Kate Baldwin and Christopher Innvar Join Irish Rep’s THE DEAD, 1904

The full cast has been revealed for Irish Repertory Theatre’s return of The Dead, 1904 – an immersive adaptation of James Joyce’s classic story, “The Dead,” adapted by the Pulitzer Prize-winning Irish poet Paul Muldoon and novelist Jean Hanff Korelitz. Directed by Irish Rep co-founder Ciarán O’Reilly, previews begin November 20, 2024, at The American Irish Historical Society, with an opening night set for November 26, for a limited run through January 5, 2025. 

The cast of The Dead, 1904 will be led by Tony Award nominee Kate Baldwin (Hello, Dolly!) as “Gretta Conroy” and Christopher Innvar (To Kill A Mockingbird) as “Gabriel Conroy,” with Academy Award winner Estelle Parsons as “Kate Morkan” and Obie Award winner and Tony Award nominee Mary Beth Peil as “Julia Morkan.” The cast will also include All-Ireland medalist violinist/fiddlerHeather Bixler as “Miss Daly,” Terry Donnelly (Philadelphia, Here I Come!) as “Mrs. Malins,” Karen Killeen (One Night in Dublin) as “Mary Jane,” Michael Kuhn (Sweeney Todd) as “Bartell D’Arcy,” Aedin Moloney (Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom) as “Molly Ivors,” Michael Mellamphy (The Smuggler) as “Mr. Browne,” Jodie Sweeney as “Lily,” and Gary Troy (The Irish…and How They Got That Way) as “Freddy Malins.”

The Dead, 1904 will feature choreography by Barry McNabb (The Butcher Boy), costume design by Leon Dobkowski (Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom), lighting design by Michael Gottlieb (On Beckett), sound design by M. Florian Staab (Philadelphia, Here I Come!), and properties design by Deirdre Brennan (Endgame). Michael Palmer (The Smuggler) is the Production Stage Manager,Jade Doina (Philadelphia, Here I Come!) is the Assistant Stage Manager, Mark Hartman (Finian’s Rainbow) is the Musical Consultant, and Maxwell Paris (Shucked) is the Wardrobe Supervisor. Casting is by Geoff Josselson, CSA.

James Joyce’s novella, “The Dead,” describes a holiday gathering on January 6, 1904, the Feast of the Epiphany, in the Dublin home of two elderly sisters, Kate and Julia Morkan, and their niece, Mary Jane. At the party are students, friends, a celebrated tenor, a lost alcoholic, and the couple, Gabriel and Gretta Conroy. Over the course of an evening, there are conversations, music, dancing, and dining. There are speeches and disagreements – polite and impolite – and when it is all over Gabriel learns something about his wife that changes his sense of who she is and who they are to each other, of what it actually means to be alive, and to be dead.

This exquisite recreation of James Joyce’s haunting story was the most sought-after theatrical event of New York’s 2016-2018 holiday seasons. We relish the opportunity to welcome you again, or for the first time.

The Dead, 1904 is staged in the c. 1900 townhouse of The American Irish Historical Society (991 Fifth Avenue, New York) on the Upper East Side for an audience of just 48 people per night. The production travels over three floors of the building, which has been restored to period decoration. Rooms used include the lobby, parlor, dining room and upstairs library.  

A holiday meal, inspired by descriptions of the feast in Joyce’s story, has been created by Great Performances, one of the city’s most celebrated caterers, to be served to cast and audience alike in the townhouse’s elegant dining room. Wine, stout, and spirits will be served with the meal.  

The menu for The Dead, 1904, prepared on-site daily for each show by Great Performances, features: Roast Turkey Breast Stuffed with Sprigs of Parsley & Herbs; Beef Tenderloin with Fig & Cocoa Glaze; Mashed “Floury” Potatoes; Cranberry & Pineapple Relish; Dried Figs; Artisanal Raisins served on the vine & Smoked Almonds; and Bread & Butter Pudding with Vanilla Custard. 

Tickets to The Dead, 1904 include dinner and drinks. Four VIP premium tickets will be available at each performance, allowing audience members to be served dinner at the main table with the cast as they play the dinner scene-–a once in a lifetime experience for lovers of immersive theatre and James Joyce. 

Two tickets for every performance of The Dead, 1904 will be available for $59 exclusively through the TodayTix lottery. These tickets will be general admission tickets, which include dinner and drinks.