Speakers
Eavan Boland:
Has published nine books of poetry, the latest of which Domestic Violence is published in Spring 2007. Forthcoming in Autumn 2007 is The Making of a Sonnet: A Norton Anthology, co-edited with
Edward Hirsch. She is Mabury Knapp Professor in Humanities at Stanford University and Director
of the Creative Writing programme there. She divides her time between California and Dublin,
where she lives with her husband, writer Kevin Casey.
Nicholas Grene:
Professor of English Literature at Trinity College, Dublin, he was the first Director of the Synge
Summer School. His publications include The Politics of Irish Drama (1999),
Interpreting Synge: Essays from the Synge Summer School (2000) and Irish Theatre on Tour,
edited with Chris Morash (2005).
Ben Levitas:
Lecturer in Drama at Goldsmiths’ College London. His book, The Theatre of Nation: Irish Drama
and Cultural Nationalism 1890-1916 (2002), was awarded the Michael J. Durkan Prize for Books
on Language and Culture by the American Conference for Irish Studies. Co-edited with Richard
Cave and deriving from a conference they organised at the National Portrait Gallery,
Irish Theatre in England will be published in 2007.
Patrick Lonergan:
Lectures in English at National University of Ireland – Galway. He is Reviews Editor of
Irish Theatre Magazine and writes about theatre in the west of Ireland for The Irish Times.
He has published on the works of many Irish dramatists, including Martin McDonagh,
Sean O’Casey and Brian Friel, and is currently completing a book on Irish Theatre and Globalization.
Fiona Macintosh:
Senior Research Fellow at the Archive of Performances of Greek and Roman Drama,
University of Oxford. She is the author of Dying Acts: Death in Ancient Greek and
Modern Irish Drama (1994) and, with Edith Hall, Greek Tragedy and the British Theatre
1660-1914 (2005).
Anna McMullan:
Chair in Drama Studies at Queen’s University Belfast. Her main teaching and research areas
are the drama of Samuel Beckett, contemporary Irish theatre, and gender and performance.
Her latest book, Performing Embodiment in Samuel Beckett’s Theatre and Media Plays,
will be published in 2007. She co-edited The Theatre of Marina Carr (2003) with Cathy Leeney.
Éilís Ní Dhuibhne:
BA in Pure English and PhD in Folklore from University College Dublin. She is Assistant Keeper
in the National Library of Ireland, where she co-curated the current Yeats Exhibition and edited
the book, W.B. Yeats: Works and Days (2006). Her novel, The Dancers Dancing, was
short-listed for the Orange Prize. She has published novels, short stories and plays in both
Irish and English.
Richard Pine:
Director Emeritus of the Durrell School of Corfu, which he founded in 2001. He is the author
of The Diviner: the art of Brian Friel (1999), Lawrence Durrell: The Mindscape (1994)and
The Thief of Reason: Oscar Wilde and Modern Ireland (1995). His most recent book is
Music and Broadcasting in Ireland (2005). He divides his time between Corfu and Connemara.
Anthony Roche (Director):
Associate Professor in the School of English and Drama at University College Dublin.
His publications include Contemporary Irish Drama: From Beckett to McGuinness (1994),
The Cambridge Companion to Brian Friel (2006) and many articles and chapters on
twentieth-century Irish dramatists. He is currently a President’s Research Fellow at UCD.
Ann Saddlemyer:
The editor of Synge’s plays and letters and has published books and articles on Synge, Yeats,
Lady Gregory and other Irish writers. Her most recent book, Becoming George:
The Life of Mrs. W.B. Yeats (2002), was short-listed for the James Tait Black award
for biography and she is currently preparing an edition of the letters between George
and W.B. Yeats for Oxford University Press.
Harry White:
Professor of Music at University College Dublin and former President of the Society for
Musicology in Ireland. His books include The Keeper’s Recital: Music and Cultural History
in Ireland, 1770-1970 (1998), Musical Constructions of Nationalism (2001) and
The Progress of Music in Ireland (2005). He is currently completing a study of the influence
of music on the Irish literary imagination.
Jim Culleton - Director of Drama Workshop
Artistic Director of Fishamble, which won an Irish Times Theatre Award
for WHEREABOUTS earlier this year and for which he recently directed
the award-winning MONGED in Liverpool and New York. He directed a
production of Synge's PLAYBOY for Scotland's Ensemble@Dundee Rep and
has also directed for Project Arts Centre, The Passion Machine, The
Ark, Second Age, the Abbey/Peacock, Tinderbox and many others. Future
plans include a new play by Sebastian Barry, THE PRIDE OF PARNELL
STREET, for Fishamble.
Fiach Mac Conghail - Opening Speaker
Director of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin since May 2005. Prior to this,
Adviser to John O'Donoghue, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism. He
was Artistic Director of Project Arts Centre from 1992 to 1999 and was
one of the founders and subsequently Chairman of the International
Dance Festival of Ireland. As an independent theatre producer has
produced Marina Carr's ARIEL at the Abbey and an adaptation of John
Banville's BOOK OF EVIDENCE for Kilkenny Arts Festival at the Gate. He
recently produced his first feature film, STUDS by Paul Mercier and
starring Brendan Gleeson.
Garry Hynes - Closing Session on Druid Synge
Founded Druid Theatre in Galway and worked as its Artistic Director,
first from 1975 to 1991 and then from 1995 to date. Artistic Director
of the Abbey Theatre Dublin from 1991 to 1994.
Has directed productions of classic plays by Synge and John B. Keane
and of contemporary work by Tom Murphy, Martin McDonagh and many
others. In 1998 she became the first woman to win a Tony Award for
Direection of THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE. In 2005 she directed
DruidSynge, all 6 of Synge's plays in a single programme, which toured
to the Edinburgh Festival, the Lincoln Centre in New York and Inishmaan
on the Aran Islands. Most recently she has directed a production of
Friel's TRANSLATIONS in New York.
Email: syngesummerschool@iolfree.ie