| Brian Friel is often called contemporary Ireland's best playwright. As a body of work, his plays share certain distinct characteristics: striking technical innovations, a skilled touch with language, and a reliance on contemporary themes, particularly the themes of communication, alienation, and memory. Heavily influenced by Tyrone Guthrie, Friel continually seeks to involve the audience both intellectually and emotionally in the theatrical performance. His plays rely on the premise that theatre is a ritual, a participatory act requiring action and reaction. A Friel audience becomes a crucial collaborator in the creative act, as is clearly evident in three of his most experimental plays: Philadelphia, Here I Come!, Living Quarters, and Faith Healer. |
