The Gaiety School of Acting (GSA) is a

drama school A drama school, stage school or theatre school is an undergraduate and/or graduate school or department at a college or university; or a free-standing institution (such as the Drama section at the Juilliard School); which specializes in the pr ...

located on Essex Street West in Temple Bar,

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, Ireland. It was founded by theatre director

Joe Dowling Joe Dowling (born 27 September 1948) is an artistic director. He was artistic director for the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. He is known for his work as artistic director of the Abbey Theatre in Ireland and his produc ...

in 1986.

Organisation and location

The Gaiety School of Acting was founded in 1986 and is operated as a "self funded not-for-profit organisation". The school aims to train actors for theatre, film and television. The school is based in

Temple Bar, Dublin Temple Bar ( ga, Barra an Teampaill) is an area on the south bank of the River Liffey in central Dublin, Ireland. The area is bounded by the Liffey to the north, Dame Street to the south, Westmoreland Street to the east and Fishamble Street to t ...

, with "Young Gaiety" classes also taking place in satellite locations in Bray and

Malahide Malahide ( ; ) is an affluent coastal settlement in Fingal, County Dublin, Ireland, situated north of Dublin city. It has a village centre surrounded by suburban housing estates, with a population of over 17,000. Malahide Castle dates from th ...

Courses

The school runs a two-year full-time Professional Actor Training course, part-time and youth courses in locations across Dublin, as well as a Masters of Arts in Theatre Practice in association with

University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...

. One year part-time courses include a Performance Year and Advanced Performance Year in Acting, and a Performance Theatre Company course. Shorter ten-week courses are also offered. The school also hosts courses for international students, community and outreach schemes for Leaving Cert students, and corporate training programmes covering communication skills, leadership, and team building events.

Writers

Writers that the school has commissioned include

Marina Carr Marina Carr is an Irish playwright who has written almost thirty plays, including '' By the Bog of Cats'' (1998). Early life and education Carr was born in Dublin, Ireland, but spent the majority of her childhood in Pallas Lake, County O ...

Lally Katz Constance Lalage "Lally" Katz (born ) is an American and Australian dramatist writing for theater, film, and television. She now resides in Los Angeles. Early life Katz was born in New Jersey, United States. She was named for her aunt, Connie. ...

and Gary Duggan.

Notable graduates

The full time actor-training programme has produced graduate actors who have appeared in Irish theatres, in film and television nationally and internationally, and in theatres across England including The Royal Shakespeare Company and The National Theatre in London. Graduates of the school have included:

References

External links