Madam, - As reported by Lorna Siggins in your edition of November 12th, Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe, the national Irish language theatre, is to undergo a restructuring process ordered by its board of directors. This entails three redundancies, including that of artistic director Darach Mac Con Iomaire and, more worrying still, the abolition of his post in favour of a new post of managing director.
For the past five years, under the leadership of Mr Mac Con Iomaire, An Taibhdhearc has gone from strength to strength, gaining national recognition for its high standard of theatre and prolific productions. Thirty-two professional productions, including 17 original scripts have been presented, garnering two ESB/Irish Times nominations and the Stewart Parker/\BBC award. A youth theatre project has also been established and the annual turnover has been at least tripled.
An Taibhdhearc has become a professional company in the true sense, with a linear evolution of quality and style, as happens when vision is given the freedom and backing necessary for its fruition.
We the undersigned, having worked at An Taibhdhearc, are very concerned about the proposed changes. While understanding the board's expressed desire for a greater variety of directors, we feel this will sacrifice the very cohesion that has brought An Taibhdhearc forward so quickly and strongly in the past five years. We don't believe a theatre can be run creatively without an artistic director.
While we realise that change is inevitable, and acknowledging the necessity for some change - a PR person would raise the profile of Irish theatre's best-kept secret! - we feel that such a radical change to a strucure whose record of quality is beyond reproach would be a disservice to An Taibhdhearc, to theatre in Ireland and to the Irish language. - Is muidne,
MORGAN COOKE (actor musician); PEADAR Ó TREASAIGH (actor); DONNCHA MAC CON IOMAIRE (actor/ sound technician); SUSIE LAMB (actor); ROB USHER (lighting technician); BRÍDÍN NIC DHONNCHA (actor); TARA BREATHNACH (actor); ADRIAN Ó CHIADHRA (production manager); ORLAGH DE BHALDRAITHE (stage manager); BLATHNAID DE RÓISTE (stage manager); MAIREAD Ó CULÁIN (assistant); KELLY McMAHON (assistant), Middle Street, Galway.