realisation

Anyone who is curious what I think about the shows I have seen must have been very disappointed about my lack of posts on the topic. The problem is that I realised that the theatre world is too small in Ireland to be honest about ones opinions. In a country where almost every show gets a standing ovation at some point and where no-one (except maybe your best friends, and even those only with proper training and encouragement) will tell you to your face if they didn’t like your show (though they will tell others what they really thought, if they believe it won’t be carried to your ears), you can’t be honest. Because of this habit nobody would know how to react to a negative response. The few times I have been honest people took it pretty personally, which it wasn’t of course, but there you go. When you are unable to receive criticism, when you take it personally, you are very likely to fall out with the person who was honest. And, in a theatre world as small as Dublin, nobody can afford to fall out with others, because chances are you will work with that person at some point, or you would like to in any case. Especially as a young practitioner, recently out of college, beginning to build up a network of connections you don’t want to alienate potential future work-partners. So, for now, i hold my tongue and think my opinions. If you do ask me what they are I will tell you honestly, but I won’t put it into writing. Maybe one day I will.

I am really excited about this news: I am going to participate in a model making course with David Neat (author of Model-making: Materials and Methods) in December. I had head of him for years, but was always under the impression that it would either be far too expensive or that the courses would be sold out immediately anyway and when I recently checked his website there were in fact no courses advertised.

However, I chose to get in touch through a comment on a post about those courses and received an answer almost at once! And even more surprisingly got the answer that there would indeed be two courses this year. So I very quickly checked my diary and asked for a place in the December course. There are only 6 places in each one, so I consider myself extremely fortunate.

During my MFA I always thought that model-making was one of my weaker sides and this course entails everything, from a basic introduction to building materials, scaling, to detailed furniture, mould making and texturing techniques and paints and painting. I am really looking forward to it already. I am applying for a travel and training award from the Arts Council, but even if I shouldn’t get it, the course is booked and I will be attending! I wouldn’t let such an opportunity slip through my fingers for anything!