On Arts day we presented a combined piece of art in sections of The Snow Queen

The Snow Queen
A new version of Hans Christian Andersen’s story
Presented by the Artists in Residence at Mary Immaculate College for Arts Day 2019
 
Theatre Artist in Residence – Deirdre Dwyer (Adaptation and Direction)
Music Artist in Residence – Desi Wilkinson (Music)
Visual Artist in Residence – Maeve Clancy (Sculpture)
 
The three Artists in Residence decided to collaborate on the presentation of this piece for Arts Day. Deirdre adapted the original story into this radio play with the idea that the 10 short chapters can be played in classrooms and used in Drama lessons in the future, as well as working with Mary I students as performers, to date we have recorded 6 of the 10 chapters.
Desi and the musicians created original improvised music and score of ambient sounds for the piece. Inspired by the story Maeve created a papercut sculpture of Gerda to house the audio and give the piece a three dimensional presence.
 
Voiced by
Emerald Kenny – Gerda and Little Sprite 2
David Wilson – Kai, Pigeons and Little Sprite 1
Aildeen Wylde - Snow Queen
Desi Wilkinson - Raven
Aoife Duffy - Little Robber Girl 
Luke Kennedy – Prince and Reindeer
Deirdre Dwyer - Big Sprite
Orla Henry – Princess and Pigeons
Elizabeth Scanlan - Old Robber Lady
 
Music by
Desi Wilkinson – Flute, Selyeflauta, fiddle
Emerald Kenny – Violin
David Wilson – Bazuki
 
Recorded and Engineered by
Emily Waters
at the TV Studio, Mary Immaculate College
 
Edited by
Deirdre Dwyer
 
Thanks to
Jim Coleman, Nicky Fennell, Ray Burke, Alan Gielty, Liadán Fennell, Dorothy Morrissey, Fiona McDonagh, Mike Finneran, Jacqui Kelleher, Kate McCarthy, BrokenCrows - Ronan FitzGibbon, Rosie O’Regan, George Hanover, Gavin McEntee, Aideen Wylde and Conall Ó Riain. And special thanks to Emily Waters for expert guidance in Audacity.
Additional sounds downloaded from Freesound.org
 
This is dedicated to Judy Elizabeth Gielty, welcome to the world little one.
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Here we are in the TV studio recording the last segments of The Snow Queen

A joy to collaborate with Liam at the Belltable in facilitating the arts and crafts portion of the spook camp. 

Back into the swing of things in Mary I. 

 Participating in a performance of The Vagina Monologues might not seem an obvious addition to a residency, where I've mostly been developing my practice as a maker of work for young audiences, but this, less than obvious, inclusion in my year made for one of the most rewarding experiences of my time at Mary Immaculate College. 

Spurred on by my colleague (and my own personal MIC guide and guru), Dorothy Morrissey, I was persuaded to participate in Eve Ensler's epic play. Dorothy (of the Arts Education and Physical Education Department) and Carole Quigley (of the Drama & Theatre Studies Dept) wrangled a group of willing (but nervous) staff and PHD students into performing the piece on International Woman's Day (March 8th) with all proceeds going to McGarry House in Limerick, an organisation that provides emergency accommodation for homeless men and women. https://www.novas.ie/services/mcgarry-house/

We were directed by Fiona McDonagh (also of the Drama & Theatre Studies Dept) and I was joined on stage by Anne Blake, Deirdre Flynn, Helen O'Dea, (who wrote her own vagina monologue, entitled There were no Vaginas in our House) Vicky Brady, Emma Fisher, Fionnuala Tynan, Miriam Hamilton, Carole  and Dorothy. Major credit is also due to Mike Finneran (Head of D&TS) and his students who lit, stage managed, worked front of house and ushered for us, making an anxious bunch of performers much more at ease.

I must make it clear at this point that though I'm a theatre maker and theatre enthusiast I am not a performer. I quite enjoy reading plays aloud and am more than happy speaking in front of groups but performing something, learning it off and standing in front of a paying audience? Not so much. However I was prevailed upon by Dorothy's enthusiasm and it was a good cause and felt like I should be taking any and all opportunities that came my way as Artist in Residence. Right? 
And, to my surprise, it was a real delight and pleasure! Not alone did I do it. (Performing for the first time since my college final year show!) but I was immediately introduced and plugged into a community of marvelous MIC women. I was greeted in the corridor by my fellow actors and recognised and congratulated on my performance by audience members. With one project I had integrated, at least a little into the fabric of the college. 

And I had performed. Development of my own practice indeed! And if you want to get a taste of what I was at press play on the link below.... I call it CUNT!

Arts Day was on yesterday, the 21st of March and I contributed to the day's programme by directing four short play readings. 

The hit of the day was Mike Finn's Life in 2 Syllables, performed by first year student  Peter Moore, Arts Day organiser Dave Daly and Lecturer Deirdre Flynn. 

The plays from Fishamble's Tiny Plays for Ireland were perfect for some guerilla theatre action in the corridors. 

Thanks to the writers Niamh Creely, Sarah Binchy and Mike Finn for their permission to read them. 

It had given great ideas for other theatre interventions over the next year. 

 Arts Day
Rehearsed Readings of 4 Short Plays at MISU
 
10.00am – Commiserations - 4mins
By Niamh Creely. Written for Fishamble’s Tiny Plays for Ireland
 
11.00am - Thorny Island ­– 4mins
 By Sarah Binchy. Written for Fishamble’s Tiny Plays for Ireland
 
12.00noon – Life in 2 Syllables ­– 4mins
By Mike Finn. Written for Fishamble’s Tiny Plays for Ireland
 
1pm –      Trifles – 25 mins
By Susan Glaspell, Written in New York in 1916
 
Selected and Directed by Deirdre Dwyer,
Mary Immaculate College Theatre Artist in Residence
 
Featuring Staff and Students including:
Miriam Hamilton, Peter Moore, Carole Quigley, Dave Daly, Deirdre Flynn, Emma Fisher, Dorothy Morrissey, Diarmuid Glass, Darren Barry and Helen O’Dea.

Snow days don't mean days off for the self employed.
Nope.
Instead I'm using the enforced home time to crack on with the script writing for The Snow Queen.
​The snow outside is certainly useful to keep my mind thinking about snowflakes and icy cold. (But the beautiful drifting flakes are also mesmerising and a bit distracting.)

Along with Dr. Dorothy Morrissey and David Daly I'm teaching 3rd year education students on their elective module in Drama.

As a first introduction to design we examined colour and made a colour wheel from objects brought from home.
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I also presented some of my favorite quotes about design and its importance in developing the world of the play... 

The students are going to be using found objects to create and perform scene of their own devising from a potential work of Theatre for Young audiences.