Nenagh Players onstage this weekend
After having to cancel their performances of 'Duet for One' last month due to the severe weather, the Nenagh Players are returning to Nenagh Arts Centre on April 13th and 14th, at 8pm each night, to perform their festival play, Tom Kempinski's 'Duet for One' following their tour of the Drama Festival Circuit.
In this powerful and moving play Stephanie Abrahams (Ciara O'Sullivan), a brilliant concert violinist who has it all, is forced to re-evaluate her life when struck down by an unforeseen tragedy. Faced with a truth too difficult to comprehend, she consults psychiatrist Dr Feldmann (Kevin Walshe) and through a series of highly charged encounters is led to examine her deepest emotions and finally to consider a future without music.
Through the course of their encounters in his consulting room, Dr Feldmann delicately probes away at Stephanie's brittle coating of resilience, to expose the truth about her background, her marriage and her self-esteem.
The play is blessed with wit, insight and a refusal to wallow in misfortune. This is a beautiful piece of drama, directed by Donal Bray.
To book tickets for 'Duet for One', go to http://nenagharts.com/index.php/tickets/ or call 067-34400.
Donal Bray was a first-time director; prior to this he had played a number of different acting roles in Nenagh Players plays. One of his more memorable roles was as Jack in the 'Outgoing Tide', which got to the All Ireland Drama Festival in 2014. Despite his inexperience in the role, Donal got several nominations for best director across the drama festival circuit and won the best director award in the Glenamaddy Drama Festival.
Donal loved the script the first time he read it, and says that the script dictates everything. He found auditions difficult as a director as he had to try to imagine what the play would turn out like, and there's no way to tell that. For Donal the first glimpses of character were inspiring to see, but he says it feels like there's never enough time.
Donal enjoyed learning about lights, sound, actors, stage presentation and working together. He complimented the crew, saying they were brilliant and enhanced the outcome. He really enjoyed the festival run, saying it was a lot of fun, as well as being a great learning curve. Donal was more nervous about directing than he ever was about acting.
Donal liked the transition from actor to director. He likes the idea of getting everything working together where possible. He thinks that it will help the acting process, to understand it from different angles.
He encourages people to get involved in the Nenagh Players; he said there's a role for everybody, whether it be onstage or backstage.
If you would like to get involved, please come along to our AGM on April 24th at 8pm in the Nenagh Players Store (beside Cinnamon Alley), or email nenaghplayers@gmail.com/
The Nenagh Players missed out on performing in the All Ireland Drama Festival in Athlone by one point. While disappointed, they thoroughly enjoyed the festival run and are very proud of the director Donal, the cast, Kevin and Ciara, and the amazing crew led by stage manager Noel Stanley.