Alumni James Hiser and UC Davis Senior Continuing Lecturer Michele Apriña Leavy (both MFA, dramatic art, ’94) are headed to Ireland with the recent Eugene O’Neill Foundation production of The Hairy Ape. Hiser played the leading role of Yank, and Leavy was the Movement Consultant, while alum Rob Evans (BA, theatre and dance, ‘92) was Sound and Music Designer, and the production’s Director and Artistic Director of the O’Neill Foundation Eric Fraisher. Hayes attended UC Davis as an undergraduate student.

The acclaimed production performs at The Eugene O’Neill International Festival of Theatre in New Ross, Ireland, on Oct. 11. The festival is a unique cultural and civic celebration of the deep ties between Ireland and the United States—a connection exemplified by the Irish heritage of playwright Eugene O’Neill.

The expressionist play centers on Yank, a tough stoker on an ocean liner, who searches for a sense of belonging in a world controlled by the wealthy. But when the rich daughter of an industrialist refers to him as a “filthy beast,” Yank undergoes a crisis of identity and so starts his mental and emotional deterioration.