January 2016 #wakingthefeministswest - A season of student-led theatre showcasing women’s voices past and present

Inspired by the recent #WakingTheFeminists movement, #wakingthefeministswest is a Galway-based season of plays and performances by Irish women led by NUI Galway Drama and Theatre Studies students and supported by the Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance.  The programme’s mission is to stage the work of Irish women playwrights and theatre-makers, both past and present, as well as to provide strong roles for female performers. 

This season will commence in January 2016 and conclude in May 2016, featuring multiple events each month. The season particularly seeks to highlight a diverse range of female voices from the west of Ireland and will include theatre, dance, devised work, work from the archive and offerings from new and developing writers.

This initiative is being led by Drama and Theatre Studies Ph.D. students Justine Nakase and Nelson Barre, and involves participation from students from first year to Ph.D. level, as well as staff.  Nakase and Barre offer that they are interested in ‘excavating historic women’s voices and elevating contemporary ones’ and hope that this programme actively challenges the argument that women’s lack of representation in theatre as playwrights among other roles is due to a ‘lack of female talent.’

The programme will be launched by Irish Times Theatre award nominated designer, arts manager and leader of #WakingTheFeminists, Lian Bell, on 28 January at 7PM in the Hardiman Research Building, Room G010 and all are welcome. 

January and February #wakingthefeministwest performances will include: 

• Lady Augusta Gregory, Grainne, directed by Justine Nakase, (28 and 29 January, Bank of Ireland Theatre, 8PM)
• 100 Shades of Grey, devised by the ensemble, directed by Charlotte McIvor, (8 and 9 February, Bank of Ireland Theatre, 8PM)
• Elizabeth Connor, Mount Prospect, directed by Ciara O’Dowd and Thomas Conway, Druid Director-in-Residence, (25 and 26 February, Town Hall Studio Theatre, 8:30PM)

The further programme will be announced in February. 

NUI Galway and the Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance is an ideal base for #wakingthefeministswest. The season’s programme will draw on resources unique to the university, including specialised archives such as the Abbey Digital Archive, a thriving local arts scene, the expertise of the faculty at the Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance and the connection to the Irish language.

#wakingthefeministswest builds on the West of Ireland’s rich history of strong female figures, both in theatre and at large. From the Abbey’s Lady Augusta Gregory to Druid’s Garry Hynes, from the pirate queen Graínne Mhaol to Mary Robinson, the women of the west have had a huge impact on Ireland’s history and culture. #wakingthefeministswest celebrates and honours the women of the west by giving them life and a voice on the Irish stage.

For further information on the programme or ticket reservation, contact wakingthefeministswest@gmail.com 

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