February 2012 NUI Galway Celebrates the Dramatic Arts with Third Annual Theatre Week

Theatrical forces will once again merge on campus for NUI Galway's Theatre Week. Celebrating NUI Galway’s commitment to the dramatic arts, Theatre Week will run from Monday, 27 February until Friday, 2 March. Now in its third year, the event showcases through theatre, literature and film, the many talents of NUI Galway students, societies and alumni. The launch of Theatre Week will take place in The View, Áras na Mac Léinn at 12.30pm on Monday, 27 February.

One of the highlights of the week is the Jerome Hynes One Act play series which features eight new one-act plays written by NUI Galway students. The plays will be performed during lunchtimes and evenings in The Cube, Áras na Mac Léinn. All eight can be seen at the Omnibus Edition on Friday, 2 March from 6pm, followed by an awards ceremony. Three student playwrights have also been working closely with NUI Galway’s radio station, Flirt FM which will broadcast these three radio plays during the week.

Throughout the week, Dramsoc will present two plays, Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues, proceeds in aid of the Galway Rape crisis centre, and a production of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Many of NUI Galway’s societies are getting involved in Theatre Week, including the Philosophy Society who will present a reading of Plato’s Republic, a philosophical discussion of justice written over 2,000 years ago. There will also be a politically motivated Flash Mob wedding party on campus celebrating an unholy union.

On Tuesday, 28 February, the Music and RockSoc will present a night of music performance at the Witless Showcase in the College Bar. FilmSoc will also present a selection of films based on a theatrical theme throughout the week.

Continuing its commitment to the arts, NUI Galway recently launched a new four-year degree programme, BA degree in Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies, which is designed for students with a keen interest in all aspects of drama and performance. Students on this new programme will have the opportunity to benefit from the dynamic partnerships forged by NUI Galway with key arts organisations including Druid Theatre Company, the Galway Arts Festival and Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe. The first intake of students for the new BA in Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies will be in September 2012. Applications will be accepted via the CAO process, on which the new course code is GY118.

Ríona Hughes, NUI Galway Societies Officer and Theatre Week Director, said: “Theatre Week in NUI Galway is a collaboration between the Societies and very talented drama students to show case the University's vibrant drama scene on campus and a demonstration of NUI Galway's commitment to producing professional dramatists of the future and supporting the tradition of high quality theatre of which Galway is justifiably proud.”

For full details on the programme of events visit www.socs.nuigalway.ie or http://www.socs.nuigalway.ie/download/file/34354/theatre%20week%20programme%20a3.pdf. Tickets for all events are available from the Socsbox in Áras na Mac Léinn, NUI Galway.

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