Throughout history, authors have attempted to encapsulate history and popular culture into theatrical performances. Whether a play was expressive of the general ideologies of the time in which it was performed or it offered a futuristic view of a historical event, theatre maintains the same effect: shaping collective memory. No matter the time or place a historical play is performed, it shapes the way the audience views the historical events that the play is discussing. Therefore, plays about Irish independence and American independence have much the same effect on their respective societies.
Website of the Irish Studies Group at SUNY Geneseo