A few weeks after their most successful run of shows yet, creative director Jacinta McBride from the Carrigaline Musical Society gave Eve Lonergan an insight into the behind-the-scenes.
The Carrigaline Musical Society started in 2016, when Jacinta decided that Carrigaline needed something fresh. Jacinta, who had previously been involved in other societies, approached her neighbour, Marian O'Mahony, and they began the process together.
"I walked into the Community Complex, and I said to the secretary: 'Can I start up a musical society?'" Jacinta recalls. "And she said: 'Who are you?'"
"This was in January; I had just moved to Carrigaline in November. I said, 'ok, I know you think I'm crazy; I don't know whether you will be up for it or not'."
Community complexes support musical societies up and down the country, and now Carrigaline is no different. After taking it to the association, the ball got rolling, and a few short months later, the Carrigaline Musical Society put on their first production: Annie.
Starting from scratch, they sourced €300 by fundraising locally. With gracious donations from Paddy Cronin of The Corner House and current MEP Michael McGrath, they bet their bottom dollar on making Annie a success.
The team chose Annie as their first production to give local kids the opportunity to get involved in something new. Parents volunteered to help run the show, and Jacinta recalls how enthusiastic the reception was from the community: "They weren't expecting that standard. The kids were outstanding."
"We had three lights, two at the side and one follow spot, a mobile stage we brought into the complex. We put on the show and made about €10,000."
Eight years later, the non-profit society has grown yearly, with a large group of volunteers and casts of all ages. "We've always just been fortunate with the casts; everyone just gets on," Jacinta reflects.
Their most recent production was the iconic The Addams Family. Though a deviation from some of the more beloved musical theatre classics, the show was a smash success, with five performances during Halloween week.
Jacinta credits the show's success to the incredible cast and production team and the immense funding efforts from the local community.
"This year, we got a donation of €10,000 from Ladies Day, which was monumental," Jacinta recalls. "So I was able to order extra lighting, which makes such a difference, and everybody could see it."
"The funding, we literally couldn't do without it," Jacinta reflects. "The businesses in Carrigaline are great. This year, we had a sponsor each night."
For a country so steeped in music and culture, governmental arts grants often don't fully meet the needs of small arts societies.
"The grants aren't a huge amount," Jacinta reflects. We get about €1000. When I say it's not a huge amount, it doesn't mean it's not relevant. We need every cent."
"Realistically, the majority of our funding we do ourselves from cake sales or quizzes."
"We never have the money that we would like to have; this year, we did, and I think even the audience was saying it was our best show yet."
Each production is an immense task, from getting licensing rights to hosting workshops and auditions to planning and rehearsals, all before the actual staging of the set. There is no stage in the community complex, which Jacinta describes as "a living nightmare."
Hiring the stage, building the set, and setting up lighting and sound equipment takes up the majority of the weekend before opening night. With months of planning and hours of rehearsal, running the Musical Society is close to a full-time job. However, it's all completely voluntary.
It's a love of musical theatre and a desire to provide a space for people to grow and excel within the craft that drives all the volunteers behind the society, including Jacinta.
"My main role is directing, and that's what I love doing, is directing the show, as opposed to all these other jobs in the background," she laughs.
The process of planning and executing a production takes months, with it all kicking off in January and running through November. However, coming into their ninth year, Jacinta has decided to change it up, pushing production out until the summer, when they'll begin a shorter but more intensive run.
With such a committed volunteer group and a core cast, the task ahead seems manageable. However, the Musical Society is always looking for new members to get involved and aspires to give newcomers a chance to experience the magic of live performance.
"We get new people every year, and we try to change it around," Jacinta explains. "From the very beginning, I've always wanted to give someone a lead who usually wouldn't get one. Obviously, you still need to have some level of talent, but it's not just the people who have gone to stage school for years and they've got every lead role they've ever gone for.
"The flip side of that is that there is then a lot of work to do with that person, but they always do it; they're committed."
One of the most important aspects of society is giving people a place to have fun, grow their confidence, and try something new.
"It's lovely to see, "Jacinta reflects. "Especially if someone's never done a lead before. Usually, on opening night, I'll stand down the back, and I'll watch them on stage and think back to their first night of rehearsals, and to see where they've come, it's an unbelievable feeling."
"Some people really need this society, really need this outlet," Jacinta explains. "I'd even go so far as to say it's a lifesaver for some people, whereas, for other people, it's just something that they've always wanted to do; for other people, it's something they never thought they'd have the confidence to do."
There's a certain magic in live performance that captures people's hearts each and every year, but for Jacinta, her heart only stops racing for a moment as she anxiously surveys the results of the hard work played out on stage.
"For me, every year, it's when the overture plays," she reflects. "And every year I'm like, oh god, I thought we'd never get to opening night."
"So when the minute the orchestra starts playing on opening night, that's the reward."
With the new year approaching, the Carrigaline Musical Society are entering into their ninth year. Looking back on all they've accomplished, Jacinta reflects back on their beginnings.
"It's imperative to say that I could not have done it without Marian O'Mahony and Lorna Hughes. The three of us were at the initial meeting, Betty Brosnan, our costume mistress, who was headhunted by the Opera House, and Ava Costin."
"But without the two of them [Marian and Lorna], I couldn't have started it at all. I mean, you can only go so far on your own; you need support."
With Annie in the works for next year, the Carrigaline Musical Society has announced it will soon be on the hunt for its next young star and on the lookout for an iconic curly red wig.
Comments