The stage is set for top drama season
COUNCILLOR George Lawlor launched award-winning Wexford Drama Group’s 2017/2018 season and opening play ‘The Man From Clare’ at a well-attended reception in T. Morris pub in Monck Street.
The bittersweet romantic comedy by John B Keane opened last week at Wexford Arts Centre and will continue this week at the same venue from Wednesday, August 23 to August 26 at 8 pm each night.
The play is about a Gaelic football star and fisherman who is facing life changes in the twilight of his career. Sport has left no room for women in his life but that changes during a team trip to Kerry for his final game.
Speaking at the launch, director Alan Corcoran described it is a beautiful classic J.B. Keane play that is rarely performed. He thanked the cast ‘for training harder than any football team’ for the production.
Drama Group chairperson Carol Long also spoke and said she is delighted to once again be directing the group’s Opera Festival production which this year is ‘Little Gem’ by Elaine Murphy, a modern Irish classic telling the story of three generations of Dublin women in one eventful year. Auditions for the production will be held soon.
Carol recently attended the Drama League of Ireland’s summer school in Limerick on a scholarship provided by Wexford County Council.
The group announced that it will compete on the Amateur Drama Circuit of Ireland in 2018, performing the modern American masterpiece ‘Proof ’ by David Auburn which will be directed by Paul Walsh. The Tony and Pulitzer awrd- winning play enjoyed amazing success on Broadway, running for three and a half years.
It follows Catherine, a 25-year old maths scholar who dropped out of college to care for her father Robert, a maths genius who developed premature dementia. It is the week of his funeral and her dominating sister Claire, flies in to encourage her to move with her to New York. Both women fear Catherine has inherited both her father’s genius and his illness.
Cllr. Lawlor said the Drama Group has lined up a season that has something for everyone and he thanked the members for their commitment to entertaining the people of Wexford.