IF the Gate Theatre has been doing exceptionally well in the United States, it is not alone, Patsy McGarry writes. The former artistic director of the Abbey Theatre, Joe Dowling, is being hailed in Minneapolis where he became artistic director of the 1,293 seat Guthrie Theatre last December.
The Sunday Star Tribune enthused last Sunday: "For the first time in years, the Guthrie Theatre is the talk of the town."
The current issue of The Stage magazine says of Mr Dowling: "He has endeared himself to the theatre going public as the man who brought laughter back to the Guthrie." It concludes: "The Joe Dowling era is finally here, which is the best news to come out of the Guthrie in a long, long time."
One of the reasons for all this joy is that the American Midwest has discovered one of Irish theatre's finest talents. For five of its last six years, the Guthrie has operated in the red. Babes in Arms, the last production of its outgoing artistic director, Garland Wright, was "a critical and financial failure", and the theatre's subscription list had dropped from 26,000 in 1991 to 16,000.
"A Virtuoso Irish Director, Far From Home" was the headline over a full page profile of Mr Dowling in the New York Times.
It seems even Mr Dowling's personality has charmed them in Minneapolis, in contrast to his predecessor, Mr Wright, who, the New York Times says, "was widely perceived as shy and introspective".
At a party following the opening of The Cherry Orchard, Mr Dowling took it upon himself to entertain", reports the New York Times.
The chairwoman of the Guthrie board, Ms Margaret Wurtele, remembered: "The board of directors jaws dropped ... He was up there at the microphone, greeting people and speaking about the play. You have to understand: we weren't used to that here."