Conor McPherson’s The Seafarer, Acclaimed on Both Sides of the Pond, Opens at Palm Beach Dramaworks on December 12 | | West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wednesday, November 26, 2025) - It’s a devil of a homecoming when Sharky Harkin returns to Dublin on Christmas Eve to look after his belligerent, alcoholic brother Richard, who's recently gone blind. Two of their old boozy friends join them in Richard’s squalid home for an evening of poker and drinking – and drinking and drinking and drinking. One friend brings along a newcomer, the portentous, otherworldly, Mr. Lockhart, who seems out of place in the mess. Which he is and isn’t. | | |
Offbeat, unsentimental, and featuring a group of lost, inebriated souls, Conor McPherson’s much-lauded The Seafarer is clearly not your typical Christmas fare. But, as former New York Times theatre critic Ben Brantley said of the piece, “it may just be the pick-me-up play of the season.” The Seafarer opens at Palm Beach Dramaworks on December 12 (7:30pm) and continues through December 28, with specially priced previews on December 10 and 11 (7:30pm). Resident director J. Barry Lewis is the director.
McPherson’s characters may not expend much good cheer, but the play is fun, funny, and very entertaining. Ultimately, it’s a powerful and moving tale about friendship, family, and fraternity, about second chances and redemption – just what most audiences expect or even need at this time of year.
Diane Perlberg is the 2025-26 season sponsor.
PBD’s production features Declan Mooney as Sharky Harkin, Rob Donohoe as his brother Richard Harkin, Sheffield Chastain as their friend Ivan Curry, Michael Mellamphy as their friend Nicky Giblin, and Rod Brogan as Mr. Lockhart. Chastain, Mellamphy, and Brogan are making their PBD debuts. Scenic design is by Anne Mundell, sponsored by Susan Schwartz; costume design is by Brian O’Keefe, sponsored by Tony and Martin Sosnoff; lighting design is by Genny Wynn, and sound design is by Roger Arnold. David A. Hyland is the fight choreographer, Jennifer Burke is the dialect coach, Celeste Parrendo is the scenic artist, and casting is by McCorkle Casting Ltd.
| |
Born in Dublin in 1971, Conor McPherson was called “one of the greatest playwrights working today” by former New York Times critic Ben Brantley. McPherson is also a director and screenwriter. A short list of his plays includes Rum and Vodka, The Weir (1999 Olivier Award for Best New Play), The Good Thief, This Lime Tree Bower, Port Authority, Shining City, The Seafarer (which marked McPherson’s directorial debut), The Night Alive (New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play), Girl from the North Country (which McPherson directed and features the music of Bob Dylan), and The Brightening Air. His stage adaptations include Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, August Strindberg’s The Dance of Death, and Daphne du Maurier’s The Birds. Screenplays: I Went Down, The Actors, The Eclipse, and Artemis Fowl (co-writer).
| | |
Palm Beach Dramaworks is a professional, nonprofit theatre company founded in 2000 and located in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach. Each season, the award-winning company produces five shows and offers a wide variety of programs for students at the theatre and in schools. Committed to fostering the future of theatre, PBD has become a hub for playwrights in Florida and around the country to nurture their work through the Perlberg Festival of New Plays. PBD is a member of Theatre Communications Group, Florida Professional Theatres Association, and the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. In 2024, PBD was honored as Non-Profit of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches.
Tickets for all performances are $95, except for opening night ($115) and previews ($75). Student tickets are available for $15 with a valid K-12 or university/college ID, and anyone under 40 pays $40 (no additional fees) with a photo ID. Tickets for educators and active military are half price with proper ID (other restrictions apply). Group rates are also available. Tickets can be purchased through the box office, in person or by phone (561.514.4042 ext 2), and online 24 hours a day at palmbeachdramaworks.org.
Except for the week of December 21, all evening performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm. Matinee performances are Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2 pm. Post-performance discussions follow Wednesday and Thursday matinees. During Christmas week, there are no performances on December 24 or 25. Instead, there will be matinee and evening performances on Monday, December 22, and Tuesday, December 23, with talkbacks following the matinees.
All performances, prices, and dates are subject to change.
The Don & Ann Brown Theatre is located in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach, at 201 Clematis Street. For ticket information, contact the box office at (561) 514-4042 or visit www.palmbeachdramaworks.org.
| |
Click HERE for press materials.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jennifer Sardone-Shiner
Marketing Consultant
(561) 891-7278
jshiner@palmbeachdramaworks.org
www.palmbeachdramaworks.org
| | Palm Beach Dramaworks - 201 Clematis Street West Palm Beach FL 33401 - 561.514.4042 | | | | |
