Page 142 - Gonzaga at 60
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142
GONZAGA AT SIXTY: A WORK IN PROGRESS
The set of
Danton’s Death
the exoic mystery of Hassan. Darragh O’Connell has not only solved these dramaic problems
for over thirty years as arisic director of countless plays (as well as operas); he has engaged
hundreds of students in the acivity of creaive collaboraion in problem solving. Quite simply,
his seings have been unique. Someimes vividly detailed – the Puritan seing of Massachusets
for The Crucible, the Sun God’s palace at Cusco, the imperial seings for Amadeus, the deck of
HMS Pinafore, all like pictures from an exhibiion – or merely suggesive, like the recent Gothic
seing for Faust, his sets would be the envy of any professional director. We, and his students,
are immensely grateful to him, and he to Siobhan Keogh for her support and collaboraion in so
many producions.
And it is not the case that the Sixth Year play and the annual opera consitute Gonzaga
drama. Plays were oten a part of the Prep experience; producions by Phil Crosbie and Terry
Egan were a regular occurrence, and Ronan Ward directed a producion of Joseph. Drama classes
were for a ime a regular part of the Prep curriculum under the creaive care of Daphne Felton.
There was a ferile period of plays produced, obviously with a purpose, but never a blunt one, by
Brian Regan for the school Amnesty Group. Memorable among these was Anigone. There have
been perilous atempts at staging a Transiion Year play, and Padraic O’Sullivan made ediing and
producion of short English versions of the tragedies part of Transiion Year Greek. Recently a
module in drama has become a regular part of TY. In recent years a First Year play has become
Top: The set for Faust. regular also, and in one sense it represents what is best about the recent Gonzaga. For it has
Below: The set for Julius
Caesar become the tradiion for Sixth Years who have seen the beneits of drama for themselves to
give something back by direcing their younger peers. Oten the former are students with semi-
professional experience. Tim Forde and Mathew Smyth (’07) and Jack Gleeson (’10) gave most
generous and unassuming service in this way.
Drama, like many other aspects of Gonzaga life, has come of age. The fruits of its presence
in the school are to be seen in the number of the Past who have writen for this volume from
posiions in the world of theatre and ilm.
A part of one harks back nostalgically to the long nights of rigging lights (Gonzaga used to
have to borrow them from Muckross), with Fr Alan Mowbray in support, seeing out the early hours
while inexperienced boy-electricians swayed at the top of impossible ladders (no H&S then), or to
the unpredictable whims of the old wheel dimmer board. On the other hand, it is good to record
that over the years there has been a steady acknowledgement of the value of the work that so
many – teachers and taught – have put in. The inal recogniion comes in the form of our striking
new theatre. It must surely promote the posiion of drama among the arts in the school.
Michael Bevan
GONZAGA AT SIXTY: A WORK IN PROGRESS
The set of
Danton’s Death
the exoic mystery of Hassan. Darragh O’Connell has not only solved these dramaic problems
for over thirty years as arisic director of countless plays (as well as operas); he has engaged
hundreds of students in the acivity of creaive collaboraion in problem solving. Quite simply,
his seings have been unique. Someimes vividly detailed – the Puritan seing of Massachusets
for The Crucible, the Sun God’s palace at Cusco, the imperial seings for Amadeus, the deck of
HMS Pinafore, all like pictures from an exhibiion – or merely suggesive, like the recent Gothic
seing for Faust, his sets would be the envy of any professional director. We, and his students,
are immensely grateful to him, and he to Siobhan Keogh for her support and collaboraion in so
many producions.
And it is not the case that the Sixth Year play and the annual opera consitute Gonzaga
drama. Plays were oten a part of the Prep experience; producions by Phil Crosbie and Terry
Egan were a regular occurrence, and Ronan Ward directed a producion of Joseph. Drama classes
were for a ime a regular part of the Prep curriculum under the creaive care of Daphne Felton.
There was a ferile period of plays produced, obviously with a purpose, but never a blunt one, by
Brian Regan for the school Amnesty Group. Memorable among these was Anigone. There have
been perilous atempts at staging a Transiion Year play, and Padraic O’Sullivan made ediing and
producion of short English versions of the tragedies part of Transiion Year Greek. Recently a
module in drama has become a regular part of TY. In recent years a First Year play has become
Top: The set for Faust. regular also, and in one sense it represents what is best about the recent Gonzaga. For it has
Below: The set for Julius
Caesar become the tradiion for Sixth Years who have seen the beneits of drama for themselves to
give something back by direcing their younger peers. Oten the former are students with semi-
professional experience. Tim Forde and Mathew Smyth (’07) and Jack Gleeson (’10) gave most
generous and unassuming service in this way.
Drama, like many other aspects of Gonzaga life, has come of age. The fruits of its presence
in the school are to be seen in the number of the Past who have writen for this volume from
posiions in the world of theatre and ilm.
A part of one harks back nostalgically to the long nights of rigging lights (Gonzaga used to
have to borrow them from Muckross), with Fr Alan Mowbray in support, seeing out the early hours
while inexperienced boy-electricians swayed at the top of impossible ladders (no H&S then), or to
the unpredictable whims of the old wheel dimmer board. On the other hand, it is good to record
that over the years there has been a steady acknowledgement of the value of the work that so
many – teachers and taught – have put in. The inal recogniion comes in the form of our striking
new theatre. It must surely promote the posiion of drama among the arts in the school.
Michael Bevan
