June 7, 13, 14, 1959
Donegal Fair was chosen as the name for a production of three one-act Irish comedies, Hyacinth Halvey by Lady Augusta Gregory, Pot of Broth by William Butler Yeats, and Spreading the News also by Lady Augusta Gregory, interspersed with folk songs and dances by an Irish minstrel and Irish dancers. Donegal Fair was believed to be the name used in one of the songs sung by the minstrel in the show. However, as Players Chairman Morris Moen explained in a newspaper interview:
"It turned out the correct fair in the song was `Widdecombe Fair' and it was not an Irish song, but English. We decided to keep the name, anyhow. Donegal is the most mountainous region of Ireland, and that's appropriate for our club.
"Cottages were built with thatched roofs made by tying bundles of straw to chicken wire. During Donegal Fair, the weather did wonders for the Irish look. The roof straw got the idea and lay down the way it should."
To lend authenticity to the butcher shop on stage, Morris bought a goat carcass to hang by the door. Before the last performance, it had become quite ripe, despite the fact it was stored in a freezer between weekends.
The plays attracted a total audience of 2,400 for the three performances.
