"In the work of John Patrick Shanley, the truth is as charming as it is painful, reality as touched with magic as it is factual, and existence as absolute as it is illusory."— BOMB magazineFor Anthony and Rosemary, introverted misfits straddling forty, love seems unlikely. In this very Irish story with a surprising depth of poetic passion, these yearning, eccentric souls fight their way towards solid ground and happiness. Their journey is heartbreaking, funny as hell, and ultimately, deeply moving. Set in the Irish countryside, Outside Mullingar has been dubbed the "Irish Moonstruck " and will premiere on Broadway in 2014, starring Debra Messing and Brian F. O'Byrne and helmed by Doug Hughes, the Tony Award–winning director of Doubt . John Patrick Shanley is from the Bronx. His plays include Danny and the Deep Blue Sea , Savage in Limbo , and Dirty Story . His trilogy Church and State began with Doubt , followed by Defiance and Storefront Church . For his play Doubt , the playwright received both the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize. He has nine films to his credit, including the five-time Oscar-nominated Doubt with Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis. Other films include Five Corners , Alive , Joe Versus The Volcano , and Live From Baghdad for HBO (Emmy nomination). For Moonstruck , he received both the Writers Guild Award and the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The Writers Guild of America awarded Shanley the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award in Writing.