Irish Theater

I’m so lucky to have had the pleasure to study with the Lir Drama School in Dublin Ireland. I began this journey to escape my life for a while and I ended up gaining so much more than I could have ever hoped for. The story begins with finding the class on a list-serve from one of the Improv Theaters here in Chicago. I saw it, thought it looked interesting and decided to throw my name into the hat to be chosen. When I got the email that I had been accepted it almost seemed impossible for me to go. But with the support of my friends, my family, and my employer, the stars seemed to align and the next thing I knew I was on a plane to the Emerald Isle. What I learned when I got there I guarantee I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I got to work on beautiful, rich plays as characters I could only hope to perform as one day.

My interest in movement work was rekindled when I got to work on Le Coq (with Bryan Burroughs) and Laban (with Sue Mythen). With Bryan, what hit home with me was how specific you could really be with every limb and joint in your body, and by doing so, focus your ability to communicate. With Sue, I was opened physically and emotionally because the exercises forced me to be present in the circumstances presented to me. I had forgotten how important movement is for our ability to communicate a story effectively.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my fellow classmates all of whom are wonderful, talented artists that I hope to work with again one day.

By the end of this four week period of diving in and out of different plays, dialects, and movement work, we as a class put on a performance of different scenes and songs to put into practice all that we had learned. I personally got to be a part of Beckett's Waiting for Godot where I played Estragon, and O'Casey's Plough and the Stars where I played Rosie. Both of the characters allowed me to stretch and grow as an actor, whether it was in Beckett's specificity of movement and comedic timing, or with Rosie's dialect and presence.

All in all, this was an amazing experience and I‘ll certainly never forget it! I'd like to thank all that I worked with and who supported my adventure.