor's Note: The play is about four Irish-American guys from New York, and one real Irishman from Dublin. The physical types are very specific.	female	20s	late 20s, nice-looking, middle class guy from Queens who works at a roofing company; exuberant, very nervous, and very sincere; also really Irish and someone you'd want to be your best friendAuthor's Note: The play is about four Irish-American guys from New York, and one real Irishman from Dublin. The physical types are very specific.
Rick Baldwin early 20s; a smart, optimist, fun-loving Staten Island stud who's studying sports medicine at a local New York college; the kind of guy who paints his face green, drinks a lot, and hangs with his buds on St. Patrick's Day	male	20s	early 20s; a smart, optimist, fun-loving Staten Island stud who's studying sports medicine at a local New York college; the kind of guy who paints his face green, drinks a lot, and hangs with his buds on St. Patrick's Day