About Us
The Gaiety School of Acting was founded in 1986 by internationally-renowned Theatre Director Joe Dowling in response to the lack of full time actor training in Ireland at the time. The school is now widely regarded as the country’s premier training facility for actors. The policy of the Gaiety School of Acting is to train actors for the theatre, film and television industries. Through our two-year intensive acting programme an individual will grow in confidence and develop techniques which will enable them to respond to the challenges of theatre, film and television while also being pro-active in the development of new work. The school also provides an extensive programme of part-time courses for adults, children and young people.
Chairman: Joe Dowling
Joe Dowling, Guthrie Theater Artistic Director since 1995, has directed numerous Guthrie productions. He recently staged the American Premier of Brian Friel's newest play The Home Place. Other directorial credits include work for the Broadway stage as well as prominent theaters across the United States, England and Ireland. Mr. Dowling served as Artistic Director for the Abbey Theatre, the Abbey's second stage, the Peacock Theatre, the Irish Theatre Company and The Gaiety. He founded the Young Abbey, Ireland's first theatre-in-education group, and the Gaiety School of Acting, Ireland's premiere drama school. Mr. Dowling holds four Honorary Doctorates and is a member of the Artistic Directorate of the Globe Theatre in London. Under Mr. Dowling's leadership, his vision for a new Guthrie Theater has become a reality. The $125 million dollar three-theater complex, a National Center for Theater Arts and Theater Education, opened in June, 2006.
Director: Patrick Sutton
Patrick Sutton is Director of the Gaiety School of Acting and of Smock Alley Theatre. Patrick teaches Improvisation on the two year full time professional actor training course and regularly directs Gaiety School of Acting graduation plays. He was formerly Director of Wexford Arts Centre, Artistic Director of TEAM Educational Theatre Company as well as a board member of the Irish Museum of Modern Art. He is also Director of COMMUNICATE - a communications company working at the highest level in industry, politics and the arts.
Patrick has recently completed a seven-year term as a member of the Arts Council and is currently a board member of Culture Ireland, The Arts for Peace Foundation and the Gaiety School of Acting. As a writer (Tony Barrow), he has written Iscarriot and Magdalen, and is currently preparing an October 2007 tour of Eastern Europe of both plays.
Facilities
The G.S.A. is accessed from Sycamore Street in Temple Bar. The main studio spaces are located on the first and second floors, together with a smaller studio for individual work. The facilities include changing rooms, common area and showers.
How to Find us
The school is situated in the heart of Dublin City and is thus adequately served by bus and rail. A map of Dublin City Centre is provided for your convenience.
