Falls Church theater presents 'Christmas Cabin of Carnaween'

The Great Famine, prejudice, hardship and loneliness might not seem like holiday fare, but when an Irish folk tale incorporating these themes is gently brought to life and underscored with traditional Irish music in "The Christmas Cabin of Carnaween," bleak elements can be a reminder of the season's rich ideals.

Adapted for the stage by Creative Cauldron in Falls Church, the play is vibrantly Irish in ambiance and theme. Thus, the story is alternately poignant and bracing, and should provide families with many opportunities for conversation.

And for those who require elves to enjoy Christmas, there are some Irish "fairy people" about.

Culminating in the grim days of widespread starvation in 1840s Ireland, the story relates the life of Oona Hegarty, an abandoned baby of tinkers, the wandering Irish gypsies. Unable to enjoy a home or husband because of prejudice against her lineage, Oona grows up to care for children, the sick and the elderly in the mountain village of Carnaween. She longs for a cabin of her own but is forced to carry her belongings tied up in a blanket as she goes from place to place. Decades pass, and her sad story reaches its climax on a snowy Christmas Eve, when Oona falls asleep on a hilltop, hungry and homeless.

Helen Hayes Award nominee Lauren Williams anchors the story as Oona, who might have been "the bonniest lass in all the village" and "a blessing to all" but is treated as less than a servant. Williams gently colors in a portrait of a woman bowed but not broken by fate and prejudice, a truly durable spirit. Williams avoids sentimentality, and you feel in your bones that when Oona lays down her head on Christmas Eve, it's not merely sugar plums dancing there.

Narrator Penelope Flemming might be a wee bit too brassy in the telling of this tale, but that does not erode the ambiance. The ensemble is rounded out with children, teens and adults from Creative Cauldron's Learning in the Arts programs.

Traditional Irish music duo Tir an nÓg (Keith Carr and Rosemary Gano) perform live music with a variety of instruments. The duo fashioned a score blending time-honored and contemporary tunes to underscore the narrative, which is spread over 14 scenes. Director Laura Connors Hull adapted the story and worked with a cast of nine to generate dialogue, and several elemental dance sequences are included. Scenic designer Margie Jervis has crafted a versatile and eye-catching setting in the challenging space at the ArtSpace gallery.

It's more nuanced and layered than many traditional holiday offerings, but this short (about 40 minutes) visit to faraway Carnaween might do more to rejuvenate your Christmas spirit.

"The Christmas Cabin of Carnaween" continues through Dec. 20, performed by Creative Cauldron at ArtsSpace Falls Church in the Pearson Square Building, 410 South Maple Ave. Performaces are at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, with matinees at 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. For tickets, call 571-239-5288. Information and tickets: http://www.creativecauldron.org.