A traditional Irish wake toast goes, “May your heart be light and happy, may your smile be big and wide and may your pockets always have a coin or two inside.” Irish wakes and funerals are often celebrations of a person’s life. Music, poetry and merriment are shared by friends and family, sometimes for days at a time. Playwright Vynnie Meli always wanted to go to an Irish wake, so she wrote one. “The Wake: A New Play with Old Irish Songs” will be performed at the Shakespeare Tavern starting Sunday evening, May 8. “City Lights” host Lois Reitzes was joined by Meli, co-creator, music director, composer Scott DePoy and director Mira Hirsch to talk about the show.
Interview highlights:
Vynnie Meli explains the traditional Irish wake:
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