I enjoyed the story and decided to purchase and read the play. A local matchmaker, thomasheen sean rua, wants sive to marry an old man called sean dota. Keane chose to use the name sive for the play in honor of his sister, shiela, using the irishgaelic form of the name. While sive is one of john b s earlier works, it is one of his best. Keane s 1959 play about a schoolgirl from a poor family sold off by a. Tommy tiernan excited to make theatre return with john b. Keane s sive tells the tale of a beautiful young schoolgirl forced into an arranged marriage with a rich and lecherous old man. Keane and first performed in 1959 when the playwright was 31 years old. Kerry, in 1928 and died in his home town on 30 may 2002. She lives with her uncle mike, his wife mena, and nanna mikes mother.
Set in a remote area of north kerry, the play tells the story of the promise in marriage, of the young and beautiful sive to an old man. His first play, sive, was presented by the listowel drama group and won the allireland drama festival in 1959. Sive john b keane a story of greed, sex and bitterness, of a scheming matchmaker and a resentful woman forcing a beautiful young girl to marry an old man for money. A local matchmaker thomasheen sean rua decides that sive should marry an old man called sean dota. Keane, directed by garry hynes, produced by druid theatre and presented by the gaiety theatre, runs at the gaiety theatre until march 3rd. Keane chose to use the name sive for the play in honor of. A powerful tale full of heart, hatred, and humanity, sive reveals the epic in the everyday in this thoroughly enjoyable production. A local matchmaker thomasheen sean rua decides that sive. Keane and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. Read sive, by john b keane online on bookmate sive is a young and beautiful orphan who lives with her uncle mike, his wife mena and his mother nanna. Matchmaking greed and money a prominent feature of this culture thomasheen sean rua is a professional matchmaker a very cold approach to marriage tis all love and romancing these days with little thought for comfort or security.
Telling the heartbreaking story of the innocent sive who is to be sold to the old sean dota as his wife for. In fact, i would consider it one of the finest irish plays. Search for library items search for lists search for. Being sold to an old, decrepit man for two hundred pounds is not every girls idea of a fairytale marriage, but for sive, its the only way her family can find some relief from their povertystricken existence. Sive tells the folk culture story of starcrossed lovers, set against the backdrop of the 50s in county. Every character in sive is a complex individual who displays all the emotions to which the human race is heir. As john b keanes classic tragedy sive returns to the abbey stage, his family hope that two of his unseen plays will also be produced, writes padraic killeen. Unbeknownst to her niece, sives unloving and unscrupulous aunt. A story of greed, sex and bitterness, of a scheming matchmaker and a resentful woman forcing a beautiful young girl to marry an old man for money. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. The play is based on an eighteenyearold girl, sive, who is an orphan. Featuring new notes written by english teacher and daughter of john b. Chris mccormack is a contributor to exeunt magazine.
A key moment which i believe shows the way the social setting affects the characters lives occurs in act 1 scene 3. Keane, one of irelands most prolific and respected literary figures, died on 30 may 2002 at the age of 73, after a long and difficult battle with cancer. Keane and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Keane had various jobs in the uk between 1951 and 1955 working as a street cleaner, and a bar man, living in a variety of. Why is the respected irish repertory theater throwing itself away on a clunky old melodrama like sive, john b. Grainne good as sive and andrea irvine as mena in druids production of sive by john b keane at the gaiety theatre.
What are the themes in sive by john b keane answers. Abbey theatre, dublin john b keane s play sive was famously produced by listowel drama group in 1959, after its rejection by the abbey theatre. This pdf is a printfriendly version of the online resource pack for situations where internet connectivity and access to. The listowel drama group presents the first production of local publican and playwright john b. John brendan keane 21 july 1928 30 may 2002 was an irish playwright, novelist and essayist from listowel, county kerry. It is clear from the outset that the world in which sive. One of irelands most popular authors, his plays include the field, big maggie and sharons grave. A local matchmaker, thomasheen sean rua, wants sive to. Sive is at the gaiety theatre, dublin, until march 3rd. It is a hardhitting naturalistic drama, set in a country cottage shared by three generations of the glavin family. Union project, 801 north negley avenue, highland park.
A local matchmaker puts together a plan to marry sive to a local old but rich farmer for the sum of two hundred pounds. How john b keanes inauspicious play caused a revolution in. Some 50 years later it still rings true, and is a reminder to us of what may happen when we manipulate others to our will. Sivebyjohnbkeane directory listing internet archive. However, sive is in love with a young man, liam, who is labeled unsuitable and is refused permission to marry sive. It helped launch keane s career as a writer and was his first major success. Keane, and his wife hannah nee purtill, keane was educated at listowel national school and then at st michaels.
Keane quotes about ireland and the irish, hurling and footballer. Provocative and powerful, sive is a story of greed and bitterness, of a scheming matchmaker and a resentful woman forcing a. Keane, 9781856356510, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. Sive is a young and beautiful orphan who lives with her uncle mike, and his wife mena. John b keane, who has died aged 73 of prostate cancer, was one of irelands most forthright, individualistic and controversial playwrights, with. In theatre we studied and acted out the play sive by john b keane. Sive was last produced at the abbey theatre in 1993, followed by a national tour of the production in 1994. It has long won a place in the countrys literary history, cited in the irish times modern ireland in 100 artworks in 2015. T hat was the marvel of john b keanes sive it constituted a kind of popular revolution in irish theatre. Click download or read online button to get the best of john b keane book now. Keanes sive in the gaiety theatre it was announced on friday that. What is the summary of scene 1 of sive by john b keane. Being sold to an old, decrepit man for two hundred pounds is not every girls idea of a fairytale marriage, but for sive, its the only way her family can find some relief from their poverty. Sive at the gaiety theatre, dublin exeunt magazine.
The best of john b keane download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. She lives with her uncle mike, his wife mena and nanna who is mikes mother. Looking deadly, bewleys cafe theatre, powerscourt, dublin. Money marriage gender differences attitude towards love and marriage the text i have studied as part of my comparative course is john b. Like the plays my colleagues saw, i found that sive was powerfully absorbing. It is clear from the outset that the world in which sive lives influences her so greatly that it. Keane 2009, paperback, revised at the best online prices at ebay. The story takes us back fifty years to a county kerry farm kitchen that lacks even the simplest amenities like a real stove. Keane, one of irelands most well known and respected literary figures, died on 30 may 2002 at the age of 73, after a long and difficult battle.
Social setting key moment sive and casablanca a the text i have studied as part of my comparative course is john b. Keane, first performed in listowel, county kerry in 1959. Set in a rural part of county kerry, sive tells the story of a young eighteenyearold orphan girl, sive, who lives with her uncle mike and his wife mena. The best of john b keane download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl. This irish rep production is my first encounter with the late irish playwright john b.
The fionn maccumhaill players present sive john b keane. The story is centered on a young eighteen year old girl called sive who is illegitimate. Keane s plays to be produced by the abbey theatre, sive was presented in a new twoact version directed by ben barnes in 1985. John b keanes classic tragedy sive returns to abbey stage. Playwright, poet, fiction and short story writer, aosdana member. Oct 11, 2002 druid offer an effortlessly solid and entertaining production of the late john b keane s first and arguably best play. May 30, 2002 john b keane, who has died aged 73 of prostate cancer, was one of irelands most forthright, individualistic and controversial playwrights, with international stage and screen successes such as.
Abbey theatre, dublin john b keanes play sive was famously produced by listowel drama group in 1959, after its rejection by the abbey theatre. Keane s sive, directed by bernie harten in glor from wed 20th sat 23rd march 2019. A brief extract from the play sive by j b keane as performed by bardic theatre group at ardhowen theatre, enniskillen as part of n. Feb 05, 2018 druid theatres production of sive is now running until 3 march. In a sense, it was the opposite of the playboy of the western world, an elite play. Click download or read online button to get sive book now. Thomasheen convinces mike and mena to organize the marriage in exchange for two hundred pounds. Keane, playwright, poet and fiction writer, was born in listowel, co. A sive that is sadly out of time with itself independent.
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