The contemporary debate regarding the new languages of the stage has
developed into multiple directions. In Molly Sweeney (1994), Brian Friel
rejects dramatic progression and interpersonal dialogue to privilege direct
interaction with the audience that intensifies the production of presence.
He combines conventional and postdramatic features in his presentation
of alternating monologues by three speakers – Molly, Frank and Mr. Rice –
whose solo voices create an allegory on the unwillingness of communication
in our time. The emerging landscapes of the mind force the audience to
deal with the indeterminacy of meaning, extending representation beyond
dramatic action in the theatre.
