As term comes to an end, DU Players plans to go out with a bang. From November 26th to December 1st, the society will host Women’s Week, a week dedicated to celebrating women in theatre and the arts. From female-led productions, to workshops, talks, events and installations, DU Players is playing a vital part in continuing the conversation of gender equality in theatre, while also addressing pressing issues affecting women in society. Speaking with Marcus Bateson, the society’s Festival and Workshop Coordinator, The University Times got an inside look at the week ahead.
Central to the week’s proceedings are two female-led productions running in the theatre. Bateson sang the praises of the productions, saying they are “a great opportunity to showcase the amazing talent among the women of DU Players across all theatre fields”. First up, showing at 1pm daily, is Blooded, written by Isabel Wright and directed by Antonia Brady. The production focuses on a group of restless girls as they strive to make the most of their Summer. In the evenings, Stage Kiss will play from 7pm, with Wednesday’s performance beginning at 5pm. Written by Sarah Ruhl and directed by Sarah O’Sullivan and Kirsty Murphy, the show follows two actors, once linked, as they find themselves cast opposite one another as romantic leads in a forgotten 1930s melodrama.
As part of the festival, the society will see two very special guests dropping in. Fresh off the success of Class (Dublin Theatre Festival 2017, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2018), Iseult Golden will host a playwriting workshop this Wednesday at 3pm. Doireann Garrihy, a Trinity drama graduate, will also join the society on Tuesday at 3pm. A veteran of television and radio, Garrihy has most recently been seen co-hosting the revived Podge and Rodge Show on RTE. The guests represent the variety afforded to the society’s members this week. The Wednesday night event, God is a Woman, will see the society stage a nativity play with a feminist twist and live music.
Bateson also went on to mention the art installations that will inhabit the society’s home this week. On the staircase leading into the society’s building, an installation of hanging underwear seeks to address the recent Cork Rape Trial. This fits in the message of the festival as a whole, with Bateson stating “it is important to acknowledge and challenge the gender inequalities and discrimination that are ever present with the theatre industry and society”. Between 3pm and 6pm on Tuesday, an installation of a woman of colour catching the last bus home from college can be seen in society’s dressing rooms. Both installations seek to open discourse on challenges facing women in society today.
The week ahead showcases a society striving to address difficulties faced by women in the theatre industry and society, while also celebrated the wealthspring of talent available within the walls of DU Players. Continuing the momentum of movements such as Waking the Feminists, the society adds an essential voice in the scope of Dublin theatre.
