INTERNATIONAL ADVISORS TO THE LIR

SHOWCASETHE MFA

2014www.thelir.ie

LIR MFA SHOWCASE 2014 3

WELCOME TO THE LIRThe MFA Showcase is a collaboration of productions and readings written, designed and directed by MFA students at The Lir.

This series of inaugural events mark the end of the students training at The Lir and the beginning of their careers in set design, costume design, lighting design, theatre directing and playwriting. These showcases are a great opportunity for the current and past students to exhibit the skills they’ve learned and honed whilst training at The Lir and at the same time giving them the experience of working with their peers and established theatre makers.

www.thelir.ie

LIR MFA SHOWCASE 2014 5WEEK 1

Foxfinder Midsummer

A foxfinder arrives at Samuel and Judith’s farm to investigate a suspected contamination, driven by the belief that the beast must be unearthed and destroyed to protect man’s very existence - but his mission threatens to irreparably alter the course of all their lives. Foxfinder, winner of the Papatango New Writing Competition in 2011, is an unsettling, darkly comic parable set in a future both strange and familiar.

Writer Dawn KingDirector Louisa Sanfey* Set & Costume Designer Katie Foley* Lighting Designer Patrick Anthony* Music Morgan CookeStage Manager Ellen GormanDeputy Stage Manager Soazig MetropeProp Manager Iseult CaseyCostume Assistant Orla LongWardrobe Manager Sorcha Ní FhloinnAssistant Director Maria GuiverMovement Consultant Louise Wilcox

CastWilliam Bloor Colin CampbellSamuel Covey Mark FitzgeraldJudith Covey Nessa MatthewsSarah Box Karen McCartney

Studio 1    

Preview: Wed 13th Aug 8.30pmThurs 14th – Sat 16th Aug 8.30pmMatinee: Fri 15th Aug 3.00pm

Helena is a divorce attorney. Bob is an illegal car salesman. Their paths cross one midsummer night in Edinburgh, and a wild weekend ensues, fueled by sex and stolen money. Written by Scottish playwright David Greig, Midsummer is a musical about past regrets, exhilarating distractions, and coming of age at 30. An evening not to be missed.

Writer David GreigDirector Jennifer Shorstein* Associate Director Aoife Spillane HinksSet/Lighting Designer Rachel Kerns*Costume Designer Naomi Faughnan*Stage Manager Rob Devlin

CastBob Kevin O’ FlynnHelena Amanda DohertyNarrator Emmet Byrne Guitar Ronan GlennobCajon Shane Leen

Studio 2    

Preview Wed 13th Aug 6.30pmThurs 14th – Sat 16th Aug 6.30pmMatinee Fri 15th Aug 1.00pm

105 minutes 90 minutes

PRODUCTIONS & READINGS

www.thelir.ie

*MFA 2014 Graduating Students

LIR MFA SHOWCASE 2014 7

Lette thought he was normal. When the extent of his ugliness is revealed he turns to a plastic surgeon for help. But after the bandages come off, Lette soon learns that there is such a thing as too beautiful. The Ugly One is a scalpel sharp comedy on beauty, identity and getting ahead in life.

Writer Marius von MayenburgTranslated Maja ZadeDirector Eoghan Carrick* Set/Costume Designer Lisa Krugel*Lighting Designer Patrick Anthony*Sound Designer Dylan JonesStage Manager Sarah Robb

CastFanny Caitriona EnnisLette Ger AdlumKarlmann Conal KeatingScheffler Kevin Olohan

Studio 2    

Preview Wed 20th Aug 6.30pmThurs 21st – Sat 23rd Aug 6.30pmMatinee Fri 22nd Aug 1pm

60 minutes

The Ugly One

Electra is haunted by her father’s murder at her mother’s hands. There are rumours that her brother, Orestes, is returning to kill her mother.  Does she want to heal or to avenge? Nick Payne adapts Sophocles’ tragedy for a modern audience.

Written/Adapted Nick PayneDirector Elizabeth Swanson* Set/Assistant Lighting Designer Áine O’Hara* Costume Designer Naomi Faughnan*Sound Designer Kim V Porcelli Assistant Director Jan SchneiderLighting Designer Moyra D’ArcyStage Manager Mary KilduffAssistant Stage Manager Ciara DredgeSet/Light Programming John GunningSet Assistant Gemma McGuinnessCostume Assistant Grace LennonRigging Lights Richie O’Neill

CastElectra Katie HonanClytemnestra Úna KavanaghYoung Electra Ava McKevittStrophius Gerard LeeChrysothemis Danielle O’BrienYoung Orestes Ben Smith-ShortOrestes Robert Thompson

Studio 1    

Preview: Wed 20th Aug 8.30pmThurs 21st – Sat 23rd Aug 8.30pmMatinee: Fri 22nd Aug 3pm

90 minutes

WEEK 3WEEK 2

Five Minutes Later

www.thelir.ie

Electra

**2013 MFA Playwriting Graduate*MFA 2014 Graduating Students

Against their better judgement Gwen, Matt, Mike and Roxy all end up at a speed-dating night. In a hyper connected world where self curated virtual profiles are the starting point for our relationships, the four characters struggle with existing in the present moment, constantly wishing to capture and record, to interpret their experiences from a safe distance.

Ellen Flynn (MFA Playwriting The Lir Academy) and Sugarglass Theatre bring you a new play that explores what it means to try and create a real connection with an ‘other’.

Writer Ellen Flynn**Director Marc AtkinsonStage Manager Christina MatthewsSet Designer Colm McNallySound Designer Osgar DukesProducer Aisling MurrayExecutive Producer Jack BerrillProduction Manager Ferdia CahillStage Operator Eoin Lennon

CastMike Manus HalliganMatt Bob KellyGwen Nichola McEvillyRoxy Sophie Jo Wasson

Studio 2    

Preview: Wed 27th Aug 8.00pmThurs 28th Aug – 6th Sept 8.00pm

Scripted

The Lir Academy at Trinity College Dublin presents a showcase of new plays by this year’s graduating MFA playwrights.  The six MFA playwrights (from Ireland, Scotland and America) have been immersed in training led by Graham Whybrow (former Literary Manager of the Royal Court) and taught by playwrights, dramaturges and literary managers, including Gavin Kostick (Fishamble), Michael West, Karin McCully, and Thomas Conway (Druid).

‘Scripted’ has a professional cast including graduate actors from The Lir. It offers script-in-hand readings of extracts, and a chance to hear new plays from new playwrights:

Emma Hughes Cristín Kehoe Sarah Binchy Barry McEvoy Natalie MacKinnon Maria Jervey

Studio 1    

Sat 6th Sept 3.00pm

LIR MFA SHOWCASE 20149LIR MFA SHOWCASE 2014

www.thelir.ie

Fundit Thank you…

The MFA Directing and Design students offer their most sincere thanks to the following individuals who contributed to our Fundit campaign, and helped us to realise our aspirations for these ambitious shows:

Katherine Anthony,Liz Barnes,Sarah Binchy,Nicola Burke,Anthony Carrick,Barbara Carrick,Karl Carrick,Barry Carroll,Tom Creed,Michael Cundy,Lynsey Davies,Loughlin Deegin,Seamus English,Aisling Flynn,Alex Gecker,Elizabeth Gibbs,Maria Guiver,Dieter Harbisch,Liam Hallahan,Andy Hinds,TV Honan,Emma Hughes,

Eoin Kilkenny,Edmund Krugel,Erika Krugel,Maisie Lee,Andrew Legge,Rita McGrath,Alan McMahon,Johnny Milani,Ste Murray,Una Ni Chanainn,Neasa O’Callaghan,Ross O’Farrell,Molly O’Mahony,John Sanfey,Hilary Sanfey,Deirdre Seaver,Michael Seaver,Niamh Shaw,Mark Shorstein,Mathew Shorstein,Stuart Shorenstein,Seana Skeffington,Some Yank’s Theatre Company,Hugo Welke,Eleanor Wright,Anonymous. The MFA students would like to express their gratitude to a major funder, Barry Carroll, for his generosity in helping us to realise our potential in the graduate productions.

ProductionThank you…

Ger Adlum,Vinnie Bell,Stephen Bourke,Jessica Byrne,Dennis Cassidy,Jack Cawley,Annabelle Comyn,Thomas Conway,Barry Conway,Tom Creed,Caitriona Daly,Loughlin Deegan,Caitriona Ennis,Monica Ennis,Anne Fitzpatrick,Paul Fox,Monica Frawley,Theo Hopkinson,Dylan Jones,Wayne Jordan,Conall Keating,Rachel Kerns, Louise Lowe,Liam Mac an Bhaird,Vinnie McCabe,Frank McGuinness,Gemma McGuinness,Kevin McManus,Sean Millar,Ciaran O’Grady,Megan O’Heffernan,Kevin Olohan,Anne O’Mahony,

Danny PersseTony Roche,Annie Ryan,Benjamin Shorstein,Daniel Shorstein,Brian Singleton,Seana Skeffington,Sarah Symes,Caitriona Wood,The Carrick and Seaver Families,Parents of Ava McKevitt,Parents of Ben Smith-Short,All the staff at The Lir,Abhann Productions Limited,UCD Dramsoc,TCD Drama Department,Projects Arts Centre,The Art of Coffee,Session Hire,Ely Gastro Bar,Southside Spare,The Bath House Monkstown.

Anyone else who asked us how the shows were going, all those who supported the shows and you for coming. 

A BIG THANK YOU TO…

For the Lir…

Production Manager Stephen BourkeWardrobe Anne O’MahonyConstruction Danny PersseScenic Vinnie BellResident Theatre Director Annabelle ComynResident Set Designer Monica FrawleyAssociate Resident Theatre Director Wayne JordanResident Lighting Designer Sinead McKennaSet Construction and Rigging Danny Cunningham, Nathan Gaynor, John Gunning, Fodhla O’Brien, Fionn McShane, Neal Shirran, Michael Stapleton

Technical sponsors

LIR MFA SHOWCASE 2014 11

Louisa Sanfey

Jennifer Shorstein Elizabeth Swanson

Barry McEvoy

Emma Hughes

Eoghan Carrick

Katie Foley

Rachel Kerns

Áine O’Hara

Natalie MacKinnon

Cristín Kehoe

Lisa KrugelPatrick Anthony

Naomi Faughnan

Maria Jervey

Sarah Binchy

Ellen Flynn (2013)

MFA STUDENTS

www.thelir.ie

INTERNATIONAL ADVISORS TO THE LIR