Stage is Set for Historical Drama Production

Congregations at weekend masses in Sligo’s Holy Cross Church may have felt slightly out of place. For with the days ticking away to the opening night of the eagerly awaited “Triumph of Calvary” production, the church is gradually taking the appearance of a first class theatre. And according to some of the top people connected with the historic production, the Holy Cross Church is exactly that. Says Stage Manager, Joe Meehan, “The church is ideally suited to this type of production. Apart from the fact that it doesn’t have the plush seats one normally associates with theatres, it is as good as any theatre in the country”. And the suitability of the venue is just one of the many reasons why those closely involved with the production believe it will be a huge success.

The mammoth production is being jointly undertaken by Sligo Choral Society and Sligo Drama Circle, and it is certainly the most elaborate local presentation since the Drama Circle staged the last Passion Play at the old Holy Cross Church in the early 1970’s. The link between the two doesn’t end there. Quite a number of the original cast are back, most notably Tom Mullaney in the role of Jesus, and the man who was responsible for the seventies production Walter Mc Donagh is back at the helm. It is interesting to note, too, that some of the original cast had never previously been on stage and some of the present cast haven’t acted since that last production. But that does not pose any real problems. Explains Walter: “The fact that some of the cast haven’t acted for ten years only goes to prove the depth of talent that exists in Sligo. We are fortunate to be able to draw from such a talented pool”.

Nonetheless, the task of producing a play that involves over one hundred people told must be a pretty demanding one. In that regard, Walter’s experience with the last Passion Play, when he was greatly assisted by the late Tom Palmer, is now proving invaluable. His most important role now is to blend the talents of the drama people on the one hand and the choral society on the other. “Both groups are blessed with an abundance of talent. I am mainly concerned with the drama, but I have worked closely with Musical Director, Mrs. Maura Butler, from the Choral Society. We have been in constant consultation since the idea was first promoted and the combination is working extremely well”, says Walter. So well, in fact, that the producer, musical director, choir and cast are all looking forward to opening night with confidence.

Dress rehearsals have been taking place all over the weekend, when guest organist, Martin White of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh, joined rehearsals for the first time, and the final finishing touches will be added tonight (Tuesday). All will then be set for tomorrow night’s opening performance, which is guaranteed a packed house of about seven hundred people. “There is a tremendous air of confidence in both groups. You never know how close you are to perfection until you actually go out and perform before an audience, because only the paying customer can really judge how successful you’ve been. But we’re confident we’ve got it just right”, says Walter.

Being a modest man, Walter goes to great lengths to point out that his is not the only important behind-the-scenes contribution. Everybody from the publicity team to the set designers has played an important role, and all have done the job magnificently. Stage Manager, Joe Meehan, believes that the lighting system used for the production will be the most elaborate ever employed for a local production. The man responsible for that particular chore is John Mc Gettrick who has had four or five people working with him full time for the past week. “It was a massive operation, because the lighting is probably the most important aspect of the overall production. But John is an absolute wizard in this field, and he’s worked wonders”, says Joe.

Joe’s own job is a hefty undertaking too. As Stage Manager, he is responsible for the co-ordination of the backstage preparations that go into a production of this magnitude. He says modestly: “It’s really only a title”, but no stage production could ever succeed without a good stage manager and Joe Meehan is as good as you’ll find in this corner of the world. And so everything is set for tomorrow night. The work will also be presented on Friday and Sunday of this week, commencing at 8.30pm each night. Tickets at £1.50 are available at Brodericks, Keohanes and the Yeats Building and there are special reductions for students and senior citizens.

All in all, the production represents a tremendous workload for over one hundred people – and all for just three performances. But those involved believe it will be all worth while and by the end of the week we expect the people of Sligo will be in total agreement.

from The Western Journal, by Jim Gray, March 28th, 1980