Ours would appear to be an era of unprecedented variation in the
mediation of meaning - television, computer, the older forms of radio
and print.
Since, however, such profusion of resources has not of itself guaranteed
enhanced profundity or sophistication in our modes of understanding -
psychological, sociological, philosophical, historical, and
theological - the issue of the continued relevance of cultural forms,
dependent both on the human voice and on ritualization, presents itself
for consideration. How may modern people most tellingly relate to such
overwhelmingly verbal processes as teaching, be it an erudite lecture or
a classroom lesson with infants? Is singing, in the words of Tom Murphy,
'the only way to tell people who you are'? What, in particular, is the
contemporary usefulness for the building of societies of one of our
oldest and culturally valued rituals, that of drama?
The Fourth Seamus Heaney Lectures, 'Mirror up to Nature': Drama and
Theatre in the Modern World, given at St Patrick's College, Drumcondra,
between October 2006 and April 2007, addressed these and related
questions. The gifted play director, Patrick Mason, spoke with
exceptional insight on the essence of theatre. Thomas Kilroy,
distinguished playwright and critic, dealt with the topic of Ireland's
contribution to the art of theatre. Two world authorities, Cecily
O'Neill and Jonothan Neelands, gave inspiring accounts of the rich
potential of drama in the classroom. Brenna Katz Clarke, Head of English
at St Patrick's College, offered a delightful examination of the
relationship between drama and film. Finally, John Buckley,
internationally acclaimed composer, spoke on opera and its history,
while giving an illuminating account of his own
Words Upon The Window-Pane.
