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They're Irish! They're Catholic! They're Guilty!
Purchase Application:
$60.00 Royalty per Performance
$20.00 Single-Use Copyright Fees
They're Irish! They're Catholic! They're Guilty!
The Real-life Trial and Death of Two Innocent Irishmen, Massachusetts, 1806
34 Players / Less with Doubling
Approximate Playing Time: 2 Hours
Two Irish Immigrants walking on the toll road from Boston to Springfield, Massachusetts happen upon the bludgeoned body of a young farmer, Marcus Lyon. They hurriedly leave the area but are noticed by 13-year-old Laertes Fuller who spoke to them briefly. When the body was discovered, Laertes reported the fleeing men and they were tracked down in Cos Cob, Connecticut, arrested and taken to Northampton to face a murder trial. During this time in history, Puritanical Massachusetts was filled with fear and hatred of the Irish and Catholics and the trial drew thousands to the courthouse. They were found guilty, hanged, and dissected; their bones strewn unburied in the woods. Years later, Laertes uncle confessed to the murder on his deathbed but efforts to get the men pardoned posthumously failed—until the first production of They’re Irish! They’re Catholic! They’re Guilty! This award-winning dramatization of the official trial transcript set the stage for a pardon by then Governor Michael Dukakis on March 14, 1984 at the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The play continues to be a popular event in many schools and theatres across the country particularly on St. Patrick’s Day.
$20 Single Use Copyright Fee plus $60 Royalty per Performance for Amateur Theatre. Professional Theatre Royalties Calculated on Application.
$60.00 Royalty per Performance
$20.00 Single-Use Copyright Fees