How to Pronounce Samhain

by Michael C. O'Day

[ONE-ACT] In a lonely graveyard on the Saturday before Halloween, with the veil between worlds at its thinnest, the High Priestess Morrigan Dusk attempts a solemn ritual. When it is interrupted by a reckless teenager and his family, the priestess receives an unexpected visit from the past and an even more unexpected opportunity for the future. A story of loss, witchcraft, and ultimate frisbee.

[ONE-ACT] In a lonely graveyard on the Saturday before Halloween, with the veil between worlds at its thinnest, the High Priestess Morrigan Dusk attempts a solemn ritual. When it is interrupted by a reckless teenager and his family, the priestess receives an unexpected visit from the past and an even more unexpected opportunity for the future. A story of loss, witchcraft, and ultimate frisbee.

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How to Pronounce Samhain

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  • Daniel Prillaman: How to Pronounce Samhain

    There’s a moment in this play that turns it from a humorous situational comedy (always great in its own right) into one with so much more working through it. O’Day’s play is a moving story of connection. To have it. To have once had it, but no longer. To not see it coming. In a world that manages to consistently surpass expectations in how terrible it can be, connection can mean and be everything. It can even be the difference between life & death. Pronunciation lessons have never been better.

    There’s a moment in this play that turns it from a humorous situational comedy (always great in its own right) into one with so much more working through it. O’Day’s play is a moving story of connection. To have it. To have once had it, but no longer. To not see it coming. In a world that manages to consistently surpass expectations in how terrible it can be, connection can mean and be everything. It can even be the difference between life & death. Pronunciation lessons have never been better.

  • Erin Dietsche: How to Pronounce Samhain

    Michael C. O’Day has built a complete world within this play. Not only did it make me laugh, but it also made me think deeply. I especially appreciated the character of Matty, who is so lovable.

    Michael C. O’Day has built a complete world within this play. Not only did it make me laugh, but it also made me think deeply. I especially appreciated the character of Matty, who is so lovable.

  • Stacey Isom Campbell: How to Pronounce Samhain

    I had the pleasure of being introduced to Michael C. O'Day's play through the Valdez Theatre Conference. it's a play with lots of laughs, physical comedy, and heart. The play deals with big subjects like the rituals around death, Covid, and varying stages of life but does so with ease and a great deal of humor. It's a play that feels right for this moment when we need to find a way to respect each other even in our differences.

    I had the pleasure of being introduced to Michael C. O'Day's play through the Valdez Theatre Conference. it's a play with lots of laughs, physical comedy, and heart. The play deals with big subjects like the rituals around death, Covid, and varying stages of life but does so with ease and a great deal of humor. It's a play that feels right for this moment when we need to find a way to respect each other even in our differences.

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Development History

  • Type Reading, Organization Valdez Theater Conference, Year 2024
  • Type Reading, Organization New Ambassadors Theater Company, Lab Reading, Year 2023
  • Type Reading, Organization The Convening, Year 2022