ArtsScape: Island Theatre company in Limerick is 15 years old this year, or, as artistic director Terry Devlin points out, seeing as the company was born on February 29th 1988, it's just three and three-quarter leap years old, writes Deirdre Falvey.
"We were very realistic when we set out," says Devlin, with the aim "to make a municipal theatre company that would be there long after its founders were gone, that would survive the personalities involved". Over the 15 years the company has produced more than 40 plays, which is quite an achievement - "well, some were and some weren't," says Devlin.
One of the highlights was Pigtown, Mike Finn's funny, fast-moving, and affecting portrait of Limerick, which has had 97 performances (and all but three got standing ovations). An atmospheric Hamlet in St Mary's Cathedral in 1995 involved "a 400-year-old play in a building 400 years older than the play". Devlin says they were glad not to have burnt it down - there was a lot of naked flame in the show. No doubt the church's community was glad, too - "it's a working church, and a marvellous place". The Tempest in 1993 was staged in another terrific setting, Kilmainham Gaol.
The company's home, thanks to the support of Limerick Civic Trust, is the deconsecrated church, St Munchen's, which is surrounded by an "active" graveyard. The church is in the oldest part of the city, the troubled Island Field area. These days there's a Garda helicopter hovering nearby, but all the notoriety makes "not a blind bit of difference to us. The city goes about its business as usual - the only difference is that because of the Emergency Response Unit, we can park safely."
Founded by Devlin, writer/actor Finn, actor John Murphy, Emer McNamara, Liam McCarthy, Gerry Meagher and Monica Spenser, Island was the first professional theatre company in Limerick. It has had the backing from the city council, Shannon Development and local business. "We get great support from the local community and we feel very much a part of the fabric of the city. We've played to nine people and to 900 - though we haven't played to nine people in a while!".
Some shows they weren't happy with got great reviews and sold out, while other shows were good, but reviewers missed the point, comments Devlin. One unnamed show from years ago they just call "the mistake".
But Island is in a celebratory mood and will mark the birthday, "in spite of the Arts Council cut in our funding, like everyone else". They're staging two rehearsed readings of plays-in-development next week: Where He Lies by John Barrett (Borrowed Robes) on Wednesday and Ellis Island by Mike Finn (Pigtown, The Quiet Moment) on Thursday (Hunt Museum, 8 p.m.).
The Quiet Moment, which premièred in November, returns in May (6th-10th), to the Concert Hall in UL, then tours till the end of June. They've changed summer plans for a production of Philadelphia Here I Come and are instead planning to stage a version of The Iliad, with Mike Finn writing and Paul Brennan directing. The change is for cost reasons, "trimming our sails" - a sign of the times with so many arts organisations: Philadelphia has a cast of 12, their Iliad a cast of two. Website: islandtheatrecompany.ie
Arts Council explains
The Arts Council has been in touch with clients by letter to, ahem, clarify, some of the changes taking place within, "and which are intended to improve our services to the arts sector, and to the Government". The restructuring of the council, which has long been signalled, and part of which involves its expansion in staff, is well under way.
The letter, which bears reading a second, and even third, time, discusses the division of the council into three new areas, separating the grant administration and artistic policy advice functions. The letter says the point of contact which many individuals and organisations have had with the council (theatre officer, the literature officer, the other various officers) is changing, and there will be a single point of contact for artists and arts organisations, while specialists will provide policy and expert advice.
Dance and opera officer Gaye Tanham is moving to "a cross-disciplinary developmental role in arts participation and education", according to the AC's press release, and it is looking for a part-time dance specialist. Following the departure of Sinead Mac Aodha, who was literature and Irish language arts officer, it is also looking for a literature specialist to act as adviser. (Tender deadlines due by March 28th. The AC website also has details for the arts programme manager positions for arts resource and service organisations, arts venues and arts production companies, as well as international arts development manager).
This is a major change in the way the council operates, and at face value looks rather complicated; a number of council clients have confessed bafflement about the letter and what it means. And clients of the council continue to be concerned about this reorganisation and the new jobs, in an environment when creative organisations have to curtail their work severely because of the Government's cut in arts funding.
The letter sent by the AC promises a special edition of Art Matters to explain the new structure, and says that John O'Kane (who will head the arts programme department, responsible for grants and services) "will write to you shortly to brief you on his vision for a differently structured relationship with the Arts Council".
Of course, an even bigger change is coming with the Minister's appointment of the new council in June - and the proposed reduction in the number of members. Who those appointments will be is critical for the publicly-funded arts sector. Website: www.artscouncil.ie
Different sort of cut
Can't be too careful. The Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (ASAI) has upheld a complaint about a leaflet promoting a production of Vapours at Draoícht in Blanchardstown. The leaflet featured a picture of a man cutting his arm with a knife, with blood streaming from the wound. The complainant considered it offensive, particularly as she had been given a leaflet while shopping with her six-year-old daughter in Blanchardstown centre. Vapours was a touring illusion and magic show which opened in Draoícht. The advertisers (Draoícht) failed to respond to the complaint and in the absence of a response, the ASAI upheld the complaint. The code of advertising standards, which requires that an ad contain nothing likely to cause grave or widespread offence, also provides that any unreasonable delay may be considered a breach of the code. So there.
And furthermore . . .
Des Keogh's The Love Hungry Farmer, a one-man show performed and adapted from the writings of John B. Keane, which just finished a run to packed houses at the Irish Repertory Theatre on New York's 22nd Street, will return to the theatre for another run in the autumn. The New York Times' critic Bruce Weber called it "a fiercely serious and bruisingly hilarious suicide note" and praised Keogh's "meticulously deadpan" performance and his "skill at gentle mimicry". Talk Broadway Radio Show said "you won't find a more incisive or hilarious demarcation of love and marriage anywhere else" and says that Keogh "plays to understated comic perfection" in a show that "speaks both of an era and simplicity long past" but "of yearnings that for mankind are as timeless (and timely) as ever".
The Association of Drama Adjudicators invites applications to an entry conference (May 10th and 11th) for membership of the Association of Drama Adjudicators. Application forms from The Secretary, Association of Drama Adjudicators, Edanmore, Courtown Harbour, Gorey, Co Wexford. Tel: 055-25124. Closing date: March 28th.
In celebration of the weekend that's in it, tomorrow's Songs of Praise (BBC, 4.55 p.m.) features St Patrick's Cathedral Choir and the Christchurch Cathedral Choir, while today St Patrick's and the Palestrina choirs take part in a joint service at the ProCathedral in Dublin.
St Patrick's is holding an open audition day on March 29th (10-4 p.m.), looking for potential, and they welcome parents getting in touch beforehand to explore the opportunities for a musical child. Peter Barley is organist and master of the choristers.
Address: 35a Upper Kevin Street, Dublin 8. Tel: 01-4539472. E-mail: peter.barley@stpatrickscathedral.ie
The première of Irish composer Tom Cullivan's Fifth Piano Sonata is on St Patrick's Day in Monte Carlo, presented by the Princess Grace Library as part of that day's celebrations in the principality.
Other living Irish composers' work being performed include James Wilson, John Kinsella and Declan Townsend.
The RDS National Crafts Exhibition, with a prize fund of €24,000, is open to amateur and professional craft designers in 19 categories from ceramics to glass to felting and blacksmithing.
Application forms from Maeve Cosgrove, RDS Arts Department, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Tel: 01-2407211.