The play’s the thing at IBAM! 2024.  Join us for 2 performances by members of Chicago’s theater community for some first class drama.

Sunday, 2pm, Room 109
A Table For Two At The Dill Pickle:

This one-act play, by Black 47’s Larry Kirwan imagines a witty and powerful conversation between two early twentieth century Irish labor rebels: Mary Harris "Mother" Jones and Big Jim Larkin, the radical Irish exile, founder of the Irish Transport & General Workers Union, and a key player in the fight for Irish independence. 

The action unfolds at the notorious Dill Pickle, Chicago's bohemian and labor hangout near Bughouse Square and Newberry Library. It takes place in 1919 just as political and labor repression is descending and before Larkin ends up in Sing Sing. Chicago actors Brigid Duffy is MotherJones and Will Clinger becomes Big Jim Larkin in a must-see performance. 

Sunday, 3pm, Room 109
Clifden’s Daughter: Staged Reading:

Clifden’s Daughter, by playwright Mary Santarelli, (right) is performed by actress and director Josephine Craven (left).
She is accompanied by award-winning musicians Katie Grennan and John Williams.
The performance is dedicated to the late Frank Gleeson, whose generous spirit and musical talent
played a vital role in shaping this work. From early workshops to table reads, Frank infused his passion for storytelling
into every note and moment, helping to bring this play to life. His artistic vision and friendship are woven into the heart of this story.

Living on Ireland’s Connemara Coast, Millie Whelan, a quirky widow with a penchant for talking to her deceased husband and keeping her emotions at a comfortable distance is thrown into a whirlwind when Declan, a bumbling but well-meaning representative from Dublin’s Legacy Tours, arrives at her doorstep. 

Declan convinces a reluctant Millie to host Lucy, her American relative, who expects a five-star experience based on ancestry research. However, when Lucy arrives in Clifden, Millie finds her newfound relative to be uptight and rather mysterious. As Declan’s antics stir up a series of comedic misadventures and Lucy grapples with her own rigid expectations, both women embark on a journey of self-discovery and unexpected camaraderie, finding solace and belonging in each other’s company amidst the charm of rural Ireland.

Clifden's Daughter celebrates the transformative power of human connection and the families we choose, inviting audiences to laugh, cry, and embrace the beauty of life’s unexpected adventures.

Theatre Sunday 2:00 pm  Room 109
“A Table For Two At The Dill Pickle” starring Brigid Duffy as #MotherJones and Will Clinger as Big Jim Larkin. 

This one-act play, by Larry Kirwan, Black 47 musician and playwright (Paradise Square) imagines a witty and powerful conversation between two early twentieth century Irish labor rebels: Mary Harris "Mother" Jones, the most dangerous woman in America and Big Jim Larkin, the radical Irish exile, founder of the Irish Transport & General Workers Union, and a key player in the fight for Irish independence. It is staged at the notorious Dill Pickle, Chicago's bohemian and labor hangout near Bughouse Square & Newberry Library. It takes place in 1919 just as political and labor repression is descending and before Larkin ends up in Sing Sing.


Brigid Duffy as Mary Harris "Mother Jones

Will Clinger as Big Jim Larkin