1916-2016: An Easter Rising Centenary

In conjunction with Friends of Sligo, Ireland and Tallahassee Irish Society, Irish Repertory Theater will be presenting a staged reading of “Blood” by Larry Kirwan on Sunday, April 24, 7 p.m. at The Warehouse, 706 W. Gaines St. The three-person play will be part of “1916 – 2016: An Easter Rising Centenary”, an event commemorating the century-old armed insurrection, which will also feature poems, letters, and music by Sligo Line. Admission is $5.

Directed by Heather Brown and starring Neil Coker, James Gatz, and Jim McMurtry, “Blood” tells the story of the last days of revolutionaries James Connolly, Seán MacDermott, and Patrick Pearse.

A note from the playwright: “‘Blood’ is based on the actual disappearance of James Connolly, trade union organizer and leader of the Irish Citizen Army on January 19, 1916. He returned four days later, his only comment, ‘I have been through hell.’ Connolly had been captured by the rival Irish Republican Brotherhood, led by Padraig Pearse and Sean McDermott. What happened in that small room changed the course of Irish history.”