A Comedy in Three Acts
By J. B. MacCarthy     Directed By Christina Garrivan

The Play

The Able Dealer is a lighthearted comedy set in the parlor of the Cogan residence in the village of Knockmore in the early 60s. Simon Daly-just released from hospital-who is penniless and d estitute but owns some worthless land is looking for a place to spend his final days on this earth with either his grand-nephew Michael J. Cogan or his grand-niece Nancy Carroll, but neither one of them has any interest in him or his useless few acres. However, he does have a friend in Peggy Cogan, Michael and Annie Cogan’s daughter. Peggy has taken a liking to Simon and keeps him informed of the going-ons in her household.

During his stay in hospital, Simon met up with Professor Hayden and both men developed a lasting friendship.The ingenious Professor Hayden always seems to arrive on the scene when our Simon needs him most and manages to save the day for Simon. Due to the efforts of the professor the useless land has become valuable. Watch as his conniving relatives juggle Simon to and fro in an effort to grab the land while all the time the good professor stays one step ahead of them protecting his friend Simon.

MacCarthy takes a look at how we perceive ourselves when dealing with avarice and greed and maybe finds us wanting! The play is peppered with irony and a little sarcasm but you’ll laugh your heart out at it, maybe even relate to some of the characters.

The Cast