Contents Part One I.0. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 I.1. Research Project ............................................................................................................ 1 I.2. Waiting for a Connection ............................................................................................ 16 I.3. Contemporary Irish Playwrights: Descendants of the Irish Literary Revival .............. 29 I.4. Brian Friel: Ireland’s Most Successful Contemporary Playwright .............................. 39 I.5. Making History: A Chronology of Brian Friel’s Private and Public Stages in Life .... 45 I.6. State of Research ......................................................................................................... 49 Part Two II.0 Identity Theories ......................................................................................................... 57 II.1. Werner Weidenfeld: Knowledge of Orientation and Identity Construction ................ 57 II.2. Benedict Anderson: The Nation as Imagined Community .......................................... 59 II.3. Adrian Hastings: Language, History, and National Identity ........................................ 62 II.4. Montserrat Guibernau: Globalisation and National Identity ........................................ 65 Part Three III.0 Ireland’s Quest for Identity ......................................................................................... 71 III.1. Ireland’s Postcolonial Identity ..................................................................................... 71 III.2. The Role of the Irish Language ................................................................................... 78 III.3. Translations of the Past: Memory and Tradition in Ireland ......................................... 88 III.4. Migration and the Irish Diaspora ................................................................................. 95 III.5. Ireland’s Postnational Identity ................................................................................... 108 Part Four IV. Facets of Irish Identities in Brian Friel’s Plays .......................................................... 111 IV.1. Religion ..................................................................................................................... 111 The Enemy Within (1962) & Molly Sweeney (1994) IV.2. Exile .......................................................................................................................... 128 Philadelphia, Here I Come! (1964) & The Gentle Island (1971) IV.3. Homecoming ............................................................................................................. 147 The Loves of Cass McGuire (1966) & Living Quarters (1977) IV.4. Love .......................................................................................................................... 164 Lovers: Winners and Losers (1967) & Hedda Gabler (2008) IV.5. Politics ....................................................................................................................... 179 The Mundy Scheme (1969) & The Freedom of the City (1973) IV.6. History ....................................................................................................................... 194 Volunteers (1975) & Making History (1988) IV.7. Family ....................................................................................................................... 212 Aristocrats (1979) & Fathers and Sons (1987) IV.8. Mythology ................................................................................................................. 229 Faith Healer (1979) & Wonderful Tennessee (1993) IV.9. Language ................................................................................................................... 247 Translations (1980) & The Communication Cord (1982) IV.10. Music ........................................................................................................................ 266 Dancing at Lughnasa (1990) & Performances (2003) IV.11. Detachment ............................................................................................................... 280 The London Vertigo (1992) & The Home Place (2005) IV.12. Hope .......................................................................................................................... 290 The Yalta Game (2001) & Afterplay (2002) Part Five V.0. Conclusion: Staging Irish Identities in the Theatre of Brian Friel ............................. 297 Part Six VI.0. Bibliography .............................................................................................................. 311 VI.1. Primary Literature ..................................................................................................... 311 VI.2. Manuscripts ............................................................................................................... 312 VI.3. In Conversation ......................................................................................................... 312 VI.4. Secondary Literature ................................................................................................. 312 VI.5. Radio and Television ................................................................................................. 337 VI.6. Index of Photographs ................................................................................................. 338 .