UCD Dramsoc

UCD Dramsoc is the official student drama society of University College Dublin. The society was founded in 1927, operating every year since, excluding the 1942/43 session. As of 2017, the society is in its 91st Session, making it one of the oldest societies in the University. Since it was founded, the society has had two central objectives which are key to its ethos; first, to be a training ground for emerging talent by pursuing and fostering principles of dramatic excellence. Second, to be a social arena through which UCD students can form lasting friendships from a shared interest in the dramatic arts. Staging between 25 to 30 shows per year, Dramsoc remains the most active society on campus.
History
UCD Dramsoc has gone through many stages of development during its history. It began in the Georgian setting of Newman House at the original site of University College Dublin on St. Stephen's Green. It then transferred to UCD's second home at Earlsfort Terrace before finally arriving in Belfield in the 1960s. Since this time the society has grown from its meagre roots to become Europe's most active drama society with an annual membership of around 1000 students. In 2004 €90,000 was invested into the dramsoc theatre by the college. Located in the John Henry Newman Building, the theatre gained a new lighting and sound system, a new movable lighting rig and movable seating rig and a revamped Front of House Area. UCD dramsoc has the most comprehensive student society theatre in the country. This is due to be improved even more when the society moves into the UCD Student Centre; with construction due to be completed in early 2011.
dramsoc has been honoured with the title of UCD's Society of the Year for three of the last five years. In 2004 President of UCD, Hugh R. Brady, spoke about the society's commitment to standards of excellence and emphasised its contribution to the colleges' life. Through the pursuit of a hectic performance schedule Dramsoc has been a forum for learning the invaluable qualities of leadership, teamwork, artistic endeavour, technical ability and the ancient skill of live performance.
Awards and Achievements
In its lifetime the society has proved that its internal efforts pay off outside of the University itself. The society has always performed well at the Irish Student Drama Association Festival (ISDA); in 2006 Dramsoc was awarded five of the eleven awards at ISDA, having been nominated in every category and a number of former members have gone on to garner professional success. In 2011, the society's production of Tom Murphy's 'A Whistle In the Dark' won five awards at the festival, including Best Overall Production; in total, UCD Dramsoc was nominated in ten out of twelve categories overall.
In 2012, Dramsoc beat all past records by being nominated for ten awards out of twelve and winning six. Five of those awards going to The Walworth Farce directed by Brenda Moreau (Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Costume and Makeup Design).
Subsequently, in 2015, Dramsoc received nominations in eleven out of thirteen categories, and won a total of seven awards for Best Lighting Design - Shane Gill for My Mother Said I Never Should
Best Sound Design by Matt Jones for My Mother Said I Never Should, Best Set Design by Tiarnán Fallon Verbruggen for My Mother Said I Never Should, Best Costumes and Makeup by Gill Lambert for Bedbound, Best Actress for Amy O'Brien in My Mother Said I Never Should, Best Director for Rosa Bowden and My Mother Said I Never Should and finally Best Overall Production for My Mother Said I Never Should. In 2016 then, Dramsoc took home four awards at ISDA Festival, along with being nominated in nearly every category.The winners included Best Sound by Mark MacCarthy with 'Duck', Ali Dempsey Mc Mahon for Best Actress in 'Duck', Rosa Bowden for Best Director with 'Duck' and Judges Discretionary award for the cast of 'Punk Rock'. UCD Dramsoc hosted the ISDA Festival for 2017, with Emmet Farrell winning Best Director for 'Revolt. She said. Revolt Again.', Best Ensemble in 'Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again.', Best Production 'Low Level Panic' and Best Supporting Actor, Lee Moran, in 'The Seafarer', as well as numerous nominations in almost every category. UCD Dramsoc was winner of Best Poster
Hamlet and Best Publication for 'Dramsoc Anthology of Plays: Vol 1' at the UCD Society of the Year Awards 2016/2017.
Mission Statement
(i) The name of the Society shall be the University College Dublin Drama Society, otherwise
‘UCD Dramsoc’. The Society shall constitute the sole bearer of the title of ‘College Drama
Society’.
(ii) The Society shall aim to promote, facilitate and encourage the dramatic arts among the
students and staff of UCD, and, by this means, amongst a wider audience.
(iii) The Society shall seek to gain and retain the status of Recognised Society within the college.
To this end the Society shall maintain a fruitful relationship with the Academic Council of the
college or its officers, for its mutual benefit.
(iv) The society shall operate a theatre space within the UCD campus.
Current Committee
UCD Dramsoc is coordinated by its elected committee each year who are responsible for the upkeep of the society and is achieved through the coordination of individuals and departments.
The current committee for the 91st Session is as follows:
Auditor: Ailish Toal,
Treasurer: Caoimhe Higgins,
Secretary: Leanne Bergin,
Theatre Manager: Matt Jones,
Public Relations Officer: Katie Morris,
VDAs: Jack McWalters and Alex Fagan,
Prostups Managers: Róisín Monk and Spring Mitchell,
Production Managers: Cuán de Barra and Shannon Ferber,
Tech Managers: Roisin Yeates and Emily Bernet,
Events Officers: Mairead Burke and Johnjoe Irwin,
ISDA Rep and External Shows Officer: Ryan Fishwick,
Training and Development Officer: Jen Keating
Alumni
*Barry McGovern
*Neil Jordan
*Dermot Morgan
*Jason Byrne
*Brian Farrell
*Camille O'Sullivan
*Frank Kelly
*Conor McPherson
*Cearbhaill O'Dalaigh
*Chris O'Dowd
*Peter McDonald

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