PLAY 10

This production marked the first involvement with WYD of Jim O'Meara and Kieran Stewart. Together with Ted O'Regan, they directed ten short plays.

FROM THE PROGRAMME

THESE ARE THE DAYS

When I was a teenager in the 40's, my world, and that of my companions, was narrow indeed. Third level education was only for the well off; travel, for most people, meant going to Birmingham to look for a job; entertainment was mostly home-made. And yet in certain ways our lives were richer than today. For one thing pressure was lower because expectations were not so high. Neighbourliness was more noticeable and certainly ingenuity in making-do was common.

The artistic side of life in Waterford was particularly rich. Grand Opera was an annual diet in the Theatre Royal, which also played host to high-class theatrical companies and top class local talent. (Just to drop a few names for long-in-the-tooth readers - Anew McMaster, Ronald Ibbs, Isobel Baillie, Benjamin Britten, Peter Pears, The Halle Orchestra, Harold Pinter, Willy Watt, John Hauxvell, Paddy McManus, Tom Cooney, Fintan O' Carroll...)

Today's teenagers have a harder task. Career opportunities are many and varied but competition is fierce, hence more fallers by the wayside. The future is exciting but unclear; the securities of religion have to be re-worked to withstand the onslaught of materialism.

The plays we have chosen, in their variety of styles and themes, reflect the manifold influences of today's world. In many cases they invite people to examine the issues raised and to reflect on them. But, most importantly, they are designed to enable young people to work together in a project which, we hope, is fruitful and enjoyable. These are the days.

--Ted O'Regan

WATERFORD YOUTH DRAMA GROUP

In 1984 I heard of a new drama group being set up for young people. The group was set up by Ciotog Community Theatre Group. At first I was the only member. Three weeks went by before we - as in , Claire Hayes, Grainne and Jim - saw more joining. Thank God the word spread!! Soon the group began to grow and flourish. In our first few years in existence, we didn't rush straight into producing plays for the public. We spent time expressing our feelings, sharing opinions and having fun. It hasn't all changed: we still do a lot of that. The only major change is that we don't have the same original members (well not all of them, anyway.)

In 1986 Ollie Breslin came on the scene. It was around then that Ciotog evolved into Waterford Youth Drama Group. Ollie is a fantastic guy! He does a lot of the background work. He is a great motivator and also a very impressive comedy actor. We owe a lot to Ollie and all that he has done for us.

Ted O' Regan is another man to which we are greatly indebted. Ted has brought us through all of our productions, including this one. Ted is absolutely dedicated to the group. At times he puts in a lot more than he gets out. Without Ted we'd probably be.....back in 1984!!!

I get great satisfaction out of the drama group. It is a great way to learn about dealing with everyday life. We do breathing exercises, speech control, expression etc... I am also happy to say that we have a constant flow of new talented young members, (most of whom seem to be girls for some strange reason. It appears that the fellas - to use Waterford slang -are rather scarce.) So I give, as always, an invitation to any young people to come along on Monday nights at 7-30 p.m. in Garter Lane 1. It only costs £1 per night and, since it finishes at 10:30p.m., is great value. So come and join up.

--Gerry Forristal