Class Notes: Johnny Hopkins from “The Weir”

Summary

BroadwayRadio Podcast Summary

Episode: Class Notes: Johnny Hopkins from “The Weir”
Release Date: July 28, 2025
Host: Lauren Clash Schneider
Guest: Johnny Hopkins
Production: The Weir at the Irish Repertory Theater

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of BroadwayRadio’s Clash Notes, host Lauren Clash Schneider sits down with Johnny Hopkins, who portrays Brendan in the acclaimed production of “The Weir” at the Irish Repertory Theater. The conversation delves into Johnny’s role, the nuances of the production, his personal acting journey, and his experiences working with the talented cast and crew.

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About “The Weir” and Character Insight

Lauren begins by setting the scene of the play:

Lauren Clash Schneider [00:45]:
“Today in a remote country pub in Ireland, newcomer Valerie finds herself drawn into an evening of ghost stories shared by the local bachelors…”

Johnny elaborates on his character, Brendan:

Johnny Hopkins [01:11]:
“He is the proprietor of the bar and he owns the land around the bar… He is a sort of a young man that's sort of attached to the bar. It sort of hinted at it that it may have been left to him through his family.”

Brendan serves as the anchor of the pub, facilitating the gathering where various characters share their tales. Johnny emphasizes the importance of his character’s listening role:

Johnny Hopkins [01:55]:
“Brendan's character… has an inner life, but he's avidly listening, which I think is a gift for any actor anyway.”

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Production Highlights

Lauren shares a notable review from The New York Times, praising the production’s emotional depth:

Lauren Clash Schneider [03:04]:
“The New York Times has this to say about this production, that it tantalizes with a quiet grief for the loneliness it reveals…”

When asked what makes this production special, Johnny highlights the directorial finesse of Kieran O’Reilly and the camaraderie among the cast:

Johnny Hopkins [03:39]:
“Kieran has such a wonderful man and a generous director… He gives the material the right amount of reverence… the friendships and connections we have are very real, you know.”

He continues to praise the authenticity of the characters and the playwright Conor McPherson:

Johnny Hopkins [04:20]:
“Conor McPherson has such a wonderful kind of. His writing is so human… the emotions that are happening on stage are very real and organic.”

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Johnny Hopkins’ Acting Background

Lauren inquires about Johnny’s previous experiences with The Weir and his future aspirations:

Lauren Clash Schneider [05:53]:
“Have you been in other productions of The Weir?”

Johnny responds that this is his debut in the play but expresses a desire to explore other roles in the future:

Johnny Hopkins [06:10]:
“I try to just as an actor, be where I am in my life… It’s very hard sometimes to see yourself playing those parts when you’re in the bones of Brendan.”

He reflects on the challenge of stepping into different roles after experiencing the depth of his current character.

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Experience at the Irish Repertory Theater

Addressing his education and influences, Lauren mistakenly mentions the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, to which Johnny corrects:

Johnny Hopkins [07:21]:
“I did not attend there. I went to the Gaty School of Acting in Dublin…”

He shares the profound influence of his father, an actor, on his career path:

Johnny Hopkins [07:50]:
“My father is an actor… I just caught the bug very young… I’ve been watching him my whole life.”

Johnny reminisces about his early inspirations, including memorable moments like watching “Return of the Jedi”:

Johnny Hopkins [08:10]:
“The first movie that I ever saw was Return of the Jedi… I walked out thinking Han Solo was the coolest person I had ever seen on film.”

He acknowledges the familial ties to acting and the subtle influence they had on his passion for the craft.

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Joining the Irish Repertory Theater

Lauren praises the Irish Repertory Theater's unique environment and asks why Johnny chose to spend his summer there:

Lauren Clash Schneider [09:54]:
“What made you want to spend the summer in New York and do The Weir?”

Johnny explains his long-standing relationship with the theater and his appreciation for its community:

Johnny Hopkins [09:54]:
“I've been in New York now a long time… I've known Ciaran a long time… The rep has always sort of been there… They have such a sense of community.”

He expresses gratitude for the inclusive and respectful atmosphere fostering creativity and strong performances.

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Closing Thoughts

As the conversation winds down, Lauren commends Johnny for his contributions and the delightful nature of the interview:

Lauren Clash Schneider [11:50]:
“Well. And part of the furniture. So I thank you. This has been really a delightful visit.”

Johnny reciprocates the appreciation:

Johnny Hopkins [11:59]:
“Thank you so much.”

Lauren concludes the episode by reiterating Johnny’s role and the production details:

Lauren Clash Schneider [12:00]:
“I'm Lauren Klaus Schneider with Johnny Hopkins playing Brendan in The Weir at the Irish Repertory Theatre. Thank you.”

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Key Takeaways

• Johnny Hopkins embodies Brendan, the attentive bartender in “The Weir”, bringing depth and authenticity to the role.
• The production, directed by Kieran O’Reilly, has garnered high praise for its emotional resonance and realistic portrayal of loneliness and human connection.
• Johnny’s rich acting background, influenced by his father and his education at the Gaty School of Acting, shapes his nuanced performance.
• The Irish Repertory Theater provides a supportive and collaborative environment, enhancing the overall quality of the production.

This episode offers listeners an intimate glimpse into the making of “The Weir”, the dedication of its cast, and the vibrant community of the Irish Repertory Theater.

Transcript

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[Lauren Clash Schneider]

Hi, I'm Lauren Clash Schneider with Clash Notes for Broadway Radio. I'm here with Johnny Hopkins performing in the we're at the Irish Repertory Theater. Welcome.

[Johnny Hopkins]

Thank you for having me.

[Lauren Clash Schneider]

Thank you for bringing some Irish to our world. Today in a remote country pub in Ireland, newcomer Valerie finds herself drawn into an evening of ghost stories shared by the local bachelors. What begins as a playful blarney soon drifts into the supernatural realm where Valerie shares her own haunting tale. And you play the role of Brendan. How does your character fit into this story?

[Johnny Hopkins]

Well, he is the proprietor of the bar and he owns the land around the bar and the bar is where the play is set and all of the men, the bar is kind of off the beaten path of the local town, so it's a little bit out of the way. And all of the men and the characters in the play and Valerie convene in this setting for the night that will take place. And he is a sort of a young man that's sort of attached to the bar. It sort of hinted at it that it may have been left to him through his family.

[Lauren Clash Schneider]

Uh huh, uh huh. And the cast includes such notable actors. What's it like to be the bartender of these extraordinary actors every night?

[Johnny Hopkins]

Like a master class, to be honest with you. Just because, you know, the nature of the play, I mean any sort of play, you know, acting, I think 101 for me anyway, is to sort of really listen, you know, And Brendan's character especially because he doesn't really have a sort of a story that he's willingly willing to wants to divulge to the rest of the characters. He has an inner life, but he's avidly listening, which I think is a gift for any actor anyway. And it's really sort of heightened with this particular piece that you have to be really listening and paying attention to everybody else. But just there's moments up there Where I really feel like I have the best seat in the house, actually, because I get to watch these guys and watch these phenomenal performances and just get to watch them work. And, you know, my actor brain and my character brain are firing on both synapses at the same time, as Brendan's listened and Johnny's watching, you know, so it's a wonderful experience, actually. Yeah. Oh, how great.

[Lauren Clash Schneider]

The Weir is frequently performed, but the New York Times has this to say about this production, that it tantalizes with a. A quiet grief for the loneliness it reveals in those who experienced and passed down each story. Ghosts or no ghosts, they're the kind of tales that let land with a sniff, quiet drink before attention. CUTTING laugh well, that's extremely high praise for this production, which was, of course, directed by Kieran O'Reilly. Besides the fact that you're in it, what makes this production so special?

[Johnny Hopkins]

Well, I've really wanted to work with Kieran for such a long time. He's such a wonderful man and a generous director, and he sort of has such a soft touch when he's directing. It's so light, and you end up sort of coming away sometimes feeling like, you know, you figured something out and you don't realize that Kieran has actually sort of nudged you in that direction anyway. He has such a steady hand, and he has such a sort of a respect for the playwright and the material. And I think he's sort of like that with anything that he handles that he gives it the right amount of reverence, you know, So I feel like I'm in very, you know, good company and sort of very secure and safe. And also John Keating I've had the pleasure of working with a few times, and Sean I know, and Sarah I know a long time, and Dan was the only person I didn't know in this production. But they're just so wonderful. And I feel like we have a kind of a natural bond off of stage, which I hope sort of transmutes onto stage when people are watching it, that those friendships and those sort of connections we have are very real, you know, and that sort of breeds through, I think, in the play while we're up there. So maybe that is what is being read as well. You know, obviously, the play is amazing, and Conor McPherson has such a wonderful kind of. His writing is so human, you know, at no point does it feel like you're playing a kind of a caricature. You know, you're sort of in the bones of a real human being. And these people are very Real. And their inner life is very real, their stories are very real. So it feels like very anchored in a real time, in a real place. And these emotions that are happening on stage are very real and organic and, and different every night. It's, it's just wonderful. I feel like, to be honest with you, I just feel like I'm in the best company I could possibly be in, you know.

[Lauren Clash Schneider]

How nice. Have you been in other productions of the Weir?

[Johnny Hopkins]

I have not, no. This is my first time.

[Lauren Clash Schneider]

Ah. And doing it now. Are there other roles that you would be interested in playing at some point?

[Johnny Hopkins]

Yeah, absolutely. You know, I try to just as an actor, be where I am in my life, you know, and hopefully maybe the opportunity down the road when I'm a little older will present itself to maybe play one of those other parts. But it's very hard sometimes to see yourself playing those parts when you're, when you're in the Bones of Brendan, but also watching these other actors just crush it, you know, and just to be in the presence of their take. It's like sometimes when you watch an actor and they have such a sort of a, such a, sort of a unique hold on the characters that it's very hard to kind of see anybody else in those roles, you know, And I haven't seen any other productions of this. And so for me, the actors I'm up there with, these are those, these are those characters, you know, so it's very hard to get that out of my head now at this point in my life, you know.

[Lauren Clash Schneider]

Sure, sure. They, they are who these people are. The actors. Yeah, yeah. Now you attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Tell us about how the acting bug bit and how you ended up there.

[Johnny Hopkins]

Well, just because we're, we're talking here, I did not attend there. I went to the Gaty School of Acting in Dublin. I did the two year full time course there and I did a part time course beforehand. So it was about three years in all. My father is an actor, so as they say, I didn't lick it up off the sidewalk, as they say. And I kind of, I watched him a lot when I was a young kid and he would tour and he would build his own sets and he would do a lot of. Yeah, he would do a lot of on the road theater and he went to Trinity College and yeah, I've just been watching him my whole life really, you know, and he was a massive influence on, I think, how I ended up, where I ended up. You know, I caught the book very young I remember the first movie that I ever saw was Return of the Jedi, you know, him and my mother had taken me down to the Savoy Movie Theater on o' Connell street, and I walked out thinking Han Solo was the coolest person I had ever seen on film. And it hasn't changed since, you know, And I just was around a lot of theater growing up as a young child, you know, because I would watch my dad build sets and he would do productions of Hatches and Can't Pay, Won't Pay and Juno and the Paycock and Out of Order Sweetie. And he played Sergeant Toomey and Biloxi Blues and Karenin, Anna Karenina. And over the years I just watched him and, you know, he. He's. He'd be a. A master actor of craft, you know, And I. I just caught the bug, I guess, being around him, you know, and I think there's a few other in laws. It hasn't been fully confirmed, but I think I have some third cousins and stuff that are also in the industry, you know, so it. Maybe it's in the blood, you know, it.

[Lauren Clash Schneider]

It sure sounds that way. And what a compliment to your father.

[Johnny Hopkins]

Oh, yeah, yeah. We have different views sometimes on acting. We like to argue about it from time to time, but I definitely get it from him for sure.

[Lauren Clash Schneider]

Well, the argument the two of you have with each other seems like a play in the making and would certainly be interesting and entertaining. Irish Rep. It's such a unique place. What made you want to spend the summer in New York and do the We're Here?

[Johnny Hopkins]

Well, I live in New York, so I'm here. I've been in New York now a long time, so I feel like I'm part of the furniture, as they say at this stage. And I've known Ciaran a long time, and I've been directed by Charlotte there once before, and Alan Cox directed me in a show there by a play that Lisha Sexton had written that John was in. John Keating, the Pigeon in the Taj Mahal. We did it in the smaller space underneath the main stage. And I just have such an appreciation for everybody that works there and their commitment to the material, but also how sort of, you know, human they are and easygoing they are. And, you know, they're very inclusive and they're very respectful. And, you know, I just remember being on in. Even in rehearsals for this every day. Just felt like we just laughed every day. You know, we had a good time and we were just really enjoying ourselves. And it's the first time that I've actually learned dialogue, and for the life of me, I don't even know how I learned it. You know, it just sort of went in, you know, And I think that's a testament to Ciaran's way of directing and his approach to the material. So the rep has always sort of been there, you know, on the outskirts for me, as a place that I wanted to kind of work at at some point. And whenever I get the opportunity to work there, you know, I. I jump at it because, you know, they're kind of like a family to me at this point, and they're just kind of. They're just wonderful people, and they have such a respect for Irish storytelling and Irish theater and just community, you know, a real sense of community. And just to be even included in this, I feel very humble and honored in a lot of ways, you know, to be honest.

[Lauren Clash Schneider]

Well. And part of the furniture. So I thank you. This has been really a delightful visit.

[Johnny Hopkins]

Thank you so much.

[Lauren Clash Schneider]

I'm Lauren Klaus Schneider with Johnny Hopkins playing Brendan in the Weir at the Irish Repertory Theatre. Thank you.