Heart N Crown Theatre Co. <HeartNCrown>

"Romeo and Juliet, Black Box Theatre - JAN 14 - 17th.Booking on 091-569777"

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Romeo and Juliet "ADVERTISER" INTERVIEW"348 giorni fa
 
“TWO HOUSEHOLDS both alike in dignity, In fair Verona where we lay our scene. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life.”

In Heart’N’Crown’s new staging of Romeo and Juliet, which comes to the Town Hall next week, Shakespeare’s famous play is updated to the hip modern suburb of Verona, while still retaining its original dialogue and with a top contemporary soundtrack to make this a must see show for everyone.

The stylish show is being directed by Donna Patrice Reidy and stars a well known Galway cast which includes Conor Quinlan, Emma Regan, Graham Feeley, Duncan Moss, Joan Gildea, and Mark McCormack.

With its rock soundtrack featuring artists such as Damien Rice, The Killers, and Nirvana, this production may at first seem as if it owes as much to Baz Luhrmann’s vibrant film version as Shakespeare’s original play but director Reidy disagrees.

“There have been so many versions of the play that it’s impossible not be compared to some other one,” she notes. “Hopefully we’ve succeeded in doing something different with ours that makes it fresh and distinctive. One of the things Luhrmann did was to amplify all the symbols in the play and we haven’t done anything like that.

“For our production, I was thinking of the sort of knife-culture we’ve been hearing and reading a lot about amongst Irish youth today and it’s set in that kind of milieu. We portray Lord Capulet and Montagu as corrupt business magnates. Even though the action still takes place in Verona, the actors retain their own Irish accents and present-day dress style.

“Hopefully, they’ll help convey the play’s timelessness and universality to some of the schools audiences who’ll be coming along.”

While Reidy has already directed several plays for Heart’N’Crown, most recently The Weir, in Romeo and Juliet she finds herself working with a large cast of 17. How much of a challenge has that been?

“It was certainly a big leap from The Weir which has only five characters!” she laughs. “The biggest challenge has just been finding times when everyone can get together because a lot of the cast have other jobs to go to. Everyone has been great about making that time available. For many of the cast it’s also their first time doing Shakespeare so it’s been quite a journey of discovery for them.”

It’s also Reidy’s first time to direct a Shakespeare production, but she’s had some excellent preparation for the task, having studied Shakespeare under the venerable Ted Zurkowski at New York’s famed Lee Strasberg studio.

“He has his own Shakespearean production company,” Reidy explains, “and I would definitely have learned a lot from him and am keen to bring some of that into this show.”

Featuring Conor Quinlan and Emma Regan as the star-crossed teenage lovers, Romeo and Juliet runs at the Town Hall from Wednesday January 14 to Saturday 17 at 8pm nightly.

For tickets contact the Town Hall on 091 - 569777.
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Romeo and Juliet "Galway Independent" Interview348 giorni fa
 
Heart N Crown Theatre will present the greatest love story ever told, Shakespeare's classic Romeo and Juliet at The Black Box from Wednesday 14 to Saturday 17 January. Lisa speaks to Romeo Conor Quinlan and Juliet Emma Regan about their upcoming roles, their favourite Shakespearean plays and New Year Resolutions


How did you get involved in acting?
Conor (C): When I was five, my mother forced me to join the Garvey School of Speech and Drama, and shortly after, the Performing Arts School Galway. I fell in love with acting. I owe everything I know to both those schools and I'm still involved with both of them.
Emma (E): I turned up to an audition as a dancer and the director, Niall Hughes, wanted me to play lead in the film. I was in London in college at the time, so I got an agent there and I have been very fortunate as every performance has lead to more work.

Tell me a bit about this production. Will it be different to previous stage productions?
C: Well, we have decided to go for the modern setting, to make a Galway audience understand more that the story is so universal and timeless. However, we aren't putting too much emphasis on that. We are obviously keeping the Shakespearian dialogue. It just goes as far as contemporary clothing and props. We are not trying to copy Baz Luhrmann's version at all.

Are you looking forward to playing such a well-known role?
C: Absolutely. I can't wait. When I first was offered the role, I was extremely nervous. The scariest thing was trying to measure up to the amount of people in the past who have played the part so well. But Donna (Reidy, director) helped me a lot with the characterisation and I am a lot more comfortable now and just anxious to get on that stage!
E: Yes, and I think the fact that she is so well known is what makes it more exciting. I feel she has brushed over so many times as this stereotypical young girl in love. I wanted to give weight to all sides of her character. She is much more interesting than she's generally perceived.


Do you think that modern audiences can identify with the characters of Juliet and Romeo?
C: Definitely. The play shows how naive teenagers can be. Romeo is a perfect example of a teenage boy. He doesn't think things through. He is completely irrational. But, at the same time, he is a great guy. He is honest and loyal. It just shows there are weaknesses in the best of us.
E: It is as relevant today as it was then for anyone who has rebelled against their parents, anyone who has truly loved.

Was dressing in period clothes a daunting task or did it just lend to your character?
C: We are actually using modern day clothes. I don't think costume helps me that much. It is different for everyone.

What is your favourite Shakespeare play?
C: Well, I studied Othello for my Leaving Cert and, despite reading it almost every week, I could not get over the amazing characters in it. So, definitely Othello.
E: Midsummer's Nights Dream.

Have you any plans to do more of the works of Shakespeare?
C: Not right now. To be honest, I can't imagine any other Shakespearian role I could play.
E: At the moment I am focusing on my role in a feature film 'The Fading Light', which is my next project, but if I had a chance to play Ophelia I would, and Lady Macbeth down the line.

Romeo and Juliet is on the 2009 Leaving Cert curriculum. Do you think students would benefit from seeing this production?
C: I think this production would be easier for them to watch than one with period costume. The language is enough to get your head around. I think it will be a fun production for them to see and it definitely helps them to understand the story more than just sitting in a class reading from the book.
E: Yes, theatre brings the characters and the places to life; to see it performed brings out the meanings behind the lines. You can't capture that by reading it in a classroom.

What are your New Years resolutions?
C: To get a lot more organised in all aspects of my life. And also the cliched 'enjoy the little things in life!'
E: I'd like to be able to appreciate and enjoy what I have more.


Tickets, €18/€16/13/€12, are available from 091-569777. There will also be matinee shows on Thursday and Friday at 12pm. The shows will run nightly at 8pm.

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The Weir / Galway Advertiser interview with Charlie Mc Bride376 giorni fa
 
The Weir at the Town Hall
GALWAY ADVERTISER, DECEMBER 11, 2008.

By Charlie Mcbride

GALWAY BASED Heart’N’Crown Theatre Co present Conor McPherson’s award winning The Weir at the Town Hall Studio from December 15 to 20 at 8.30pm.

The Weir is set in a small rural bar in the west of Ireland. There is the proprietor and three ‘regulars’. They know each other well, swap stories, drink, and generally enjoy the craic. But this night there is a difference. A young woman has just arrived in the district from Dublin - one of the four has arranged a property for her and is showing her round, giving rise to wagging tongues.

She however is a model of pleasantness and restraint. The three customers tell stories, all with a supernatural element, perhaps to impress Valerie, perhaps to give her the flavour of the region, but other possibilities emerge.

The stories increase in seriousness and expose aspects of the tellers’ vulnerabilities perhaps. Valerie then reveals a desperate experience in her own Dublin background and this immediately challenges the attitudes of the menfolk.

Something other than the exchange of ‘spooky’ stories is going on here. Jack, the oldest of the group, who set the story-telling ball rolling, reveals an episode from his earlier life, which is of an entirely different level of seriousness and highlights how much the mood has changed in the course of the play's duration.

The play is directed by Donna Patrice Reidy, who has recently returned to Galway after studying acting at both Trinity College and the famed Lee Strasberg studio in New York.

“During my studies I got interested in the Stanislavski system which is why I went to the Lee Stasberg studio,” she reveals over a post-rehearsal phone conversation. “It’s a training that gets you to be very specific in your playing and that’s something that I’ve tried to bring to this production of The Weir.

“I’ve got a fantastic cast who really absorbed those ideas. The play has also long been a personal favourite of mine – I remember doing an excerpt from it while I was at Trinity – so I’m thrilled to have the chance to direct it.”

Reidy also points out that the cast hail from around Loughrea and are well familiar with the kind of rural pub where the play is set; indeed they even did some of their rehearsals in Broderick’s bar in Kilreekil to further ‘get the feel’ of the play’s distinctive milieu. It should all make for an atmospheric production,

For tickets contact the Town Hall on 091 - 569777.
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Romeo and Juliet (Brief) on Modern / Stylish Show377 giorni fa
 
Galway based Heart N Crown Theatre Co. Present a new modern version of William Shakespeare's classic "Romeo + Juliet". The show is set in present day with some of interesting characters which include drug dealers and corrupted murderers. The famous story based on two households both alike in dignity, In fair Verona where we lay our scene. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life. Shakespeare's famous play is updated to the hip modern suburb of Verona but is still retaining its original dialogue and with a top soundtrack which includes Nirvana, and Metallica makes this a must see show for everyone.
The stylish show is being directed by New York trained director / actor Donna Patrice Reidy (The Weir) and stars a very well known Galway cast which includes the talents of Conor Quinlan (Summer of the Flying Saucers), Emma Regan (who is nominated for best IFTA actress for her role in “Our wonderful Home”), Graham Feeley (Kings), Michael O’ Malley (Maru), Mark McCormack, Duncan Moss, Joan Gildea, Eanna O' Dowd, David Sullivan, Jenni Mc Ginley, Douglas Abraham, Oisin De Brun, Kieran Reddy, Colin Hogan, Tim O’Sullivan and Jim Aherne .
Heart N Crown Theatre Co. Presents “Romeo and Juliet” at the Black Box Theatre from 14 – 17th at 8pm with matinees on the 15 / 16th at 12pm for schools. Bookings can be made on 091-56977 or log onto www.townhalltheatregalway.com.

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ThE WEIR (Interview) with Donna Reidy on Galway Independent383 giorni fa
 
Stories of The Weir
Written by Staff Reporter
Wednesday, 03 December 2008
Heart N Crown Theatre Company will present Conor McPherson's 'The Weir' at the Town Hall this December. Lisa Regan speaks to Director, Donna Patrice Reidy about the appeal of the play, performing in Galway and how theatre will fair through this recession

The Weir depicts an evening at a small bar located on a farm in rural Ireland where the proprietor, three other local men, and a woman new to the area meet, drink, and tell stories. The banter consists of friendly local talk and gossip that is uneventful in itself, but overall reveals the characters' isolation and the figurative ghosts that haunt them.
The play opens as Jack, a customer clearly familiar with the bar, comes in and, in the absence of the proprietor, helps himself to a drink. Brendan then enters carrying peat for the fire to warm them on.

Tell me a bit about this play, which of course is written by Conor McPherson?

The play takes place in a small country pub in Leitrim. It centres around five main characters, Jack (John Lawlor), Jim, (Barry Healy), Finbar, (Damian Muldoon), Brendan, (Barry Keane) and Valerie (Sarah Fahy). Throughout the night, as the drinks flow, the stories begin. As is typical of many McPherson plays, elements of the supernatural envelop 'The Weir'. As the night progresses and each character tells of some ghostly encounter, it drives Valerie to tell a story of her own that changes the mood of the play significantly.


Do you enjoy staging a performance in Galway?

I am both thrilled and terrified of putting on a performance in Galway! I have spent most of my time working and training in Dublin and New York, so it's fantastic to be back home and I am really looking forward to working on as many projects as I can in Galway.

How did you become involved in this production?

Stephen Kenny (of Heart N' Crown Theatre Company) knew that I wanted to start moving behind the scenes a bit more. He asked me to do 'The Weir', which just happens to be one of my favourite plays of all time, and I jumped at the chance. I'm also directing Heart N' Crown's next production of 'Romeo and Juliet' in The Black Box in January.

Do you think the play will appeal to people of all ages?

Yes I do, but, due to the fact that there is strong language used, it’s more suitable for adults.

Being set against a rural backdrop, is it more reflective of Ireland in a time gone?

The play is reflective of Ireland in a time gone by but it is also reflective of contemporary Ireland. Irish people have the gift of the gab and a lot of them, particularly the older generation, are amazing storytellers. This gift of storytelling is endemic in Irish culture, young and old, and I think 'The Weir' is a celebration of that.

Is there something in this story that most Irish people will identify with?

Absolutely. Everyone has experienced loss, heartbreak, joy and happiness at some point in their lives. Most of us have memories of a parent or a grandparent telling us old stories and myths around the fire. 'The Weir' will certainly evoke memories of our childhood. I remember my cousin telling me a ghost story when I was about seven and I think I’ve been afraid of the dark since.

As the play mainly centres in the pub, do you think the intimate nature of the Town Hall Studio will suit the staging of this play?

The Town Hall Studio is perfect for 'The Weir'. It wouldn't work in a larger theatre or auditorium. The audience needs to be able to see the actors on stage, their facial expressions and little sideward glances. The audience should feel like they are both part of the play and eavesdroppers at the same time.


With a changing economic climate, do you think people will start returning to things like the theatre?

Without a doubt. Always in times of hardship, be it economic or otherwise, people will look for something to make them feel happy and add some light back into their lives. The theatre is the perfect place to leave all your worries at the door and escape into an alternate reality even if just for a few hours. That's the magic of theatre. It's why I do what I do.

'The Weir' will run at the Town Hall Studio from Monday 15 to Saturday 20 December at 8.30pm. Tickets, €16/€14, are available from 091-569777.

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LORD of the Flies "Galway First" Interview with Eanna / Conor407 giorni fa
 
Lord Of The Flies at the Black Box
GALWAY FIRST, NOVEMBER 10, 2008.

William Golding himself said of his novel that writing it was ‘like lamenting the lost childhood of the world’.
By Charlie Mcbride

Galway’s Heart’N’Crown Theatre Co are bringing William Golding’s award-winning classic Lord Of The Flies to the Black Box Theatre next week, on Monday November 17 and Tuesday 18.

First published in 1954, Lord Of The Flies was Nobel Prize-winner William Golding’s debut novel. The book became an instant classic, its success enabling Golding to retire from his teaching job and devote himself full-time to writing.

Lord Of The Flies tells the story of a group of schoolboys marooned on a tropical island after their plane is shot down during a war. Though the novel is fictional, its exploration of the idea of human evil is at least partly based on Golding’s experience with the real-life violence and brutality of World War II in which he served with the Royal Navy.

Free from the rules and structures of civilisation and society, the boys on the island in Lord Of The Flies descend into savagery. As the boys splinter into factions, some behave peacefully and work together to maintain order and achieve common goals, while others rebel and seek only anarchy and violence.

In his portrayal of the small world of the island, Golding paints a broader portrait of the fundamental human struggle between the civilising instinct - the impulse to obey rules, behave morally, and act lawfully - and the savage instinct - the impulse to seek brute power over others, act selfishly, scorn moral rules, and indulge in violence.

Competition and power struggles split the boys into two packs. Ralph (Eanna O’Dowd) leads one group and preaches civilised ingenuity and togetherness, but Jack (Conor Quinlan who can be seen in The Year Of The Flying Saucers with Patrick Bergin) wants none of it and forms a faction of barbaric hunters who ultimately go to war with Ralph.

This powerful shift in conscience transforms ordinary kids into primal killers, setting off a devastating battle of good versus evil and presenting a haunting metaphor for the savage in us all. Golding himself said of his novel that writing it was “like lamenting the lost childhood of the world”.

Heart ‘N’ Crown’s staging of Lord Of The Flies is scripted by novelist and dramatist Nigel Williams and directed and produced by Stephen Patrick Kenny, whose debut feature film Blood, Sweat and Wars will be shot next year in Galway.

Ahead of the play’s opening, its two leads - Conor Quinlan (Jack) and Eanna O’Dowd (Ralph), who both hail from Galway - met up to discuss the production. Eanna began by explaining why Heart’N’Crown chose to do the play.

“Stephen Kenny has wanted to do it ever since he first read the script, and to bring the play to Ireland for the first time,” reveals Eanna. “He had to wait a few years however until he felt he had the right cast available to do the production as he wanted, which he does now.

“He says this will be his last stage play as he’s moving into TV and film and he wants to go out with a bang, and I think he’ll do that - everything about it is coming together really well so far.

“One of the great things about Stephen is he’ll always give the budding actor a break because he knows what it’s like when you’re trying to break into the business, how hard it can be. I owe a lot of me getting into acting and being where I am now to Stephen.”

Many people will know Lord Of The Flies through one or other of the two film versions; Peter Hall’s from 1963 and Henry Cook’s in 1990. How does the play compare to those adaptations?

“The first film stayed quite close to the novel whereas the later one ‘Hollywoodised’ it a bit and changed aspects of the story,” observes Conor. “The characters in the play version are very close to the novel so to that extent it’s more like the earlier film.”

“The best thing about the play compared to film or book is just being able to see it live there in front of you,” O’Dowd adds. “It’s the kind of play I think where we can really draw the audience into the story.

“The set, for instance, is very minimal and it’s up to us to pull in the audience and get them to use their imagination and I think it works very well. The play really brings out the story’s central idea that we all have something of the savage inside us and our so-called civilisation can just dissolve.”

One alteration the production brings to the story is making the boys somewhat older, so that instead of being aged 12/13, they’re in their later teens. One effect of this is that Jack’s band of hunters appear much more aggressive due to their added age and, in two of the play’s key scenes, they give the hapless ‘Piggy’ and Simon awful deaths.

Reflecting on their own characters, O’Dowd notes of Ralph; “Even though he’s one of the leading boys, Ralph himself can be quite easily led by the others. For example a lot of his initiatives are actually first suggested to him by Piggy. The play shows the weakness in each individual character.”

Quinlan’s Jack has, he says, “A lust for power. He doesn’t seem to have any ideas about how to get home. In this isolated community he sees an opportunity to get power. I think there’s also a lot of fear in Jack: he’s scared to be alone. Jack’s probably used to authority and feels scared when that’s removed. In trying to resolve that he loses control of himself.”

As well as Quinlan and O’Dowd, the 11-strong cast also features Graham Feeley (from Kings) Mark McCormack, David Sullivan, Douglas Abraham, David Burke, Tim O’Sullivan, Oisin De Brun, Duncan Moss, Gerard Faherty, and Michael O’Malley as Officer.

Tickets for Lord Of The Flies at the Black Box are priced at €18 on Monday and Tuesday night (the play commences at 8pm) and there is also a matinee performance on Tuesday at 12 noon, priced €14. Booking available from the Town Hall, (091-569777)
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LOTF (Rehearsal Schedule)449 giorni fa
 

Sept:

29th Monday 6:30pm Act 1 / Act 2 Blocking

Oct:

2nd Thursday 6pm Act 2

3rd Friday 6pm Act 2

6th Monday 6:30pm Act 1 / 2 Run Thru

9th Thursday 6pm Act 3 Blocking

10th Friday 6pm Act 3

12th Sunday 6pm Act 3

16th Thursday 6pm Run Thru

17th Friday 6pm Run Thru

19th Sunday 6pm Act 1
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The New ONE SHOT "Make it work" Workshop468 giorni fa
 
The New ONESHOT AT IT Workshop begins on Saturday 27th of September from 10am til 8pm (20 min morning break / 45 min long break)

The course will be taught by Actor (Showbands) / Agent (One Shot Agency) / Producer (The Field) / Director (Blood, Sweat and Wars) / Screen Writer (Blood, Sweat and Wars) / Theatre Founder (Shootin' Star and Heart N Crown Theatre Co.) Stephen Patrick Kenny who is in the entertainment business for over 10 years and has learnt somethnig new every day and now wants to pass it onto those who are finding it hard to get anywhere in this tough business.

The Course will focus on the following:

Acting:

Confidence, learning the script, being on set, building yourself up for a character, method acting,getting an agent, improvisation, headshots, how to impress at an audition, impress the casting director, acting CV's, taking direction,when to contact the casting directors, cold readings, doing an audition for the class, your ID, what not to say to a casting director, headshots, accents.

Producing:

How to begin producing can be tough so we will spend alot of time on this talknig about funding and how to get it, finding those actors, copyright, getting a good venue, marketing your show or film, making connections, who to go to for funding,looking after your cast and crew, sets, and offcourse saving money.

Directing:

Giving your actors confidence, breaking up a script, seeing your show/film through, not losing confidence, taking pointers of others and not getting cocky which is the difficult for alot of directors as they do not want others taking over with ideas.

The course will be very intense but ONESHOT will fit all this in ONE DAY when no other courses offer thats.

For more details please contact:

TheOneShotWorkshop@Gmail.com
Ring ONESHOT Agency on + 00 353 851649524

Only 20 places per workshop

Prices:

125 euro for working
110 euro for students or unemployed

Tea and Coffee included aswell as buscuits
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Conor Mc Pherson's "The Weir"477 giorni fa
 
Directed by Donna Patrice Rediy
Produced by Heart N Crown Theatre Co.

Town Hall Theatre,
Station House Theatre, Clifden
Linnenhall Arts Centre,


The Weir depicts an evening at a small bar located on a farm in rural Ireland where the proprietor, three other local men, and a woman new to the area meet, drink, and tell stories. The banter consists of friendly local talk and gossip that is uneventful in itself, but overall reveals the characters’ isolation and the figurative ghosts that haunt them.
The play opens as Jack, a customer clearly familiar with the bar, comes in and, in the absence of the proprietor, helps himself to a drink. Brendan then enters carrying peat for the fire to warm them on...

Starring
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Lord of the Flies536 giorni fa
 
Heart N Crown Theatre Co.

Presents

After a harrowing plane crash into the sea, a group of military cadets finds itself marooned on a deserted island. Realising the minimal chances of being rescued, the boy’s band together out of fear and desperation. But as the island paradise becomes their own, competition and power struggles split them into two packs. Ralph (Eanna O’ Dowd) leads one group and preaches civilised ingenuity and togetherness, but Jack (Conor Quinlan) wants nothing of it and builds a faction of barbaric hunters who ultimately go to war with Ralph. This powerful shift in conscience transforms ordinary kids into primal killers, setting of a devastating battle of good versus evil and presenting a haunting metaphor for the savage in us all.

November 16, 17,18th Black Box Theatre at 8pm

Matinees on 17 / 18th at 12pm. Booking on 091-569777

SIGNED Performance for the Deaf on November 17th (Thr) at 8pm

Produced and Directed by Stephen P. Kenny

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