Review: Dylan songs take new shape in stark, brittle ‘North Country’

Characters are often haunted by life in the chilling and unforgettable plays of Conor McPherson.

In “The Weir,” bruised souls cluster around a bar trading ghost stories to ward off the descending gloom. In the Tony-winning “Girl from the North Country,” downtrodden survivors of the Great Depression alternately cling to and rage against each other in small town 1934 Minnesota, occasionally breaking into song to dispel the blues.

Written and directed by the masterful Irish playwright (also known for “Shining City”)...