The Beauty Queen of Leenane

Contrary to what Gilmore Girls would have you believe, mother-daughter relationships aren’t all brainy banter and mixups that can be resolved with quick-fire quips over coffee. Consider Irish playwright Martin McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane, a drama that centers on a twisted mother-daughter duo whose dysfunctional relationship is heightened by their isolation in a small Irish village. Marie Mullen won a Tony Award for her portrayal of the lonely spinster daughter Maureen nearly two decades ago—and now she’s starring in the Druid Theatre Company’s 20th anniversary production, only this time she’s stepping into the shoes of Mag, the manipulative matriarch out to thwart Maureen’s chance at romance. Original director and fellow Tony winner Garry Hynes is likewise returning to helm the mama drama, which finds new life on ArtsEmerson’s Robert J. Orchard Stage through Feb. 26.