Six actors bring the sad, pithy boyhood of John Casside (O'Casey) into quick and sensitive focus. His strong, resigned mother, his impetuous, groping sister, the friends and enemies of his Dublin childhood, and Johnny himself are gems of truth and beauty. Throughout, balancing pathos with humor, an image of young Sean O'Casey is slowly unveiled. There is a ceaseless struggle between the doctor, who is treating the boy's painful cataracts, and the Protestant minister, who considers it more important for the boy to be at school; Johnny being caned by the sadistic schoolmaster; and the telling interactions with his loving mother. Through it all, the people of O'Casey's crowded youth come to life with superb vividness.
