Laois Youth Theatre Programme of events 2012

 Raymond Keane facilitated a series of workshops with Laois Youth Theatre in Spring as part of the Artist in Residence programme with the Dunamaise and to introduce the groups to clowning in advance of their performance in City of Clowns.

 Devising workshops with Rathdowney Youth Theatre leading to the development of the production of Sparkley Ninja Rainbow Ponies for presentation at a community showcase in Killasmeestia in Co. Laois to raise funds for the Cuisle Centre in Portlaoise which is a Cancer Support Centre. The showcase included singing, set dancing, comedy and drama. The Rathdowney Youth Theatre production was about sibling rivalry over a video game. It also featured at the Laois Youth Theatre Show exchange.

 Improvisation workshops with Portlaoise Youth Theatre to develop skills for the Mad-lib Plays showcase. These plays were written by the youth theatre members in a Mad-lib format. This allowed for audience interaction. The performers had a box of props and costumes on stage and had learned off the script with the keywords left out. These key words were extracted from the audience and playbacked to them in the Mad-lib plays. It was brilliant! And really well received.

 Members of both Portlaoise and Stradbally availed again this year of Fidget Feet's Aerial workshop at the Dunamaise in May.  The internationally acclaimed aerial dance group put youth theatre members  through their paces as they twisted and turned every which way on suspended loops of fabric – exhausting work!  The youth theatre members later attended the performance just to see how the professionals do it.

 Throughout the August and September some boys from Laois Youth Theatre attended workshops with actor/director Derrick Devine in preparation for The Rehearsal – Playing the Dane by Pan Pan Theatre which took place in Dunamaise Arts Centre in October.

 Portlaoise was one of the venues for the Street Performance World Championships. Unfortunately the weather prevented it from taking place outside on the second day. Regardless, the youth theatre members had great fun attending and helping out at the festival in it’s relocated indoor venue even though they didn’t get to set a record. In addition to being involved in a brilliant event and bringing welcome laughter to Ireland, the Wallys brought much needed assistance to orphans whose parents have died of AIDS and to abandoned children in Africa, as proceeds from the Where's Wally costume sales were donated to the charity Africa Aware.

 Over the Moon Spooky Harvest Fair was an outdoor festival open to the public and featured many locally run fun filled stalls like a fortune teller, fair games, storytelling, and much more. Laois Youth Theatre had a haunted house which members of the public could venture into and hope to escape out the other side! Outside there was also a HUGE moon with scaffolding behind it. The perfect location for Laois Youth Theatre’s live puppets which members of the public could go up the scaffolding stairs to control!

 Disco ’88 is a site specific devised piece inspired by exercises covered in the Leading On training weekend. This is a play with a divided roaming audience who observe the goings on at a teenage disco set in Portlaoise in 1988. The play content was devised by the youth theatre members under the direction of Áine Caulfield. The presentation in December is a work-in-progress production which will allow for the audience to offer feedback and allow the youth theatre to further develop this play in the new year.

 Brutus V James – The Table Tennis Play is a play devised by Rathdowney Youth Theatre. The play is about a rivalry between Brutus and James in an epic table tennis tournament. The play features all of Rathdowney Youth Theatre members in chorus and the rhyming verses are written by the senior members of the youth theatre.

 Drama Blast – This was free introductory workshop for local teens interested in joining Laois Youth Theatre. This free workshop was held in the Dunamaise Arts Centre and featured a short drama workshop facilitated by Siobhan Kane and Áine Caulfield. There was also the opportunity for perspective members to ask questions about the youth theatre from its leaders and members.

 Bring a friend Day – first workshop of the term was kicked off with Bring a friend day. This allowed all members to bring along a friend, free of charge to a fun filled introductory workshop at the youth theatre as an extra form of recruitment.

 Skills Sharing Network

 Following Leading on and NFYT there was much interest in reviving the Skills Sharing Network, a task I gladly took on. On 13th of August we had a meeting in Garage Theatre in Monaghan. There were two workshops:

 WORKSHOP 1: Recyclable Puppets

Recycle your old bits and bobs to create working puppets in this workshop hosted by Niamh McGrath of Mayo Youth Theatre. The workshop started with games and improv exercises to warm everyone up - then we made puppets and played with them in a scene with improv!

 WORKSHOP 2: Tried and tested - Our Favourite Drama Games

We all have our ‘go-to’ games for a drama workshop, or tried and tested exercises that we use again and again. In this workshop we shared these games with each other and discussed variations and even invented our own adaptations.

 On 13th November we had a second meeting this time in Backstage Theatre in Longford.  The workshop was facilitated by a special guest teacher, Angela Bracken, Drama Therapist.

 Story / Play Making - Experiential Sessions

 On the day, participants had the opportunity to explore and practice a story & playmaking structure. Initially there with an emphasis on 'Active Listening'. Participants also used a range of creative drama skills and techniques during the day. Through active engagement with the process, participants were  enabled, subsequently, to use the structure with their groups as a tool to facilitate devised theatre presentations. 

 We will continue the Skills Sharing Network in the new year. New members are always welcome.