''Sive'' is a
play
Play most commonly refers to:
* Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment
* Play (theatre), a work of drama
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by the Irish writer
John B. Keane, first performed in
Listowel
Listowel ( ; , IPA: ˆlʲɪsË ËˆtÌªË uÉ™hÉ™lʲ is a heritage market town in County Kerry, Ireland. It is on the River Feale, from the county town, Tralee. The town of Listowel had a population of 4,820 according to the Central Statistics Of ...
,
County Kerry
County Kerry ( gle, Contae ChiarraÃ) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...
in 1959. Keane chose to use the name "Sive" for the play in honor of his sister, Shiela, using the Irish-Gaelic form of the name.
The play is set in rural Ireland where a set of attitudes about the battle between the generations (the young orphan Sive takes her own life rather than marrying an old man). Poverty, exploitation, marriage, greed, and love are explored.
Performance history
After it was rejected by the
Abbey Theatre
The Abbey Theatre ( ga, Amharclann na Mainistreach), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland ( ga, Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann), in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the country's leading cultural institutions. First opening to the pu ...
, The Listowel Drama Group produced the play. ''Sive'' was first performed in Christy's Ballroom, Listowel, County Kerry. The play was an overall success, but John B. Keane noted that some took offence to the melodramatic content of the play, calling it blasphemous and pornographic based on the appearance of Sive as a young girl.
In the first performances of the play, Nora Relihan played Mena Galvin, Margaret Dillon performed as Sive, and John B. Keane himself played Carthalawn.
The play is widely known throughout Ireland, and has been taught in the Irish school system.
References
{{reflist
External links
Abbey Theatre site
Plays set in Ireland
1959 plays
Irish plays