Dramasoc (UCD) Freshers' Festival 2009 by Gearoid O'Rourke

DRAMSOC DRAMSOC DRAMSOC DRAMSOC FRESHERS FRESHERS FRESHERS FRESHERS FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FESTIVAL

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“Magic beans? They are now.” Just another day at the office for our high performers.

we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing

Welcome to the – densely populated,

60’s-architectured,

urban-sprawled –

jungle.

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f these words are passing before your eyes then congratulations are in order! You have successfully ripped open your goody bag and are perusing its contents with all the precision of a post leavingcert, recession proof vulture. Are the sugary things that you are shoving into your face worth the €2 you paid? You’ve probably got an upset stomach from all the lollipops, popcorn and stinger bars you’ve eaten; what’s more you’re probably dizzy and have done well to escape all that is gaudy and garrulous, tawdry yet fabulous in the fresher’s tent. If you’ve succeeded in reading this far then further congratulations are in order. You’ve demonstrated

sufficient ability to walk out of this place with at least an M.A., if not in something useful like Business with Chinese at least in something interesting like English or Drama (our forte). Being the bright young things that you are (as yet untested by the opulent debauchery that is a student night in Burn Nightclub), you may have realised how different a place this whole ‘Collegething’ is. You may already have skipped your first lecture because bed, beer or blondes seemed more appealing. Maybe college will see you get laid or try your hand at more unusual ‘extracurricular’ activities, you might even stay here long enough to be a lecturer, or perhaps you’ll be signing on by Christmas. All’s fair

in life, love and ‘Higher Education’. Your time at UCD will likely take one of two routes ‘the profound’ (usually reserved for mature students), or ‘the profane’ - we shall leave this up to you. What we aim to do is lend a bit of a shelter, maybe some banter and definitely some help to guide you through the perils of Fresher’s week, if nothing else. What’s more, contained in this magazine are words and pictures that can give you an idea of some of the maybes that lie ahead of you if you decide to stick around Dramsoc… We hope to see you in an LG near us soon, Love,

Princess Sisi & Mat t eus Kellys t ein.

CONTENTS 9 ////////////

Auditor’s Address

10 //////////// Fresher’s Week Line-up / Workshops 16 //////////// Flagship show – Twelve Angry Men, 23rd-25th Sept 18 //////////// Fresher’s Projects 28th Sept – 2nd Oct 20 //////////// Fresher’s Play – An Ideal Husband, 5th-9th Oct 22. //////////// Fresher’s Co-Op – Professor Taranne, 12th-16th Oct 24 //////////// Dramsoc Dictionary 25 //////////// Dramsoc – How to guide 28 //////////// Auditions/Coming soon 30 //////////// King Lear 33 //////////// Experiences 36 //////////// Student Writing 38 //////////// Meet the Committee! 45 //////////// Theatre Guide 46 //////////// Thank yous a

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SePT 24 – OcT 11

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Manganiyar SeducTion Directed by Roysten Abel

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Gaiety Theatre Sept 24 – 27, €18-38 Robert Lepage/Ex Machina

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O’Reilly Theatre, Belvedere College

Oct 7 – 11, €25-35

See www.dublintheatrefestival.com for full details | Phone booking fee €2 per ticket. No booking fees on online bookings and when bought in person at the Festival Box Office.

ok... O

pen it! Quickly - No don’t. Just tear the...ok, no - yeah, quickly. The... the ribbon...and, the box. C’mon! Hurry up...Ok, so what do you think...? There’s nothing there!?! What do you...? Look at it! You still...? Look harder... There we go! That’s right. I know it looks rather empty at first. But then you...yeah. Ha. Great. You’re catching on. If you are still wondering what’s in the box, well let me tell you. If you have just joined Dramsoc, you can now call yourself the proud owner of your very own theatre. That’s right. It is the box. You own it. It’s yours. And the reason I said it looks a little empty is because, well, everyone thinks that at first! It has four black walls, a black floor, black roof...you get the picture...it doesn’t seem like much...that is, until you start to wonder...What could be there? Then you start to imagine... and suddenly, well, the emptiness is no longer a factor... Creativity. Imagination. Possibility. Play. These are just some of the words that spring to mind when

I think of the theatre. Dramsoc offers a unique opportunity to students to explore all of the above, stretch their creative muscles, let their imaginations roam free in & outside of the theatre, watch quality plays and finally, have a whole lot of fun in the process. No where else on campus can such a variety of creative outlets be found. No where else will you come across members who will speak as passionately about a society as ours do, or for as long...which is why I will try to keep this brief! Dramsoc is a special place. A place where stories are made and told. A place where creativity, diversity and individual potential are valued. A place where we can learn outside the realm of textbooks and note-taking. A place that bends to our imaginations. A place that never stays the same. And yet, a place where everyone can find a home. Welcome to the 83rd Session; to all our members, old and new. I look forward to seeing you all soon and watching you bring another Dramsoc year to life.

Nessa

Fresher’s Week Line-Up September 14th-18th All events FREE for all members!

Monday 7pm, The Importance of Being Earnest* Ernest Worthing has proposed to Miss Gwendolyn Fairfax, a woman entranced with the name Ernest. There’s only one small problem…his name isn’t really Ernest! At the same time, Ernest’s best friend, Algernon Moncrieff has decided to go “Bunburying” to the country on a quest for love - only to find much more than he had anticipated. With each of the men pretending to be someone they are not, who is the real Ernest, and where will the lying stop? Let the mayhem begin as Dramsoc brings Wilde’s most famous comedy to life just for you! Venue: Dramsoc Theatre, LG1, Newman Building (Arts Block) Directed by: Colm Kenny-Vaughan *Followed by a Wine Reception

Tuesday 3pm, Set wesign workshop: Where to start!?! In the world of theatre, a set has the power to take you through time (where we’re going we don’t need roads…), bring you in to the world of the play or even the mindsets of the characters themselves. From a simple park bench centre stage to a full replication of a country house in Leitrim, a set can add infinitely to a performance. However if done badly, it can distract you from the play itself. This is why set Design is such an important part in the process. How to design the set you want, communicating the ideas and general aesthetic of the play, while also, knowing it won’t fall on your head like a turtle thrown from ma plane. This workshop is aimed at both the new and the experienced to try and inspire ideas & held you on your set-designing way. Venue: Dramsoc Theatre, LG1, Newman Building (Arts Block) Led by: Gerard Bourke

7pm, Open Mic Night Hey you! No sorry the guy behind you, yeah that guy……only joking I’m talking to you. Do you have a hidden talent? Can you recite “The Fresh prince of Bel-Air” theme tune backwards perhaps?? Can you charm a goldfish through nostril flaring alone? Or are you maybe just amazing at being an audience member?? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should come along to our Open Mic Night. Come along and be entertained by the likes of the Comedy Soc, L&H, Jazz soc, Trad Soc, ELS and maybe join in yourself. Come down to the theatre this Tuesday at seven o clock and join in the fun and don’t worry we’ll supply the rotten fruit at the door. You’re laughing but I’m deadly serious. Venue: Dramsoc Theatre, LG1, Newman Building (Arts Block) With: Comedy Soc, L&H, Trad Soc, Jazz Soc, E.L.S. & more…

Wednesday 3pm, ‘Stage combat & fighting workshop.’ a.k.a. The fine art of simulated shit-kickings With our Special Recipe Combat Workshop, you can learn from the masters of phantom fighting, and you too can look like a thinner Steven Seagal on stage, film or the Mean Streets! For the small charge of nothing, you can learn how to beat seven shades of bejaysus out of your friends and enemies without the risk of criminal charges. Be the talk of XXI’s when you and your girlfriends start pulling each others hair out on the dance floor! Be the marvel of Tripod as you and your best friend get in to a violent punch-up in the smoking area! Be immortalised as a rebel as you and your loved ones get slap happy in Tesco’s! In the realm of Stage Combat, there are no rules….only don’t hurt us – please. Venue: The Blue Room, Student Centre Led by: Paul Bourke of the Gaiety School of Acting

7pm, The Ladder & The Moon

Playing with the concepts of imagination and childhood, The Ladder & The Moon is a devised piece, first performed for a less than sold out audience in the dark recesses of the Dramsoc Theatre in March. Since then it has literally im/exploded in popularity, being hailed as the feel good piece of the year and travelling as far off as Limerick. Set in a dark attic, the play follows three very different children as they set out on fantastical voyages that stretch theirs, and the audiences, imaginations. Funny and poignant, the piece could be considered a comedy, romance, action, sci-fi, all of these…or none of these. We leave it up to you… Audience members, upon exiting, have been heard to describe themselves as “happier than a small child eating a happy meal while watching Wall-E on DVD.” Venue: Dramsoc Theatre, LG1, Newman Building (Arts Block) Devised by: Eoghan Carrick, Nessa Matthews & Ian Toner

Thursday 4.30pm, Improv. Workshop: Come Play!

Have you ever been in a situation where you were stuck for words? Found yourself in a slagging match and lost due to overuse of the phrase “yo’ mamma!”? If the answer to these questions is yes; then come on down to our Improv workshop. Remember those games you used to play when you were younger? The ones where you kept changing the rules as you went along because you didn’t like it when the others started winning…well, that’s sort of like Improv. The rules keep changing and you have fun trying to keep up! This workshop is aimed at complete beginners so don’t be shy. It’s all about breaking down the twat barrier and being a kid again….sounds like fun? That’s cos it is. Come play! Venue: The Blue Room, UCD Student Centre Led By: Donal Courtney of the Gaiety School of Acting

7pm, Dramsoc & L&H presents: ‘Never Mind the News I have For You’ So have you ever seen “Never mind the Buzzcocks” presented by Simon Amstell? Perhaps you’re a fan of Dara O’Briain and “Have I Got News for You”. Now imagine if in one drunken night the pair met up and had a senseless fling resulting in a bastard child that once by the name of Quasimodo. Never Mind the News I have for you is that child. Come witness the L&H and Dramsoc duke it out in a battle of comedic wits in the Astra hall this Thursday at Seven O’Clock. It’s going to be so much fun, my mum will be there. Venue: Astra Hall, UCD Student Centre Speakers: Conor McKenna (of Foil, Arms & Hog), Conor McAndrew & more

Friday 3pm, Fresher’s Welcome, Looking for a way to cure that hangover? Then pop on down to the theatre this Friday from 3pm and join in as Dramsoc transforms its theatre in to your very own haven, away from the madness of university life, with home baked goodies, movies, Giant Jenga, Giant Twister & more…Think body and soul at Electric Picnic meets UCD and you get the picture. Venue: Dramsoc Theatre, LG1, Newman Building (Arts Block)

8pm, Forum Friday’s Begin! Come join us in the Forum as we re-initiate the long tradition of Forum Friday followed by an overdue trip to (insert relevant bar name here).

Upcoming workshops Week of 21st-25th:

Week of Oct 12th-16th:

'Voice Technique for Stage: The Actor's Most Powerful Weapon!' with Actor Training Ireland, at 3pm,

Mon 12th: 'Direction: YOU can be a successful director' with Norman McCausland at 3pm in the Theatre

Week of Sep 28th-Oct 2nd:

Week of Nov 2nd-6th:

Wed 30th September: 'Set Design' with Aoife O'Donoghue of Cyebo Theatre at 3pm

Wed 4th Nov: 'Audition Technique: How to GET that audition!' with Kerrie Lindsay at 3pm in the Blue Room

Week of Oct 5th-9th:

Week of Nov 9th-13th:

'Basic lighting techniques and lighting design' with Sinead McKenna at 3pm in the Theatre (Exact date TBA)

Fri 13th Nov: 'RADA/LAMDA Mock Exam' with Orla Dunne of Team Theatre, at 3pm in the Blue Room.

ACCESS ALL ABBEY

THE START OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP... Students or Under-26* with a passion for action? Join the Abbey Theatre’s Access All Abbey scheme For just €10 you will receive: * Half price tickets for Abbey stage previews * Discounted tickets for other Abbey Theatre productions on the Abbey and Peacock stages * Priority booking period * Free access to The Abbey Talks To join up or find out more visit www.abbeytheatre.ie, call into Box Office or phone 01 879 7224. (*Proof of entitlement will be required.) Subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply.

www.abbeytheatre.ie

ANGRY

MEN T

? FL AGSHIP

SHOW

o get the ball rolling every year Dramsoc stages a run of what it calls its Flagship show. This is one of the exemplary productions from the previous year, and showcases the talents of the society to new and prospective members. And what’s more, it’s absolutely free!!! This year’s Flagship is “Twelve Angry Men,” written by Reginald Rose and directed by James McNulty & Elizabeth Chappell. “One man is dead. Another man’s life is at stake…” In a claustrophobic, sweltering

23rd-25th September Time: 7pm Price: FREE! Venue: Dramsoc Theatre, LG1, Newman Building (Arts Block) Directed by: James McNulty & Elizabeth Chappell. Cast: Stuart Pollock, Sean Egan, Finbarr Doyle, Peter Meighan, Colm Mahon, Paul Fleming, Stephen Murray, Stephen Lowry, James McNulty, Conor McKenna, Mattthew Kelly, Colm Kenny-Vaughan & Carole Quigley. Note: Friday’s performance to be followed by a wine reception.

jury room twelve jurors will decide the verdict – and the fate of a young Hispanic boy accused of murdering his father. Eleven jurors are convinced he is guilty. The twelfth, however, has a reasonable doubt. What begins as an open and shut case of first degree murder soon becomes a struggle for truth exposing not only the “facts” of the case, but also the preconceptions and prejudices of these twelve men about the trial, the accused and each other.

We are very pleased to bring this production back for another run down in the LG’s after its successes at the Irish Student Drama Awards, at which it scooped up awards for Best Ensemble, Best Costumes and Make-up, Best Supporting Actor and nominations for Best Actor (by two), Best Director and Best Overall Production. The cast and crew are delighted to bring the show back for another run and hope you enjoy it as much as they enjoyed bringing the production to life.

THE FRESHERS PROJECT

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28th Sept 2nd October Time: 1pm & 7pm daily Venue: Dramsoc Theatre, LG1, Newman Building (Arts Block) Price: €2.50 (1pm), €3.00 (7pm) for members. (Check out the How to Sections, Audition Pages, Website (www.ucddramsoc.com), Dramsoc Notice Board & Fresher’s Stand on how to get involved!!!)

he Freshers Project is a simple, beautiful idea. Take 1 script, 5 different directors, casts & crews and watch as they perform 5 completely different (and often madcap versions) of the same masterpiece. I know what you’re thinking… it’s a lot of 5s. And you’d be right that (with one week to prepare) it’s a little bit crazy and intense… ly fun!!! But as they say, the line between genius and madness is ever so thin...and who are we to shy away!!? Watch as the directors try to outdo one another with increasingly quirky changes to the script. Watch as the actors try to follow their director’s vision and sometimes ridiculous whims. Watch as the

writer weeps softly to themselves in the corner... “sniff, my script, my beautiful script…sniff, sniff, sniff…” et cetera, et cetera. The only thing that you can be sure of in a Project is that whatever your involvement - be it backstage, on stage, directing or just enjoying the show – you are in for one serious amount of fun. It is also exclusively for Fresher’s. So if you are feeling a bit shy, just remember that everyone else is in the same boat! If you have an interest in acting, costume, make-up, tech, production, stage managing, having a good time, the list goes on…this is exactly the place for you. So what are you waiting for? Come on down and get involved! You won’t regret it.

n 5th century Athens, they had the annual Dionysia, where locals got to see the great works by Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes. In England in the 17th century they had Christopher Marlowe who faked his death and, under the assumed name of William Shakespeare gave the world Macbeth, Hamlet and The Tempest. In modern times we have….drum roll please…the Fresher’s Play! This year’s play is “An Ideal Husband” by Oscar Wilde, directed by Jason Armstrong and Fiachra MacNamara. Sir Robert Chiltern is a rising young politician, hotly tipped for high office. He has everything a successful public figure could possibly need: an impeccable reputation, a private income, a loyal wife - and a dirty little secret… His friend, the uninspired but utterly charming, Lord Arthur Goring’s life is one of lounging, flirting with Mabel, Chiltern’s sister, and avoid-

ing his father’s insistence that he should marry. Enter Mrs. Cheveley. As blackmail and hilarity ensue, watch as the plot twists and turns and is brought uproariously to its end, in this, one of Wilde’s most raucous and ultimately poignant of comedies. Just like the Fresher’s Project, the Fresher’s Play is reserved entirely for first timers. And with an extra week to put the show together, you’ll find it doesn’t happen at such a break neck speed as the Projects and therefore, gives you a bit more time to polish your newly acquired skills! That much said, we give no guarantees that a door won’t fall down mid-performance…or the actors won’t be improvising Wildeesque wit like there’s no tomorrow…But hey, that just adds to the fun! It’s a big production with a big cast and a great way to meet fellow freshers as you sink your teeth into your first five day run down in Dramsoc…which we hope will be the first of many!

AN IDEAL HUSBAND

? FRESHERS'

PL AY

5th-9th October Time: 7pm Price: â&#x201A;Ź3.00 for members Venue: Dramsoc Theatre, LG1, Newman Building (Arts Block) Directed by: Jason Armstrong & Fiachra MacNamara

? FRESHERS'

CO-OP

PROFESSOR TARANNE 22

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12th-16th October Time: 7pm Price: €3.00 for members. Venue: Dramsoc Theatre, LG1, Newman Building (Arts Block) Directed by: Gerard Adlum

ver seen a grown man naked? Don’t worry about that for now, we’ll come back to it later. In Dramsoc parlance, the term “CoOp” has fewer connections with the agricultural support network established by Sir Horace Plunkett in the late 1880s than the history buffs amongst you might think… For us, (by “us” I mean the wider Dramsoc community, of which you may now consider yourself a cherished member. Aw, happyface) the Co-Op is a chance for Freshpeople (political correctness has gone too far) to play (yes, PLAY!) alongside more experienced/stale members of said community. The idea is simple enough; an eager cast comprised in equal numbers of newbies and oldies puts on a fun, challenging, and rewarding show. Basically, we’ll try to show you the ropes! Dramsoc is, of course, world famous for its collection of ropes,

some of which date from the Renaissance period. You can tell by the use of perspective. Up until that point ropes were merely 2-dimensional representations of climbing/ pulling/securing devices. This year’s Co-Op is “Professor Taranne” by Arthur Adamov. Don’t worry, no-one else has heard of it either! It centres around a celebrated professor who finds himself in a police station accused of indecent exposure, unable to work out why he keeps taking his clothes off. It’s a silly, unpredictable comedy with 14 acting parts (which we need YOU to help fill), as well as the opportunity to get involved in set design/ construction, lighting and prostups, all wrapped up in a welcoming environment. Auditions will run all throughout Fresher’s Week, with more precise details to be found at the stall in the Fresher’s Tent. Please see below for a banana.

Dictionary break-a-leg / Idiom.

If someone says “break a leg” just before you do a show, they aren’t wishing harm upon you, but merely wishing you good luck. The origin of this imperative to a performer about to go onstage is unclear; it may have been a translation of the German Hals und Beinbruch (“Break your neck and leg”), also of unknown origin. Equally mysterious is the Italian equivalent, In bocca di lupe, “Into the mouth of the wolf.” Hmmmm...Rule of thumb, anything that sounds masochistic, is exactly the opposite. Yup.

black box / noun.

The theatre in Dramsoc is known as a black box. There’s not much to this really. It has four walls, a floor and a roof… and it’s all painted black. Easy-peesy lemon-squeezy! It’s sorta like that cardboard box you got for Christmas and preferred to the present inside; after the obvious - it’s whatever you want it to be.

harold pinter / noun.

Pinter was an innovative English playwright whose plays employed sparse language and menacing sinister silence and tension. He is the favourite name to drop in Dramsoc so begin using is name in conversations whether appropriate or not.

random score / noun. verb.

To score in this context means to engage in some degree of preliminary sexual contact. Random means outside the tribe coz we do like to keep it in the family as much as possible!

fresher / noun. adj. fresher – fresh-er – fresh-est Fresher is a word that has appeared a lot in this publication. The Oxford English Dictionary defines Fresher as a comparative term that means more fresh eg. This loaf of bread is fresher than that one. Says it all really.

123 456 STEPS TO789 GETTING DRAMSOC ...10 INVOLVED IN

ost people come down to Dramsoc because they want to be actors, but the biggest myth about Dramsoc is that that is all there is to it. Dramsoc is the hardest working and most creative society on campus and as such, offers its members a wide range of opportunities to get involved. Here are just a few… WORKSHOPS: Workshops are one of the best ways to both meet new people and learn a lot of really cool stuff. Throughout the year we’ll have professionals of all disciplines coming down to pass on what they know to to you. Workshops are a great way to discover your talents whilst making new friends. The lovely and alliterative Laura Linehan is our workshops manager and she’ll be keeping the notice-board and your inboxes updated with all the latest news. If you have any ideas or workshops you would like to do, please contact Laura at workshops@ucddramsoc.com and she’ll get on it. Check out the workshops

page in this magazine for all she’s got lined up for you so far! It promises to be oodles of fun! PRODUCTION: “If you build it, they will come...” Mark and Jack, our production managers, each saw Field of Dreams when they were younger and it affected them profoundly. The beauty of the black box theatre is its versatility. If you can imagine it, you can create it in this space and these two devastating gentlemen have the tools to do it. Besides, there’s no better way to shake off a hangover than by doing a spot of painting or a spell with the jigsaw. TECH: This year’s tech manager is the enigmatic, if somewhat misanthropic invertebrate Keith Madden. The tech department is vital to the visual and atmospheric aesthetic of a show and if done well, can make even us awful actors look pretty cool. Most importantly however tech is responsible for the “mood” of a piece and can illuminate every situation through various angles, colours, speeds and sounds to achieve different effects. So if you’re a designer, or have an eye for visuals this is the department for you. PROST-UPS: As glamorous and beautiful as they are friendly, Julie O’Leary and Aisling Smith are the people to get in touch with if you’re interested in doing props, costumes and/or makeup. This is another vital department in terms of the aesthetic of the show and is responsible for dressing the set and actors appropriately, particularly if it is a period piece or requires special effects such as ageing, wounds or mutant zombies (yes we have them in the theatre too.) So if you’re “born with it” or know that you’re “worth it” let either of the two lovely ladies know. POSTERING AND PUBLICITY: By this stage, you will have noticed that, without the various posters littered around campus, UCD would bear a striking resemblance to 1960s East Berlin. So in order to bring a little life to UCD we design all of our posters ourselves!! If you dabble in Photoshop, or would like to learn about publicity, or you’d just like to help stick up a few posters, the man to talk to is our irrepressible, inimitable and devastatingly charming Public Relations Officer, Stuart Pollock. PRODUCING: The producer has to be the most responsible member of the production team. For it’s their job to make sure everyone else is doing their job. Whether this means hauling the director out of a drink induced coma at 3am or inform-

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ing the set designer of the difficulties of re-creating the Titanic set in a black box theatre, the producer has their finger in every pie. What may seem like a taxing workload is most often, however, an incredibly rewarding experience as the producer learns so much more about every little detail that contributes to a Dramsoc show. If you feel up for the task, the indomitable yet disarmingly sweet Sarah Costigan is the one to talk to. She actually came up with the line “With great power comes great responsibility” but of course, the Spiderman movies are reaping all the rewards… STAGE MANAGING: Sarah will also be able to help you out if you want to be a stage manager. This is a great supervisory role, responsible for putting every prop is in its place, preparing the tech people for their cues, and dragging the actors out of the bar five minutes before the curtain. EVENTS: You may think that we’d all be exhausted after two shows every week for the entire year but, somehow, despite warnings from various physiotherapists and heart surgeons, the plays are only a fraction of what we do. Enda Reilly, our Events Manager, is responsible for funnelling us all into the Forum Bar and then (insert cheap bar here) afterwards every Friday night. On top of this we have the annual black tie Swing Ball, (not a back garden tennis game), a Halloween extravaganza and a Christmas party, amongst others. Attendance at any of these is mandatory and if you want to help organising them Enda won’t bite…much. ACTING: If you are already familiar with the indescribable thrill that acting can be you can skip this section. If you are not there are only two words I can say to you: COME PLAY… DIRECTING: Maybe you have an idea for a particular script. Maybe you saw a play once, thought it was brilliant and would love to put one on, or maybe it was crap and you know you can do much better. If so then you are a director. Directors are the strangest of animals on the Dramsoc Serengeti. Elusive, solitary and perpetually haggard, they are usually seen hunting auditionees across campus or picking at the carcass of a bad actor. Yet these are also some of our most beautiful animals. They create the shows that we lap up every week. They provide us with our theatrical sustenance, and, for a brief period every week, make all of our lives just that little bit brighter.

Freshers Project 17th September, Thursday 10am- 6pm

Fresher’s Play An Ideal Husabnd 15th September, Tuesday, 4pm-6pm 18th September, Friday, 2pm-5pm

Fresher’s Co-Op Professor Taranne Check out details at Fresher’s Stand during Fresher’s Week.

Our Town 21st September, Monday, 12pm-5pm -22nd September, Tuesday, 4pm-7pm

Glengarry Glen Ross 21st September, Monday, 12pm-6pm 22nd September, Tuesday, 1pm-6pm Coming soon:

King Lear & much more…

Check our www.ucddramsoc.com & our noticeboard for further details.

560 PERFORMANCES

436 PERFORMERS 130 LIVE EVENTS

22 VISUAL ARTISTS

7 EXHIBITIONS

3 SPACES

1 VENUE

PROJECT ARTS CENTRE DUBLIN’S ALTERNATIVE ARTS VENUE GET € 10 STUDENT TICKETS FOR MONDAY & TUESDAY NIGHT PERFORMANCES WITH YOUR UCD DRAMSOC CARD

WWW.PROJECTARTSCENTRE.IE

King Lear E

very year in recent memory, Dramsoc has performed the Leaving Cert Shakespeare show. It gives us the chance to try our hand at Shakespeare, and gives students the chance to miss a few classes, and hopefully see the text come to life beyond the realm of reaming off quotes. This year, it’s the turn of King Lear, a thoroughly cheerful play about a very grumpy old man who has a great relationship with his daughters until they decide to take in a stray St Bernard (spot the fake bit). King Lear is one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies (the St. Bernard dies) but despite this, it’s seriously fun and always needs plenty of bodies to help out. Taking place just before the second se-

mester the production is a marvel of organisation, calling on the resources and commitment of every member of Dramsoc. So if acting’s not your thing, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in every other aspect of the production. That being said, the show is an actor’s dream. Apart from the infamous title role, it showcases one of Shakespeare’s most enigmatic villains, Edmund, the noble Kent and Edgar, the unfortunate Gloucester (who gets his eyes gouged out) and three strong and challenging roles for women; Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. Definitely an opportunity to flex those board-treading muscles. The show will take place in the middle of January and there will be auditions at the start of the first semester, so keep your eyes

When we are born we cry that we are come to this stage of fools peeled (apologies for the pun). This is one of Dramsoc’s biggest and most challenging events of the year. It takes place in Astra Hall in the Student Centre and will be seen by over 3,000 audience members, from Leaving Cert students right up to theatre professionals. Due to its sheer size and particular location, innovation and creativity are demanded in every facet of the production. Thus, people with big imaginations have plenty to sink their teeth into. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to help out designing and constructing the set, designing and hanging the lights, creating and applying a particwular make-up design or stage managing this huge show. The end product is without a doubt a distinctive and polished production that exhibits

all the individual talents of the members working in tandem with each other. Plus to add the cherry to the already sizeable and gooey chocolate cake (mmmm…caaake), and to round up the festivities, there’s a wine reception and a wrap party to rival any night out on campus. Woo!

Coming soon Keep your eye out for more information on a new project this year, the Dramsoc School Tour. The Leaving Cert’s looking for adventure. It’s heading on the highway. It’s….going to be great!

L t a f

Letters from the past about the future

etters from he past bout the uture

irst thing’s first, get down to the art’s block & down into the basement where the trap pool hall is. Just down the corridor, there is a theatre that is purpose-built for students to act, write, light, direct, design, drink, socialise, live & learn. In my experience, there is only one thing i think of when i think of college – not my time “studying” law but ucd dramsoc; where i made the best friends, drank an awful lot, danced, laughed, loved & did a fuckload of plays. If i were to give advice it is this – Do plays! Why? Why? Because – it’ll improve your confidence in public speaking, aid your memory, broaden your literature intake, make you friends & will get you seriously drunk &/or laid (not a guarantee). You are in 1st year. This is the one year where grades don’t contribute to your overall degree so don’t fret if you’re worried about balancing work and plays (see what i did there?). I acted in 10 plays

& directed one in my first year & i have a fancy law degree (it’s fuckin’ useless). You have no excuse! See plays! If you don’t wanna be involved, that’s cool, but please do come & see our shows! We put them on for the college community (that’s you) & audiences make it all worthwhile; plus, it’s far far cheaper than any theatre you’ll see in the city. It’s also cheaper than a film ticket, & i guarantee you any dramsoc show you see will be better than transformers 2 (seriously, what the fuck was that?). We’re talkin’ rise of cobra standards here, people. Party! Even if you don’t do or see plays, join us for our halloween & christmas parties, or every friday night in the forum bar. Plus – the swing ball where we get dressed up, but just as drunk. Do create some memories, and drunkenly erase them! Dramsoc! Woooo!

Finbarr Doyle

Law graduate, live liver

Letters from the past about the future

etters from he past bout the uture

elcome to dramsoc! The first rule of dramsoc is: you do not talk about dramsoc. The second rule of dramsoc is: you do not talk abo… oh wait… the second rule is… the second rule is actually no smoking… Brownie points to the first fresher who tells me what that references. Anyway, i’ve been commissioned to write a thing about what dramsoc means to me, in order to impart sage advice and wisdom to the new batch of chillens. That and i get to see me name in print! So, yeah. Dramsoc. It’s pretty groovy. I remember the days when i didn’t know what prost-ups meant, or what the difference between a cantata and a birdie was. But that’s all changed now. Dramsoc seeps into your life and takes control so that you end up quoting pinter and laughing at your own jokes and not going to lectures and failing your

degree and ending up doing telesales for a double-glazing company in slough. But you do a bit of an aul play here and there so that’s good craic. (Editor’s note: dramsoctm will not be held responsible for any educational failings, as a result (if not directly) of having too much damn fun.) But in all semi-seriousness, dramsoc has been like a family to me for the past two years. I was a tiny fresher once upon a time, just like you guys are. Terrified of going down to the murky mire that is lg1, uncertain whether it would really be a good idea to go over and pick up an audition piece and take the plunge. But you know what? I’ve never regretted doing it. The people i’ve met have changed my life. Everyone is there to help and encourage everyone else. I’ve learnt so much about theatre and people’s eating habits and how stuart pollock prefers a tight-legged cotton pant as opposed to the

boxer; valuable information that’s going to serve you well in later life. Dramsoc is an effin’ brilliant place full of effin’ brilliant people. So if you ever feel crap or if you really don’t want to go to the library and do that essay that you just know is in for tomorrow and is worth 75% of your grade and it’s for that tutorial that you never went to because the weird goth chick in the corner with the lanky hair and weird fetish boots/brightly coloured, “funky”, striped socks combo keeps on looking at you and argues really loudly with the tutor about how everything’s a

conspiracy and always manages to reference the ufo magazine that she edits; even though the poor tutor’s actually trying to discuss poststructuralist theory – then you can always bet that there’s someone in the dramsoc office, eating soup and hilariously quoting dylan moran to take your mind off things. But yeah. This is dramsoc. Welcome. Hope you have fun. Do plays. Help out. Make friends. Get pissed. Act like a tit. Win awards. That’s the dramsoc way. Peace out.

Pat ricia Malpas (Paddy-jo)

student student student student S

o, you want to be a writer? Or maybe you’re not sure…maybe all you know is that every so often you like nothing but a good scribble or just have an abundance of ideas floating about in that head of yours. If any of this is true, then Dramsoc is the place for you. We feel very passionately about Student Writing and giving students (and staff!) opportunities to talk about, learn about and engage in original work; in all its guises. Be it originally written material, devised, sculpted, created, drama, prose or poetry – whatever you want to call it – Dramsoc wants to hear from you and provide a platform to get your work seen & heard. In the year ahead, we will have three initiatives aimed purely for those with an interest in writing. These are….

The Dramsoc Fringe Festival Fringe Theatre is absolutely anything you want it to be – stand-up comedy, dance, physical theatre, poetry, puppetry, eating monster munch while listening to Slayer and jogging on the spot. If you want to perform then do it – you can be guaranteed there will be no holds barred. Jump aboard as Dramsoc, Comedy Soc, Jazz Soc, ELS, Film Soc and more join forces to give you a festival like no other in UCD. We are taking submissions NOW so email auditor@ucddramsoc.com on how to apply. Flip the Script An exciting new venture in Dramsoc! Do you love writing but never seem to be able to take the plunge? Or stick to one idea? If so, Flip the Script is just the thing for

writing writing writing writing you. Flip the Script consists of getting a group of like-minded (or not) individuals together as a sort of writing support group if you will. These people will then get a series of conditions…for example: you must write a play that includes two chairs on stage, one female character, based on the imagination etc etc… you get the idea. Vague enough for creative freedom but clear enough to give you a structure for starting. This group will then meet weekly and the meetings will be led by Dramsoc Alumni and professional writers to boot. In the end, we will have a showcase evening, where every person performs a bit of their script. The five best will then go on to battle it out in the Fringe where the audience will vote on their favourite which will then get an automatic slot in the second semester!

Gives you a chance to stretch those creative muscles in a supportive environment where you can fully, and more comfortably, realise your potential.

New Student Writers Week If you fancy yourself as the next Beckett or Brecht, then the second semester will give you the chance to road test your new scripts. By this stage, we feel that our members will have had a chance to work on their pieces and will feel more confident about presenting them in a more formal capacity. The idea is…we get professional writers to come to the festival and give feedback on your work. Offering an invaluable opportunity to any writer to get advice from those who’ve been there…and also, getting it seen by the campus at large. Not too shabby eh?

The Committee38

Nessa Matthews: Auditor a.k.a. Dad Where to begin? Nessa started acting in the womb where she pretended to be a boy. So convinced were the doctors by her sonogram acting that they honestly thought a wizard had cast some spell or that she was some sort of demon. Many since then have had similar suspicions. She got her first standing ovation right there in that operating theatre. From operating theatre to theatre was an easy step for this childhood star and her rise to fame was meteoric. But being famous soon turned to being infamous thanks to the Helsinki episode of ’64. You all know how that one turned out…She went off the radar for a while and is now finally trying to redeem herself here in Dramsoc. And I can tell you, it’s going really well. She’s in talks with several studios to do a feature on her life. Naturally Helsinki wants no part in such a film.

Paul Fox: Treasurer a.k.a. Mr. Monopoly Recession or not this is the man we look to to find us money. Think of him as a Robin Hood type figure, except instead of robbing from the rich he merely asks UCD. And instead of giving to the poor he signs it over to Dramsoc. Instead of outlawed gangs and raids with swords he uses letters and the phone. Instead of green tunics and robes he wears dark hoodies and jeans. Instead of dashingly dreamy and attractive he is…now we’re just getting personal. He is the giver of money. He is Mr. Monopoly. He is the fantastic Mr. Fox.

Colm Kenny-Vaughan: Secretary a.k.a. Cheshire Cat Some men are born secretaries, some men achieve secretariness, and some have it thrust upon them. CKV was a little bit of all three. He was born in an office and immediately began answering phones. After a very brief stint in childhood he went on to study secretarianism and was made secretary of the secretarian society. Finally he came to Dramsoc and having just overthrown a tyrant’s two year reign, we forced CKV to take the job. He has many duties; change the bins…

Stuart Pollock: Public Relations Officer a.k.a. The Schmooze/Birthday Boy Man is a lover not a fighter, but he’s also a fighter so don’t get any ideas. Stuart has recently come out of a lengthy and complicated relationship. It ended badly. He may be vulnerable and confused but someday soon we all hope that Stuart can get over the treachery of his first love; musicals. With the help of Dramsoc and that of his idol, AC Slater, I’m sure he’ll be just fine. In the meantime, he runs PRO better than any emotionally disturbed man ever could. Look for him as he flies in the PROcopter around UCD.

Sarah Costigan: Theatre Manager a.k.a. Lieutenant Poppins If we here at Dramsoc had a governor it would probably be Sarah. She owns, runs, cleans, operates and controls our theatre. It’s her job to ensure that it doesn’t burn down and despite many attempts that hasn’t happened in recent years. Going one step further with the governor analogy she is

much like Arnold Schwarzenegger in that she is both good and evil. She is lovely and helpful and heroic like in Terminator 2. But if you cross her she reverts back to Terminator 1. It’s simple; follow the rules, control the amount of fun and we have a happy killer robot in Dramsoc. And just so we’re all clear there have only ever been two Terminator movies. That’s what I know, that’s what Sarah knows, and you better believe that’s what Dramsoc knows.

Mark O’Brien & Jack O’Connor: Production Managers a.k.a Max Power & LumberJack There was once a man so charismatic he scared the rulers. There was once a man so bold and masculine that he terrified the establishment. There was once a man so smooth and sexy that he petrified the monarchy itself. That man was James Bond. And so it was decided that for the safety of the world itself he should be separated into two different people. On that day Mark and Jack were born. Mark retained the soft sophisticated cunning and Jack, well, he gets the ladies. Together these men are unstoppable. No-one builds sets like these two. For proof just ask for any of their previous works. From Set with Love. The Man with the Golden Set. You only Set Once. And who could forget Set Royale.

Colm Mahon: External Shows Officer & ISDA Rep a.k.a Mum His name alone strikes terror into the hearts of all in Dramsoc. He is the spirit. Many people do not even believe he exists yet still they know to fear him. He is the protagonist. Rumours of his exploits are hastily whispered around fires. He is the Mexican. If people were to ask what it is he does, they might be told he spreads the word of Dramsoc’s glory to other colleges and beyond. Or they might be killed. He is everywhere. He sees all. He hears all. He knows all. Do not cross him. Do not look at him. Do not approach him. For he is…Mum!

Keith Madden: Tech Manager a.k.a. Flash – aa-ah! Of all people in Dramsoc that you may need to know surely Keith “the God of Fire” Madden is top of the list. The man found a way to cross the centuries from ancient Greece and bring light to Dramsoc. From his home in the Mount Olympus of LG1 he can control the sun, he can bring the rain, he can even summon thunder and lightning as he sees fit. Keith is the all-powerful demi-god of Dramsoc. We are all at his mercy, for few know the eternal secrets of tech. If it’s power ye seek, tech is where you shall find it, but beware, there is only one lord of the tech and he does not share power.

Enda Reilly: Events Manager a.k.a. Boy Wonder Do not underestimate this man. He may look like a mere boy but what boy could do as he has done? What boy could achieve what he has achieved? What boy could overcome what he has overcome? For Enda, dear friends, has ridden with the Dark Knight, has fought with the caped crusader, has been sexually confused with the one we call Batman. Yes you read correctly. Upon him we bestow the noble task of organising our events and he can be depended on as much as any hero of old. In Enda we trust.

Laura Linehan: Workshops Manager a.k.a. Happy Feet Laura is a girl who fell down the rabbit hole last year and ended up in the wonderful land of Dramsoc. She has seen many sights to delight and amaze her eyes since then. Laura has grown to love this place as a second home. Where once she gazed with incomprehension at the strange goings-on around her, she now embraces them with open, somewhat penguin shaped arms. Her other loves include hiking, long walks on the beach and fĂźssball. She is the teacher of Dramsoc and what she teaches she preachesâ&#x20AC;Śor just gets other people to preach. Dramsoc owes her much and she owes her sanity (and her soul) to us. She truly is one of us now and firmly believes in the greater good. The Greater Good.

Julie O’Leary & Aisling Smith Prost-ups Managers a.k.a. Crown Jules & Woodland Creature No-one really knows where these two met. No-one really knows what they do. No-one really knows where to find them. Ok that last one is a lie. Their lair is LG2. People go into them looking like angry hobos and they do some magic stuff and hey presto you have a handsome man on the stage. Although this does work in reverse and many pretty people have been made less pretty for the sake of their art. Julie and Aisling therefore can basically be considered Dramsoc’s go-to people for what’s hot and what’s not. Actually it’s probably best not to cross them either. So let’s recap. Don’t mess with Colm, Sarah, Keith or these two. I mean seriously. Julie is the queen of Dramsoc and has unquestioned powers of punishment and Aisling is some sort of woodland creature. So who knows what she is capable of...

and finally.... Fresher’s Rep: (insert name here)

That’s right…we’ve been looking for you.

D T G

Dublin Theatre Guide The Abbey

The Abbey is our national theatre which means that a proportion of its output is supposed to be of some national cultural significance so every now and then an Anglo- Irish playwright draws some cosmic ethereal royalties.

The Peacock

The Peacock is the Abbey’s little sister; a smaller, more intimate, nicer theatre which also puts on better shows. It is slightly more promiscuous than its conservative sibling. Though the Abbey would try a threesome too if the Peacock enjoyed it.

The Gate Theatre

The Gate Theatre is a more commercial, more middleclass environment than other theatres. Indeed, many of its punters look like they’re fresh from dinner at the Hapsburg’s. On the plus side, the Gate puts on big glitzy, well polished productions and you seldom have to endure a half empty theatre.

Project

Project (no definite article required) tends to produce shows in which the form is a hell of lot more important than the content-once the content is all about the form that is! The stuff here tends to be a lot more experimental and interesting than the bigger theatres but the runs are shorter so don’t procrastinate if you see something you like!

THANK a YOU All those who contributed to the magazine Sisi Rabienstein Matt Kelly Sean Gallagher Gearóid O’ Rourke Christopher Rooke Jill Matthews The Committee

Emilia Pal Stephen Murray Katie McCann Liane Barry Russell at Speciality Print & Design LTD Emma Nolan

COME PLAY