New play in search of actors
&
The plot has been written, the characters devised. Now all that’s needed are the actors to bring it all to life.
‘Man or Mouse’ is the new play by Dundalk writer Kieran Rogers which will be staged by the Aisteoir theatre group in An Táin Arts Centre next April.
The play is being directed by David M Kiely and open auditions are being held on Saturday afternoon at Anaverna House, Ravensdale.
‘It’s a drama set in the a fictional place in the west of Ireland,’ explains Kieran, who originally wrote it as a radio play.
He has now extended it and adapted it for the stage and is looking forward to seeing it brought to life.
The play tells the story of the ageing Tiernan O’Keefe who is mourning the death of his mother.
He’s the typical bachelor farmer, who was spoiled by his Mammy, and never had to worry about anything.
He is now struggling to cope, both emotionally and practically, and while he has a Polish housekeeper to look after the house, he still can’t come to terms with his mother’s death.
Matters are made worse when, to his dismay, his sleep is disturbed by strange noises in the attic.
As friends become increas- ingly concerned about his mental state, he summons the Parish Priest to perform an exorcism.
However, as Kieran explains, ‘He ultimately has confront his demons.’
Kieran describes the play as a dark comedy.
‘I like to combine comedy while making a serious point,’ says Kieran. ‘ We have become very serious in modern times with a sense of humour almost being seen as something dangerous, yet often, it’s a sense of humour that helps us cope with the difficult times in life.’
This is Kieran’s second play, following on from ‘ the Miserable Man’ which was also staged by Aisteoir and directed by David Kiely.
He published his first novel, ‘ To Tame A Mighty Tiger’, which deals with the issue of climate change four years ago and he is busy working on another project.
Meanwhile, he is looking forward to seeing his play take shape on stage.
‘For ‘Man or Mouse’ we need about twelve actors to play the parts of country folk, as well as a Parish Priest, a Polish housekeeper and a Polish handyman,’ says Kieran.
As the play is set in the west of Ireland, they are also looking for two Irish speakers.
‘I felt it was important to incorporate a bit of Irish into the play to make it more authentic as it’s set in the west Ireland, somewhere along the Atlantic coast from Kerry to Donegal. Irish is part of our history and culture, it’s what unites us.’
The open audition for ‘ Man or Mouse’ takes place on Saturday from 3pm to 5pm at Anaverna House. Rehearsals will also be held there over the coming months in preparation for the play being staged in An Táin Arts Centre next April.
Anyone who is interested in getting involved in the production should contact 085 7465865 or email aisteoir@mail.com