Many Young Men of Twenty
CRATLOE’s All Ireland drama award winning group, Castlewood Players, has selected a John B Keane for its first show of 2010. Many Young Men of Twenty, based on the wrench of families and community, will be staged at Cratloe Community Hall on this Thursday 18, Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 and again on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 at 8pm.
Director Willie O’Leary takes up the thread: “It’s a story of emigration out of Ireland in the late ‘50s and how it affected people. There are some subplots as well such as the boyfriend of barmaid Peig leaving for England, and leaving her with a baby. Sort of a love triangle develops there, with other people coming into the pub”.
Castlewood Players chose the play for its large cast as much as its content as so many enjoyed the 2009 experience of staging scenes from Brian McMahon’s The Honeyspike. Impromptu music and song has been introduced to John B’s play to flesh out the stage, provide more parts and enhance the realism of life in the ‘local’.
1st time for Unforgiven
JOHN McDwyer’s comedy Unforgiven can been seen for the first time in the Mid West when Athea Drama Group stage the play. Con Colbert Community Hall, Athea is the venue, 8pm the appointed hour and the dates of production are February 18, 20, 21, 25, 27 and 28.
With a cast of four and crew of ten, producer Oliver McGrath and director Margaret Reidy have taken rehearsals over a five month lead-in time. Speaking from behind the scenes, Damien Ahern reports a story driven by the connection between two brothers PJ and Seamie, another, a death, and a tale of love and vengeance with close neighbour Mary.
Unforgiven is Irish playwright McDwyer’s third in the so-called Leitrim Trilogy, and is “a mad play about mad people content to live in their own madness”.
Joe O’Connor at Millstream
UL brought us news last week of the Mairead Dunleavy commemorative lecture on Wednesday February 24, to be given by Dr Claudia Kinmoth on Irish Farmhouse Interiors and Costumes, as depicted in 19thC paintings.
Set for The Foundation Building’s room FG-042 (concert hall centre) at 7pm, there is now an opportunity to enjoy a reading by Joseph O’Connor on the same campus on the same evening. At The Millstream Courtyard, Wednesday 24, 5.30pm, a wine reception precedes O’Connor’s choice of words and works from his catalogue of poetry, fiction and commentary.
