Midland Arts and Culture Magazine - Register.ie

Athlone during festival week, withdaily reports of the goings-on at theDean Crowe going out on air aroundmid-day.Another important feature of thefestival is the post-performanceentertainment in the theatre bar.Here, performers, crew, committeeand patrons will gather and exchangeviews on the night’s production andlater render a song or two well intothe small hours.MEMORIESNo doubt, in such convivialsurroundings, conversations willwander down memory lane wherereminiscences of festivals past will beevoked: the feats of Strand Playersand Sundrive Players who jointly holdthe record for the most wins (4); theacting prowess of Kitty Norton, GraceBrophy and Victor Wheatley;producers of the calibre of TerenceO’Doherty and Una Parker; suchmemorable winning productions asListowel’s Sive, Moat Club’s Abelardand Heloise and Charlestown’sBuried Child; the conversations withJohn B Keane; the adjudications ofAlan Nicholl or the writtencommentaries of Des Rushe.Many will remember the old caravanin the theatre forecourt which servedas a box office, the odds offered on ablack-board outside P J Bannon’s‘Festival Bar’ or the glorioussplendour of the Esso Trophy.SIGNIFICANCEThe importance of amateur drama inlocal communities throughout Irelandis further exemplified by thecontinued association with thefestival by RTÉ, which has beeninvolved as main sponsor since2004.The high esteem with which thefestival is held among the widertheatre community is evidenced bythe generous invitation extended bythe Abbey Theatre to one of thefinalists at Athlone to perform theirplay at the Peacock for a short runduring the Summer.This feature was introduced last yearand the amateur drama movement isespecially grateful to Abbey directorFiach MacConghail and Chairman ofthe Abbey Board, Judge BryanMcMahon who were influential inbringing this about.LOOKING AHEADIn recent years, groups such as SilkenThomas Players, Cornmill TheatreCompany, Estuary Players andKilmeen Drama Group havepresented award winning productionsto an audience primed for indulgencein drama at its best, whether it isthrough the familiar territory of wellknown plays or through rarely seenground breaking exploits whichchallenge both performer andspectator. Having survived the trialsof the last six decades, whetherpolitical unrest or advances in digitalforms of entertainment, the dramafestival will continue, as in the past,to be the torch bearer for crossborder theatrical endeavour anddramatic achievement. MSUPPLEMENTARYINFORMATIONIn 1959 the festival moved fromthe Sportex Hall to its presentlocation at the then known DeanCrowe Memorial Hall. This was alsothe year when Esso became thefirst sponsors whereby theypresented a perpetual cup to thefestival which was known as theEsso Trophy.The first winners of the trophy werea group from Listowel, Co Kerrypresenting a play by a little knownbudding playwright by the nameof John B. Keane. The play wascalled Sive.The competition streamlined itselfinto the 3-Act Open Finals from1969 and remained in much thesame format as today with thenumber of finalists reduced in2004 from twelve to nine. In 1999,the hall underwent majorrenovation and refurbishmentopening its doors in 2000 as theDean Crowe Theatre and ArtsCentre, presenting a modern, fullyequippedvenue fit to bring thefestival into the 21st century.Kilmeen Drama Group, Champions 2011My Hometown- a photographic journey through the streets of BirrArtist Jackie Lynch recently launched a book abouther hometown of Birr having spent two yearswalking around the town photographing thestreetscape and each time noticing and capturingdetails she hadn’t seen before. Her book is acelebration of the craftspeople that made thisheritage town what it is today.Jackie had lived for a year in Xian, PR China and afurther six years in Kyoto, Japan and her work isheavily influenced by Asian aesthetics, in particularthe Japanese aesthetic of ‘wabisabisuki’ which canbe loosely translated as ‘the patina of old age’.Jackie has chosen to highlight the charm in a wornstep, a rusty gate, chipped paint and details that areenriched by the forces of nature and decay. Theshabby door is just as beautiful to her as the brightlypainted one because it has character that only timecan create.This book celebrates the uniqueness and goodcraftsmanship of Birr but it alsocelebrates the proud sense of place theartist has and the affection she has forthe town she is so familiar with. This isnot just Birr through an artist’s eyes; thisis Birr through treasured eyes capturingthe changing seasons and the spirit ofthe town.The book contains an introduction aboutBirr’s legacy by Caimin O Brien and athought-provoking conclusionrepresenting the future by RosalindFanning.Esso ceased its long associationwith the festival in 1999, makingway for Ericsson to become mainsponsors from 2000 to 2003. In2004 RTÉ stepped on board withthe festival getting majorprominence thanks to the facilitiesprovided by the nationalbroadcaster. MOnly 500 copies were printed and a few are stillavailable in The Organic Store, Birr, Birr Castle Shop,Birr Theatre and Arts Centre or directly from Jackie atwabisabisuki@yahoo.co.uk costing €25. M