Inis Nua, a Gaelic phrase meaning "new island," produces provocative contemporary plays from Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales. The voices of the playwrights featured are often raw, humorous, or poetic. Artistic Director Tom Reing, himself of Irish heritage, has made many trips to the region to seek plays, relationships, and education. His Center-funded trip to Dublin for training with Corn Exchange—a theater known for original work to reflect contemporary life in Ireland, much of it performed in a highly physicalized, presentational style with exaggerated, white-face make-up—led to Inis Nua's North American premiere of Dublin by Lamplight, a play originated by Corn Exchange in their signature style, which became the largest-selling production in Inis Nua's history. The show traveled to New York for the 1st Irish Festival, where the Inis Nua cast was awarded a prize for Best Ensemble.
