You Can Get Crafty At The Denison House 
The Denison Advocates Will Hold A Craft Fair From 11 A.m. To 5 P.m., Sunday, 
July 21, On The Grounds Of The Historic Nathan Denison House, 35 Denison St.

Acting Up 
Youngsters Discover The Work Behind The Glamour Of Stagecraft

Friday, July 12, 1996 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





`Craddock's Well' offers drink of Irish legacy on King's stage &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Michael Carey says ``Craddock's Well'' isn't a personal work, even though
the debut play from the burly 52-year-old elementary school principal
unquestionably offers a glimpse of his youth in rural Ireland"A lot of it
comes from the environment I grew up in, and the environment of any young
person growing up in the 1950s in Ireland," Carey said. "It's not my own life,
but I would say the background to it is my life, certainly." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The author is directing the Headford Drama Group production of "Craddock's
Well" at the King's College Theater this weekend, with performances at 8
tonight and Saturday night. The shows at King's will be a United States
premiere, followed by a three-week tour including stops in New Jersey, New
York, Boston and Chicago. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This is his group's fourth summer appearance in Wilkes-Barre. "There's a
pretty big Irish connection here," Carey said. "There's a lot of second- and
third-generation Irish here, and what I find is that these are plays people
here can relate to better than in places like Boston, or New York or Chicago,
where you have first generation Irish. In the first generation, you don't want
to be looking into your past, it's all about your future. But people here like
to find out where their roots are." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A native of Headford, a village in the suburbs of Galway, Carey is a father
of four and one of six teachers at the 150-student Headford Boys' National
School. He has acted with the Headford Drama Group since the 1960s -- Carey
plays a small role in this show -- and began directing about 10 years ago. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Craddock's Well" is the first full-length play Carey has written. The
story spans 60 years in Cloonmore, Ireland where Margaret Finnerty has come
back from America, bitter and disillusioned. She has failed to come to terms
with the death of her first child to tuberculosis and is unhappy in a marriage
she felt forced to accept for financial security. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "There's nothing new in the themes," Carey said. "But this is probably a
new treatment of it." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 -- Bob Nocek &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

`craddock's Well' Offers Drink Of Irish Legacy On King's Stage 
Michael Carey Says ``craddock's Well'' Isn't A Personal Work, Even Though The 
Debut Play From The Burly 52-year-old Elementary School Principal 
Unquestionably Offers A Glimpse Of His Youth In Rural Ireland.

`craddock's Well' Offers Drink Of Irish Legacy On King's Stage Michael Carey Says ``craddock's Well'' Isn't A Personal Work, Even Though The Debut Play From The Burly 52-year-old Elementary School Principal Unquestionably Offers A Glimpse Of His Youth In Rural Ireland.