By Kim O'Leary
A talented young actor and writer from Naas is set to make waves with his ground-breaking new play Ethan and Evan And All They Know Now, which explores the complicated relationship between two young men and is set to premier at the 15th International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival this weekend on Friday 11 May and Saturday 12 May in the Teachers Club.
Conor Burke, 23, is from Naas and he went to secondary school at Naas CBS, and he previously went to St. Corban’s and Ballycane primary schools. In 2015, Conor graduated from the Advanced Actor Training Course in Bull Alley Theatre Training Company, and this year he is set to graduate with a BA (Drama) degree from Queen Mary’s University in London.
Speaking to KildareNow about the festival which started on Monday 7 May and will run until 21 May, Conor said: “I'm feeling really nervous. Whenever you do a play, I always find that the days beforehand are always the worst part of the process. I think it's because you've worked on the production for so long, and with not that long to go, you start to stress about everything: I hope I don't forget my lines, I hope the audience will relate to the piece, I hope we get a good response. But I think that nerves are healthy, which is definitely a cliche, but a true one at that. We open on Friday at The Teachers Club in Dublin for a 7.30 show. Then we have another evening performance on the Saturday as well as a matinee at 2.30pm.”
The two performances of Ethan and Evan And All They Know Now will take place on Friday 11 May 2.30-8.30pm and Saturday 12 May 2.30-8.30pm which includes a matinee.
Conor added: “It's definitely a hectic build-up to the show, but I think it will all be worth it. I have the support of my family who are all coming to see the show on closing night, as well as some of my best friends. It's so exciting to have this play playing as part of the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival. It's such a great platform for upcoming theatre makers in every sense, and showcases some of the best work from LGBTQ theatre from around the world over the course of a two week period. It's very inspiring, to say the least!”
Conor will play the part of Ethan and he is joined by actor John Worthy who will play the role of Evan. The play runs for 60 minutes and it is written and directed by Conor.
L-R: Conor Burke and John Worthy will play Ethan and Evan in the ground-breaking play
Speaking about his play Ethan and Evan and All They Know Now ahead of its launch at the theatre festival, Conor said: “The play is about a young couple, Ethan and Evan, who have been together for a while now. They have sort of reached a crossroads in their relationship, and they’re eager to get things back on track, so they decide to talk to a group of people about their experiences as a young gay couple in 2018 in an attempt to understand themselves and the world around them in a better way.”
After this weekend, Conor will be going back to London to rehearse for his next play Sophie, Ben, and Other Problems which will premiere at the Assembly Studios at the Edinburgh Fringe in August. Tickets for Ethan and Evan And All The Know Now can be purchased gaytheatre.ie, and tickets for Sophie, Ben, and Other Problems can be found on edfringe.co
For more information about the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival visit www.gaytheatre.ie
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