Cradle of excellence at Shoestring Theatre
AS the members of Charleville’s Shoestring Theatre Company make the final preparations for the opening night of their latest production, John B. Keane’s ‘Many Young Men of Twenty’ at the Schoolyard Theatre on the 22nd of October, their long-time director, Kevin O’Shea was in reflective mood as he recalled the group’s achievements over the past 23 years.
“We have been competing at the top level in the Irish amateur drama movement over the years since we won the All-Ireland confined drama final in 1986,” Kevin said.
“Since then we have won drama festivals all over Ireland and competed in the open All-Ireland final in Athlone on fifteen occasions, finished in every position there except first, won best director, best actor awards, best supporting actor awards and best set. We won the Dundalk International Drama Festival and toured to San Francisco and Los Angeles, and won the prestigious Abbey Theatre Award,” he said.
Kevin is naturally chuffed that the Shoestring Company is seen as a cradle of excellence in drama circles with their policy of introducing young people to the stage, resulting in many of them choosing the theatre as career opportunities.
“We are delighted that we in the Shoestring helped these to cut their teeth in acting or stage management like Denis Foley, William Lyons, Mark Griffin, Beatrise Leikuka or Katie Holly, who made her debut as a playwright this year.
“The latest members of the Shoestring group to embark on the professional route are Serena Kennedy who has been accepted to pursue a course in Film and Theatre techniques at the prestigious Bow Street Academy in Dublin and Myriam Perron, who has won a stage management course at Trinity College also in Dublin.” said Kevin.
All the aforementioned got their grounding in stage craft working on the many productions directed by Kevin O’Shea.
The experience they gain from working in an environment in which professionalism is demanded in every facet of a production, is invaluable to them when they go on to do an interview for a place on the Trinity, the Abbey, UCC or Bow Street Academy film and theatre courses.
“He can be very demanding whether it be hanging the coat on the correct nail on the back of a door or in the delivery of a line or a phrase to get the exact meaning, or in making the right move at the right time on stage, but it is hugely exhilarating to work with him. The sense of achievement at the final curtain call is immense and the standing ovation makes everything worthwhile,” said one member of the cast speaking of Kevin.