Preview by Brad balfour
Film: Two Roads”
Director: Susan Wittenberg
Cast: Mick Moloney, Lenwood Sloan
Monday 10/28 and Tuesday 10/29
7pm each night
Irish Repertory Theatre
132 W. 22nd St.
New York, New York
The Irish Repertory Theatre presents the premiere screening of “Two Roads,” a documentary about a shared journey between Black and Irish Americans, as told by Mick Moloney and Lenwood Sloan. The film screens on Monday 10/28 and Tuesday 10/29 at 7pm, with each screening followed by a concert from super group The Auction Project.
As directed by Susan Wittenberg, “Two Roads” is a story told by legendary folklorist and banjo rambler Mick Moloney and ‘catalytic agent’ and performer Lenwood Sloan. It explores how, despite a troubled backdrop of racism and discrimination, Irish people in the United States and African Americans found common ground and shared humanity through music, song, dance, and humor.
The late Mick Moloney and Leni Sloan offer fresh perspectives on misunderstood moments in history. They explore the complex cultural bond between Africans and Irish in America, from their origins as enslaved people and indentured servants to their impact on popular entertainment. Moloney and Sloan’s work delves into topics like Blackface minstrelsy, the Emancipation Proclamation, and Black urban vernacular, connecting history to the present with performances by rising stars like Jerron Paxton, Nora Brown, and Malian Griot Cheick Hamala Diabate.
Born on November 15th, 1944, in Limerick, Ireland. Mick Moloney was born on 15 November 1944 in Limerick, Ireland. He is known for The Brothers McMullen (1995), Speed Walking (2014) and In Love and Anger: Milton Acorn – Poet (1984). In 1998, he was a music consultant for the TV mini series “The Irish in America: Long Journey Home” and was musical director/arranger of the TV movie “Out of Ireland” (1995).
He was also a traditional Irish music recording artist who made music for various labels such as Shanachie, Green Linnet, etc.). Married first to Judy Sherman and then Philomena Murray, he died on July 27th, 2022 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
As was written on the Irish Rep’s website, “Mick Moloney’s music and voice lives on in the Irish-American psyche, and in our hearts, for generations. We had the opportunity to work with Mick and his brilliant collaborator, Leni Sloan, on ‘Two Roads Diverged.’ This documentary details the little-known histories of the Irish and African diasporas to the United States, one of Mick’s great passions. It is our great pleasure to platform his legacy by showcasing this film at our theatre.”