The U.S. debut of The Abbey Theatre’s acclaimed production of Quietly by Owen McCafferty officially opened July 28 Off-Broadway. The Dublin production, presented in New York by the Irish Repertory Theatre and The Public Theater, won the Fringe First Award at the 2013 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Featuring direction by Jimmy Fray, Quietly began previews July 20 at Irish Rep. Original cast members Declan Conlon, Patrick O’Kane and Robert Zawadzki made the move Off-Broadway.

Set in Belfast in 1999, Quietly looks at the existing chasm between the Republican and Unionist sides following the Easter Peace Accord. “Tonight, in a small back-street bar, Jimmy and Ian will meet for the first time. Forty years before a violent incident irrevocably changed the lives of both men and now they need to talk,” state production notes. The new work is billed as a “powerful play about violence and forgiveness, about the limits of healing, the lottery of bearing witness, and the profit of truth.”

Read reviews for the American premiere below:

Huffington Post
New York Times
Time Out

“Quietly is a beautiful, powerful, and essential show,” said Public artistic director Oskar Eustis in an earlier statement. “It is utterly specific to Northern Ireland, but that very specificity gives it a huge and universal power. The Public is proud to partner with Irish Rep to present this brilliant Abbey Theatre production.”

“It speaks to our world far beyond the borders of Northern Ireland,” added Charlotte Moore and Ciarán O’Reilly of the Irish Rep.

The staging features scenic design by Alyson Cummins, costume design by Catherine Fay, lighting design by Sinéad McKenna, sound design by Philip Stewart and fight direction by Donal O’Farrell.

Irish Rep is located at 132 W. 22nd Street, New York. Tickets can be purchased by calling (212) 727-2737 or online at irishrep.org.