THE SHREW TAMED

directed by Ted O'Regan

music composed by Grainne Mulvey

music performed by Niall O'Connor, Andrew Purcell (trumpets), Donnacha O'Meara, Gavin Roche (trombones) and Brian Daly (french horn)

costumes by Rory Dowling & Barbara O'Connell

sets by Barbara O'Connell, Rory Dowling & Margaret Durand

design by Maria Tobin, Nessa O'Sullivan & Margaret Durand

A shortened version of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, this production was presented for two nights in the Mercy Convent Primary School Hall. It had original music composed by Grainne Mulvey, a music student from WIT, performed by five music students. The play had a cast of 21 young teenagers.

From the programme: LIFE OUTSIDE BOOZE

When I first showed the script of "The Shrew Tamed"to the group as a practise piece I half expected the response "Shakespeare? Yukk!!" The reaction however, was favourable and encouraged me to think of a stage production.

As rehearsals progressed it struck me that there was an artistic resource in this city which rarely gets the opportunity to participate in cultural matters at "grass roots" level. I refer to the Regional Technical College and I was heartened by the reception I got in two departments -Art and Music-when I suggested that students might design settings and costumes and compose special music for the play.

I don't make a mystique of "ART". What use is it if it does not help people grow? Our rehearsals represented growth. Initially we approached the play indirectly, trying, through mime, movement and improvisation, to interpret its present day relevance. It was some before we got down to the casting and went to the script. All the time we had to keep in mind that we had many exam bound youngsters in our ranks and this put constraints on rehearsal times.

This production, which is a shortened version of The Taming of the Shrew, omitting the sub plots, is designed to show the fun of Shakespeare and to relate him to the here and now. The main protagonists, Katherine and Petru-chio, are flawed characters (aren't we all?), they seem in the end, in a strange way, to complement each other.

"Putting on a play" may seem a trivial pursuit in this world of the harsh realities. Not so! Despite the sophistication and higher education of young people nowadays, many of them when they leave school seem to spend their leisure time ensconced in public houses. If our work did nothing else, it showed the youngsters, before they are of age to join the pub squad, that there is a life outside booze, and a stimulating one at that!

--Ted O'Regan, Director