Sive (play)

Sive /ˈsaɪv/ is a play by the Irish writer John B. Keane, first performed in Listowel, County Kerry in 1959.^[1] Keane chose to use the name "Sive" for the play in honour of his sister, Shiela, using the Irish-Gaelic form of the name.^[2]

Sive
Written by	John B. Keane
Characters	Liam Scuab Mike Glavin Mena Glavin Carthalawn Nanna Glavin Thomasheen Seán Rua Sive Pats Bocock Seán Dóta
Date premiered	March 1959
Place premiered	Walsh's Ballroom, Listowel, Ireland
Original language	English
Subject	Illegitimacy, marriage, poverty
Genre	Tragedy, drama
Setting	Rural County Kerry, 1960s

The play is set in rural Ireland where a set of attitudes about the battle between the generations (the young orphan Sive takes her own life rather than marrying an old man). Poverty, exploitation, marriage, greed, and love are explored.

Performance history

After it was rejected by the Abbey Theatre, The Listowel Drama Group produced the play. Sive was first performed in Christy's Ballroom, Listowel, County Kerry. The play was an overall success, but John B. Keane noted that some took offence to the melodramatic content of the play, calling it blasphemous and pornographic based on the appearance of Sive as a young girl.^[3]

In the first performances of the play, Nora Relihan played Mena Galvin, Margaret Dillon performed as Sive, and John B. Keane himself played Carthalawn.^[4]

The play is widely known throughout Ireland, and has been taught in the Irish school system.^[5]