TDF Stages

The Tony winner and his son chat about costarring in Chester Bailey at Irish Rep

Chester Bailey, Joseph Dougherty's new drama running at Irish Repertory Theatre, marks a career turning point for stars Reed Birney and his son, Ephraim Birney. Ephraim plays the title character, a young man grappling with life-changing injuries toward the end of World War II. Reed portrays his doctor, a disappointed middle-aged man nursing his own type of wounds. A 40-plus-year theatre veteran who won a Tony Award for his devastating performance in The Humans, Reed sees the play as his son's introduction to New York City theatre audiences, while acknowledging the production is likely his stage swan song. TDF brought the Birneys together to discuss their long journey with the play, what they've learned about each other along the way and why performing was inevitable for Ephraim. If you weren't able to tune in live you can watch a recording below. Captions are available.

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Top image: Ephraim Birney and Reed Birney.