Summer Theatre Starts Again

Sligo Drama Circle’s “Summer Theatre” is now well established in the north-west, thanks to considerable hard work by a dedicated band of people. Thus, it is good to report that the programme announced for 1973 promises to be the best to date. It’s interesting to note the development of the group over the years. In 1966 the Drama Circle was invited to performed plays by Yeats as part of the Yeats International Summer School, and arising out of this commitment, the group embarked on a programme of short summer season plays. Then, in 1970, it was decided to extend the summer season and this proved so successful that in the following year, the group presented plays twice weekly at Sligo’s Town Hall from the end of June until September. The Circle has, of course, continued to provide the drama for the Yeats School, and this year is no exception – “On Baile’s Strand” and “The Cat and the Moon” have been chosen as its Yeatsian offerings.

All of this background information is by way of announcing that the 1973 Summer Season of Theatre in Sligo commences on June 26th when Dr. Conor Cruise O’ Brien, Minister for Posts and Telegraphs, will perform the official opening. The minister, of course, has more than a passing interest in the theatre – his play “Murderous Angels”, based on his experiences with the United Nations in the Congo, has been presented on Broadway and in most European capitals. In addition, Cruise O’ Brien is the author of other theatrical works, including those on the King Herod theme which Hilton Edwards has so successfully presented. Apart from this work, Dr. O’ Brien is an internationally-acknowledged scholar, historian and author, and it speaks highly of the prestige of Sligo Drama Circle that such distinguished personalities as the Minister (and Micheál Mac Liammóir who opened the 1972 Summer Season in association with theatre critic Des Rushe) are prepared to support and encourage the group’s activities.

Following the official opening, the company will present the first of its 1973 choices, “The Country Boy” by John Murphy and later in the season, “Arms and the Man” by George Bernard Shaw, and “Step-in-the-Hollow” by Donagh mc Donagh. There will be performances each Tuesday and Thursday night from June 26th to September 6th inclusive. By the way, any profits arising from this venture will go towards providing a permanent, well-equipped Little Theatre in Sligo – a project which has received support from the North Western Tourism Organisation, the Sligo Association in Dublin and the Yeats Society.

from The Sligo Champion, “On the Line”, by Seamus Finn, June 15th, 1973