NEW YORK—Irish Repertory Theatre’s director Conor Bagley linked together two darkly romantic plays by the late, wonderful writer Brian Friel: “Lovers: Winners” (1967) and “The Yalta Game” (2001). Though each differs from the other on the surface, they share a deeply laid melancholy thread, for “Does true love ever run smooth?” to quote another universally cherished writer.
“Lovers: Winners” is set in a small village in Ireland. Here a very young couple, each aged 17, meets to go over their studies on a high hill overlooking the town of Ballymore. Joe (Phil Gillen) is very serious about his studies, as he plans to go on to teach “maths.” Mag (Aiofe Kelly) is looser and carefree, for her major concern is their forthcoming marriage, to take place in three weeks’ time, and which will set the seal on the soon-to-be-born infant she carries, which she has conceived by Joe.
