"An EXTRAORDINARY cast and so well written. I lost myself in this piece and have not stopped thinking about it." —Jared Bowen, WGBH
"SUPERB! ... BEAUTIFULLY REALIZED! … Kirsten Greenidge is a writer of compassion and deep understanding." —The Boston Globe
"How rich Greenidge’s dialogue is, how satisfyingly detailed the two interwoven stories are, and how uniformly well-acted The Luck of the Irish is." —The Boston Globe

The Luck of the Irish: When an upwardly mobile African-American family wants to buy a house in an all-white neighborhood of 1950s Boston, they pay a struggling Irish family to act as their front. Fifty years later, the Irish family asks for "their" house back. Moving across the two eras, this intimate new play explores the complex impact of racial integration in Boston and the universal longing for home.

Approximate running time: 2 hours and 20 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.

 


Video

Jump to: Audio

Audio

  • A Provocative Play About Race, Real Estate And ‘Ghost Buying’ In Boston

    WBUR feature on playwright Kirsten Greenidge and her family history and connections in Arlington, MA.

    Listen


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Articles

Press Reviews

Jump to: Audience Buzz | Features
"SUPERB!  THE LUCK OF THE IRISH SHINES!  Beautifully realized! … Kirsten Greenidge is a writer of compassion and deep understanding. How rich Greenidge’s dialogue is, how satisfyingly detailed the two interwoven stories are, and how uniformly well-acted The Luck of the Irish is." —The Boston Globe
"Home is at the heart of The Luck of the Irish, A SHARP NEW DRAMA tautly directed by Melia Bensussen." —Cape Cod Times
"A moving theatrical experience. I WAS ABSORBED!" — ArtsFuse.org
"Huntington has A HIT in Kirsten Greenidge’s The Luck of the Irish. A COMPLEX, MOVING ACHIEVEMENT. We finally we have a worthy play about this city’s racial struggles - a Boston cousin to Raisin in the Sun. The Huntington can indeed deliver a great new play." — The Hub Review
More Reviews

Audience Buzz

"Loved 'Luck of the Irish' tonight - congratulations on a terrific new play!" — A. Nora Long on Facebook

"Loved Kirsten Greenidge's play The Luck of the Irish at the Huntington. Great play and great production. Definitely a must see." — Patrick Gabridge on Facebook

"SO SO SO blown away by @huntington theatre's production of Luck of the Irish by @Kirsten0808. SEE THIS PLAY! I'll probably go again." — @MJHalberstadt

"The @Huntington Theatre's 'Luck of the Irish' is absolutely amazing! If you need some theater in your life this month SEE THIS PLAY! — @chikadebia

"Just saw 'Luck of the Irish' at @huntington. Superb cast, compelling topic, more complex than summary suggests: http://bit.ly/HnOyWX" — @larsonsandra

"Saw @huntington Luck of the Irish. Funny & sobering w beautiful set, clever costume-based time travel & fab characters/dialog. Go see it." — @opusaffair

"Saw #TheLuckOfTheIrish last night. Beautiful, moving, inspiring, great acting, lots to think about, deep truth @huntington" — @ninalmorrison

"Luck of the Irish was great. Altho now I want to look for my house deed! #Bostonarts @huntington" —@dereklumpkins

"Actors were great, interesting plot, very thought provoking. The set was excellent. I would recommend this play to anyone." — Goldstar member

"The rough edges actually make it even more interesting and thought provoking. This is a playwright to watch. She has something to say that is worth pondering. We need lots more plays of this caliber and on meaty important social and personal themes. She manages to make you connect emotionally with even the nasty characters; the characters are real and 3 dimensional, not cardboard representations of a 'position' or a type. GO SEE IT." — Goldstar member

"Great play. A compelling story that many Americans are unaware of, with its own unique twists to make it more than a re-told history to people who might be familiar with ghost-buying. Well written, full of surprises and twists. Terrific theatre. All of us in our group wished we could see it again." — Audience member

"We've been to many shows at different venues in 2011 and 2012.
This was unquestionably the best we've seen. Really well written and well acted!"
— Audience member

"This play was riveting, a tour de force" — Subscriber

Features

  • BASIC BLACK LIVE: THE LUCK OF THE IRISH

    From Basic Black, April 20, 2012: "The Basic Black panelists sit down with playwright Kirsten Greenidge to discuss her new play The Luck of the Irish. . ."

  • INTERVIEW: KIRSTEN GREENIDGE HAS THE LUCK OF THE IRISH

    From Theatermania, April 5, 2012: "Kirsten Greenidge recently received a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for the Off-Broadway premiere of her play, Milk Like Sugar. Now, The Huntington Theatre Company is presenting the world premiere of her The Luck of the Irish. . ."

  • 'GHOST BUYING' EXAMINED IN NEW PLAY

    From Radio Boston, April 4, 2012: "The Luck of the Irish, a new play at the Huntington Theatre, explores the history of “ghost-buying” in Boston. . ."

  • PLAYWRIGHT KIRSTEN GREENIDGE WEAVES FAMILY HISTORY INTO LUCK OF THE IRISH (PDF)

    From The Boston Globe, March 30, 2012: "Two couples get together for drinks in the South End, and the talk turns to real estate. It’s the late 1950s, and one pair, black and affluent, has a proposal for the other two, who are white, working-class, and in financial straits. We’ll pay you, the Taylors tell the Donovans, if you’ll buy the house we want in your suburb and sign it over to us. . ."

  • A PROVOCATIVE PLAY ABOUT RACE, REAL ESTATE AND 'GHOST BUYING' IN BOSTON

    From WBUR, March 27, 2012: "Race and real estate are touchy topics. A playwriting fellow at the Huntington Theatre Company is taking on both in the new production The Luck of the Irish. The drama’s plot is driven by an under-the-radar home buying practice known as ghost buying. . ."

  • FORTUNE FAVORS THE BOLD: THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER (PDF)

    From The Improper Bostonian: "In the 1950s, Kirsten Greenidge's grandmother went house hunting. She scouted the suburbs with a blonde-haired, blue-eyed acquaintance; neither one mentioning to the realtor which party was doing the purchasing. . ."

Artists

(in order of appearance)

  • Marianna BasshamPatty Ann
  • McCaleb BurnettJoe Donovan
  • Nancy E. CarrollMrs. Donovan
  • Francesca Choy-KeeHannah David
  • Shalita GrantNessa Charles
  • Antione Gray Jr.Miles Davis (select performances)
  • Jahmeel MackMiles Davis (select performances)
  • Curtis McClarinRich
  • Richard McElvain Mr. Donovan
  • Nikkole SalterLucy
  • Victor WilliamsRex
  • Kirsten GreenidgePlaywright
  • Melia BensussenDirector
  • James NooneScenic Designer
  • Mariann VerheyenCostume Designer
  • Justin TownsendLighting Designer
  • David RemediosOriginal Music/Sound Design
  • Marti McIntoshProduction Stage Manager
  • Carola Morrone LaCosteStage Manager

Prices & Seating

EXTENDED BY POPULAR DEMAND THRU MAY 6!
New block of tickets now on sale for May 1 - 6. Performances now thru April 29 have limited availability - call the Box Office at 617 266 0800 to discuss seating options.

Best Seating Availability Chart

Performance Day All Sections

Friday, Saturday, Sunday
& Tuesday Preview, Wednesday matinee

 $60
Sunday - Thursday evening; Saturday matinee $70
Friday & Saturday evening;  Sunday matinee $80
Seatmap


Avenue of the Arts / BU Theatre: 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston MA 02115
South End / Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA: 527 Tremont Street, Boston MA 02116
Main: 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston MA 02115 | 617 266 7900 | BOX OFFICE 617 266 0800

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