Theatre aficionado stages act of love

A TOWN’S love of the theatre rubbed off on John Ryan before he headed for New York nearly 50 years ago to pursue his dreams.

The Ballysally man never forgot the plays he had seen staged at the North Cork Drama Festival and the memorable performances by some of the country’s leading amateur actors.

He and other members of his family have had a long and active involvement with drama in Charleville and elsewhere.

And over the past few years he has always arranged that one of his regular visits home from the United States coincided with the festival in his home town.

“I love the stage. I have directed plays myself and I take a great interest after each performance at the festival in what the adjudicator has to say about the production,” he said.

But this year, John has done more than just take an interest in what is one of the country’s longest-running drama festivals, which opens tonight at the local Community Hall and continues until April 1.

He has presented two trophies to the festival to be awarded to those chosen by adjudicator Scott Marshall as the best supporting actor and best supporting actress over the nine productions.

The actor award is in memory of his late brother, Francie Ryan, who was involved with amateur drama in London, while the actress award commemorates his late cousin, Maureen Ryan, from Newtownbarry, who was involved in stage productions in New York.

Festival director Elizabeth O’Gorman promised a balanced programme of plays at the 54th festival.

The opening play will be a musical version of John B Keane’s Many Young Men of Twenty by Doonbeg Drama Group, Co Clare, with Brideview Drama Group, Tallow, Co Waterford, staging Dale Wasserman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest on Saturday night.

Sebastian Barry’s Our Lady of Sligo will be the Sunday night production by Skibbereen Drama Group, with another Co Cork group, Palace Players, presenting Son of Man by Dennis Potter on Monday night. Ballyduff Drama Group, Co Waterford, will bring the curtain down on the festival with Orphans by Lyle Kessler on Saturday night April 1, after which the results will be announced and the awards presented.