“Outside Mullingar,” a tender and humorous play set in pastoral Ireland, comes to the Sierra Madre Playhouse in conjunction with The 6th Act for 16 performances from Oct. 2-25. Conceived by Tony/Pulitzer Prize/Academy Award-winning writer John Patrick Shanley, the play explores the balance between love and land, inheritance and independence, and the courage it takes to follow one’s heart. It is a deeply human story — warm, wistful and full of hope that love can bloom late in life.
Directed by Matthew Leavitt, this local presentation of “Outside Mullingar” stars Michael Kirby as Anthony Reilly, Liza Seneca as Rosemary Muldoon, Armin Shimerman as Tony Reilly and Kitty Swink as Aoife Muldoon.
In the mist-shrouded farmlands of rural Ireland, Anthony and Rosemary live side by side, bound by family legacies, stubborn pride and an unspoken longing that has lasted a lifetime. Anthony has spent his days quietly tending his father’s cattle farm, uncertain of his future and haunted by what might have been. Rosemary, his strong-willed neighbor, has waited years for him to see what’s been right in front of him all along.
“Outside Mullingar” premiered on Broadway in 2014 with Debra Messing and Brian F. O’Bryne. Leavitt’s production of the play with this current cast was previously staged at the Matrix Theatre in West Hollywood from June 5 to 22, 2025, and at the Skylight Theatre in Los Feliz from Oct. 16 to Nov. 9, 2025.
The production has garnered considerable critical acclaim. Stage Raw declares, “This first-rate production is powered by outstanding cast performances. The infectious vibrancy and skill these four actors bring to their characters immediately beckons and is highly effective under director Matthew Leavitt’s perceptive direction.”
LA Splash Magazine states, “Outside Mullingar” is “packed with laughs and sly comments about life.” It won Stage Raw’s Best Ensemble Award and was also included on both Stage Raw and Arts Beat LA’s “Top Ten” lists.
By email, Leavitt talks about The 6th Act, how he decides what plays to stage, what drew him to ‘Outside Mullingar,’ and the audience takeaway.
“The 6th Act is a theatre company I co-founded with my producing partner Liza Seneca ten years ago, and, every year since then, we’ve been consistently producing several full productions, staged readings and workshops,” Leavitt begins.
Leavitt is also a renowned playwright and a stage director himself. However, he has made a firm choice to never direct his own plays.
He explains, “I love the collaborative process with the incredible directors I’ve been lucky enough to have helmed the plays I’ve written and could never have achieved what I have without them. Liza brought this play to me; it had always been one of her dreams to do this play. The minute I read it, I knew we had to do it. This play transports you to the most deeply enchanting romantic comedy, I think, in all of theatre, enormously enhanced by the unique and wonderful wit and charm of Ireland.”
It was also Seneca who suggested the cast.
“Liza and I always collaborate on casting our shows, however Liza definitely knew these actors much better than I did entering the process,” adds Leavitt. “Now I am fortunate to call them all my dear friends, and they have been an absolute joy to work and collaborate with.”
Leavitt’s iteration of “Outside Mullingar” is a departure from what has been staged on Broadway and the Geffen Playhouse.
“I believe what makes our version stand out from previous ones is that I chose the approach to the play through the lens of an Irish fairy tale about true love,” he elaborates. “Plus our set — designed by the brilliant Mark Mendelson — is truly the fifth character, as it unfolds and turns the page of each chapter so gracefully, giving it that fairy tale essence. We have had dozens of people after our shows tell us they saw the Broadway production and believed ours was better. I genuinely believe we have captured something truly magical in our production.”
Perhaps it was that quality that inspired the Sierra Madre Playhouse’s creative team to invite Leavitt to stage the play here.
“We were approached by the Sierra Madre Playhouse to mount our production here, and it has been an absolute dream come true,” Leavitt discloses. “Every single person has been so overwhelmingly gracious and kind, we feel truly grateful and thrilled to have our production at this theater.”
On what he wants audiences to take away from the play, Leavitt replies, “Absolute enchantment, positivity and belief in true love.”
With all the bewildering and depressing news seen and heard lately, we are so ready to be charmed by a fairy tale love story set in the sweeping Irish countryside.