Drama Group Celebrates Golden Anniversary

With half a century now under their costume belts, Sligo Drama Circle took a well deserved bow last night as celebrations for their 50th anniversary kicked off. In honour of the celebrations, Shelagh Stephenson’s play “The Memory of Water” commenced at the Hawk’s Well Theatre last night. “The Memory of Water” is a witty and moving exploration of how being in a family leaves its marks on us. Three bereaved daughters gather at their mother’s home on the day before her funeral and her death is the catalyst for “what normal people do in abnormal times,” and their outpouring of grief, bickering, contradictory memories of childhood, and resentment are part of their journey towards acceptance and forgiveness.

As the bleakness of the winter outside begins to make it’s presence felt on the three sisters at the centre of this piece, we begin to understand that, like nearly all familial relationships, these women have little in common besides a shared blood line. And on top of that they have secrets they have never shared with each other. Each sister, at various times share a number of memories from their common childhood, some happy and some not so happy, but each quickly discovers that the others do not share the memory at all, or else remember events in a totally different light. And according to the play’s director, Sligo Drama Circle’s Ursula Smullen, the production will bring a smile to everyone’s face.

“There is nothing like a funeral to bring a family together or tear them apart,” she said. “The Memory of Water is a slightly irreverent but hilarious piece of theatre focussing on three sisters as they prepare to bury their mother Vi and this production promises to make you laugh until you cry.” The play will run at 8.00pm until Saturday, with tonight’s performance hoping to raise €2000 towards computer equipment at St Edward’s National School. And on Friday, the group will hold their 50th Anniversary Gala Night, which will be followed afterwards by a wine reception.

It will be a night of reminiscing as the Drama Circle look back on their first production, “Thy Dear Father” by Gerard Healy which ran from November 18 to 20 1956 in Sligo Town Hall, with tickets priced at three shillings and six pence. There will also be an exhibition in the foyer celebrating 50 years of The Drama Circle, with programmes, posters and memorabilia from shows over the years. Tickets for the play at priced at €12/€15 while the Gala night is priced at €20.

from The Sligo Champion, June 21st, 2006