Two You Might Have Missed In July - But You'll Get A Chance To See Again (And You Should!)

By Gwen Orel

While we can't always report on every short-run of a worthy event, two in July are worth noting - and here's hoping New Yorkers and East Coasters get further chances to see them both.

John Cash's travel piece about Tipperary, Twas a Morning in July, had just one showing in the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival - but will be released as a DVD with a companion book in the fall.

De Bogman, the delightful romp of a one-man show by Mairtín de Cogáin and Brian Desmond, ran for just one week at Irish Rep - but its word of mouth (and now press) could not be stronger. Don't miss it when it returns!

Twas A Morning In July

Cash has been awarded the All Ireland Medal for photography, and has been teaching photography in Tipperary since 2007.

His love of his home county shines in all of the places he visits, often on his bicycle - including a traditional basket weaver, the Obama set dancers, greyhound racing courses and hurling matches.

Cash says, "Tipperary is behind Kerry, Clare and other Western Counties when it come to tourism, and everyone in Tipperary has to play their part to show the world what we have to offer."

Some clips are available on youtube under premier123kerins, and Cash, who is also a qualified tour guide, is happy to advise potential visitors via email on info@goldenirishphotography.com.

The low-budget film was made in just five weeks, with the support and help of Niall Conroy of Mustang Harry's and Mustang Sally's, Seven & Jack's and Magner's Irish Cider, as well as the Tipperary Associations in New York. and the DVD and a companion book are set to come out in the fall.

"It will have at least one photograph representing some aspect of life in every village and town in Tipperary," Cash says.

I learned a lot about the area watching the film - its low-budget techniques were part of the charm, although occasionally I wished some more editing had been done.

The sound was often raw (Cash wears a body mike, and some loud thumps were unfortunate), and at two hours the film feels a little thin.

The approach of the documentary is split between enticing a potential visitor and exhorting locals to market their home - but these are not the same people. Still, there's no question that the county Cash loves has gorgeous, unspoiled tourist sights.

There may be fewer giftshops and tour groups but that also means a bit more authenticity and naturalness - and one of the best things about the film is that it opens up a world in Ireland for tourists that has not, yet, become a tourist trap. And that's a real service for Tipperary and tourists, both.

De Bogman

Written by Mairtín de Cogáin and Brian Desmond, and produced by Colm McAuliffe, this one-man show had just one week of performances at Irish Repertory Theatre - and it really deserves a longer run in New York.

De Bogman is everything you hope a show in a fringe festival will be but rarely is: entertaining, silly, physical, fast-paced, light-hearted.

The show is a tall tale about Declan, idiotic, devoted to mammy, and very good with his fists - who kills a man in a fight and flees to America where he becomes World Heavyweight Boxing Champion.

This little summary leaves out the hilarious story of his family, which goes back to Viking times, the mysterious recurring dreams Declan has of a Gaelic-speaking cow, the lighting-fast character and accent shifts de Cogáin makes.

I personally loved that despite judicious use of sound effects, in every mimed fight, the bell was indicated by an offstage voice saying "ding ding."

And de Cogáin's cow is just hysterical: he uses his fingers to mime horns, and brilliantly employs his tongue as part of the characterization (who knew a tongue could be so eloquently funny?)

With his mop of curly hair and heavy brows, de Cogáin looks ferocious and dim and it's almost a shock to see him after the show morph back into a handsome guy, and a singer (New Yorkers had a chance to see him at Glucksman Ireland House last year, performing with Jimmy Crowley on the release of their album Captain Mackey's Goatskin and String Band Soldiers Songs: The Irish Abroad and Soldiering).

The piece, directed by Brian Desmond, has been performed for over ten years, beginning in Cork, and has since toured in over forty towns and cities.

The show blends storytelling (de Cogáin's bio says he is twice an Irish champion storyteller) with physical gags, like a kind of Cork-flavored Monty Python. There is heart too, if you're in a sentimental mood, but nothing to weigh down this airy fable. Here's hoping it comes back again soon.