This little play was produced at the Avenue Theatre in the spring
of 1894, with the following cast:
Maurteen Bruin, Mr. James Welch;
Shawn Bruin, Mr. A. E. W. Mason;
Father Hart, Mr. G. R. Foss;
Bridget Bruin, Miss Charlotte Morland;
Maire Bruin, Miss Winifred Fraser:
A Faery Child, Miss Dorothy Paget.
It ran for a little over six weeks. It was revived in America in
1901, when it was taken on tour by Mrs. Lemoyne. It has been
played two or three times professionally since then in America
and a great many times in England and America by amateurs. Till
lately it was not part of the repertory of the Abbey Theatre, for
I had grown to dislike it without knowing what I disliked in it.
This winter, however, I have made many revisions and now it plays
well enough to give me pleasure. It is printed in this book in
the new form, which was acted for the first time on February 22,
1912, at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. At the Abbey Theatre, where
the platform of the stage comes out in front of the curtain, the
curtain falls before the priest's last words. He remains outside
the curtain and the words are spoken to the audience like an
epilogue.
W. B. YEATS.
ABBEY THEATRE, DUBLIN.
March, 1912.