Knocknahay, IRELAND- The Kathleen O'Mara Residential Centre for the Arts.
We meet the NORA, the cook and housekeeper who was hired by the late, beloved, Hollywood film star, KATHLEEN O'MARA herself-- and her younger assistant TERESA, in the kitchen. The agency sent a new KITCHEN TEMP, who is silent but an ace at chopping turnips. Teresa strikes the gong calling residents to the dining room for dinner.
SHANNON, an Irish-American textile-artist has just arrived in Ireland. She saves a seat and is ecstatic to soon be meeting her cousin BRIGIT, a Druidic poet and Celtic healer-- but Brigit is running late and dinner is being held-up by her.
DAMIEN, a famous, radio personality turned historian-- wants to find out more about MARY's A.R.S.E. (Artist's Residency Society Exchange)status. ARSE is a clannish, worldwide artist’s organisation, founded by James Joyce himself and shrouded in secrecy.
GUNTER is an audio soundscape artist and eco-warrior. His mission to collect audio samples of the king stoat's mating rituals is not going well.
BARNEY, the British-born residency director is worried about funding to keep the place from ruin.
AGNES, an aristocratic French artist who refuses to be categorized-- doesn't care about much unless.. it involves her hero: OLIVOFF SMIRNOFF, a famous Russian dissident artist-- whose location is unknown.
MALACHY, the residency groundskeeper-- receives a call from his childhood playmate, SKYE JETJETSKI, a corporate image consultant, niece to the late, film star Kathleen O'Mara and thwarted heiress. The conversation doesn't bode well for the artists.
Barney announces that MEGACORP, a scandalous, worldwide corporation, is backing much-needed renovations and will build a new exhibition hall. With much opposition to the plan from Mary, the plans are debated. Dinner is waiting for Brigit to arrive.
Brigit finally arrives, the cousins unite and dinner is served. The night is almost over but not until she delivers her Druidic blessings.
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Outro song: Down By the Sally Gardens
Voices: Aoibheann McCann, Andi Ipaktchi, Fred McCloskey, Gavin Morgan, and Helen Gregg. Audio: Yassaman Sarhangi
RETREAT is an Irish/Irish-American comedy series that depicts artists and writers at an Irish arts residency in a dilapidated manor house. Deceitful corporate sponsorship arrives with a promise to spruce-up the residency in exchange for the artists' detailed audio diaries of their creative process. Six 20-minute episodes, written by the female, comedy duo: Aoibheann McCann and Andi Ipaktchi. RETREAT has a playful look at the commercialization of the arts, genealogy, Irish history, cloning, heritage, ecology, globalization, the life cycle of stoats & the 1%. Season 1 launched in September 2022. It is available for download on audio apps like Spotify, Apple Podcasts and others.