Towngate Theatre presents “Dancing at Lughnasa”

Towngate Theatre presents, “Dancing at Lughnasa” by Brian Friel, produced by special arrangement with DPS, Inc. Cassandra Majetich directs.

Shows take place March 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 2025. Curtain is at 8pm Fridays and Saturdays. A 3pm matinee takes place Sunday, March 16.

About the Play

Brian Friel’s award-winning play is an astonishing evocation of a family’s world on the brink of change. Set in County Donegal, Ireland in August 1936, the five unmarried Mundy sisters— Kate, Maggie, Agnes, Rose and Chris — battle poverty to raise seven-year-old Michael and care for their brother, ‘Uncle’ Jack.

During the Celtic harvest festival of Lughnasa, Pagan and Christian meet and collide. The sisters fight each other, love each other, dance, yearn, and survive.
A deeply moving portrait of their everyday lives, “Dancing at Lughnasa” is as a memory play framed by the narrator’s childhood recollection of the summer that changed the Mundy sisters’ lives forever.

Read more about the play and hear from the director in our latest press release.

Special Musical Performances

As a special treat, theatergoers can enjoy pre-show concerts in The Gallery at Towngate prior to the Friday night performances. Music begins at 7pm and continues until just before 8pm curtain.

Friday, March 14; Faire May
The band’s three members, Zac Gordon, Jariel Henthorn, and Jacob Coughlan, collaborate to bring old-world music to the modern world.  Since the creation of Faire May in 2019 they have played at various venues around West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

At a Faire May concert you will hear anything from banjos to bagpipes, jaw harps and beyond.  The band loves to play music in the genres of Appalachian, Irish, Scottish, Italian, Hungarian, Bluegrass, Early American, and Appalachian.

Friday, March 21; Bob Gaudio
For Bob Gaudio, playing and singing music has always been a crucial, stress-relieving, therapeutic, positive part of his life.

He has played solo and in groups for decades. The genres of rock ‘n roll, folk rock, bebop jazz, hillbilly, big band, bluegrass and old-timey sacred songs have interwoven through his music life.

Get Tickets

Admission is $15 ($13 OI members). Purchase tickets online or call 304-242-7700.

Sponsored by Unified Bank with additional support from Sean O’Leary and Dr. Michael J. Ramsay.

2024-25 Towngate Theatre Main Stage Season

“Pippin”
September 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 2024

“The Heiress”
November 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 2024

“Dancing at Lughnasa”
March 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 2025

“The Marriage of Bette and Boo”
May 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 2025

Experience the magic of art onstage…

Towngate is the premiere venue for community theater in Wheeling. Enjoy an intimate theater experience. Marvel at and applaud the talent of local actors. Experience a variety of though-provoking, heartwarming, comedic and historically significant works from renowned playwrights and talented newcomers. When watching a stage production, you are transported into a different world. Escape from reality and feel the energy created by sharing an intimate space with actors and fellow theatergoers. Live action happens right before your eyes. There’s no app for that!  Furthermore, theater is a social experience meant to be shared with one another. So, bring your family and friends and meet new friends, too. And, most importantly, support your local actors, directors, stage managers, set and costume designers. They spend months working to bring characters and stories to life. Their efforts produce amazing art time and time again.

Towngate: Where Community Meets Creativity

Towngate is a cornerstone of creative life in Wheeling and serves as an entertainment destination for residents of the Ohio Valley and beyond. People of all ages and backgrounds gather here to create and experience art onstage. Most of all, Towngate celebrates the essential power of theater to illuminate our common humanity. The community enjoys and participates in hundreds of live performances, classes and workshops year-round.