
FIRST MUSICIAN
YOUNG MAN
STRANGER
YOUNG MAN
STRANGER
YOUNG MAN
STRANGER
YOUNG MAN
STRANGER
YOUNG MAN
A dream‑laden tableau opens on a stark, timeless stage, where music and myth intertwine. Three musicians begin with a haunting chant that summons the restless spirits of a moonlit Irish valley, setting a mood of solitude and ancient longing. As a lone lantern‑bearing young man stumbles into the darkness, his desperate prayers echo the turmoil of a war‑torn nation, hinting at the perilous choices he must confront.
Across the dim, a stranger in a mask appears, offering cryptic guidance and unsettling promises of safety. Their dialogue weaves together personal fear, historical allusion, and the lingering presence of the dead, all while the landscape itself seems to breathe and watch. The play balances lyrical poetry with the stark realism of rebellion, inviting listeners to feel the weight of heritage and the fragile hope that flickers in the night.
In its first act, the piece creates a vivid, unsettling atmosphere that pulls the audience into an Ireland where mythic shadows and real political strife collide, leaving a lingering sense of both foreboding and wonder.
Language
en
Duration
~36 minutes (35K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Brian Foley and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Release date
2010-08-02
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1865–1939
A towering voice of Irish poetry and one of the key writers of literary modernism, he joined myth, politics, love, and the supernatural in verse that still feels vivid today. His work ranges from dreamy early lyrics to sharp, unforgettable poems like those of his later years.
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