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Sarah Jane Drummey.
TRALEE actress Sarah-Jane Drummey is on the verge of joining the prestigious American Film Institute (AFI) Conservatory Directing Workshop for Women in Hollywood, California.
Over 400 women applied to enrol with one of the world’s top film schools and Sarah-Jane was among the 40 who made it through to the interview stage putting her into contention to be one of the eight people to be accepted into the program.
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To celebrate being shortlisted and to help cover the production budget for her next film Roisin Dubh, a post apocolyptic tale about three Kerry natives fighting for survival in 2085, Sarah-Jane’s theatre friends in Tralee will come together to present a fun night of family entertainment at Siamsa Tíre Theatre on Thursday 24th March.
The show, Tralee to Hollywood: A Theatrical Journey, directed by Oliver Hurley, will feature performances from the casts of Siamsa Tíre and Tralee Musical Society, John Drummey, Aidan O’Carroll, Lauralee Murphy, Alan Teahan, Bryan Carr, Olive Donegan and many more.
Sarah-Jane, who began her theatrical career in Tralee at the age of seven, said: “The AFI Directing Workshop for Women is committed to educating and mentoring directors to increase the extraordinarily low percentage of women working professionally in screen directing. Being from Tralee, and starting my career with Siamsa Tire has helped enormously in getting me to this exciting point in life – making films that celebrate the rich culture, heritage and people of this remarkable county. No matter what the outcome of the AFI program, I am forever grateful to the talent and generosity of the people of Kerry for this incredible opportunity to further my career as a filmmaker and will strive to make them proud.”
After her work with Siamsa Tire she went on play pivotal roles on some of the world’s main stages, with Druid Theatre, The Abbey Theatre, Rough Magic and London’s Royal National Theatre. On screen she played numerous roles in film and TV but it was soon after moving to Los Angeles that Sarah-Jane switched her focus behind the camera, landing a producer’s assistant position with Kathleen Kennedy (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) on the Academy Award nominated movie War Horse, directed by Steven Spielberg.
Sarah-Jane recently wrote, produced and directed her first short film, Good Fight, which will be premiered at the upcoming Dingle International Film Festival at 11am on Friday, March 18 in St James Church.
Tralee to Hollywood: A Theatrical Journey will commence at 8pm on Thursday, March 24 at Siamsa Tíre Theatre Foyer and followed by reception with light refreshments in Kirby’s Brogue Inn, Tralee.
Tickets will cost only €20 with all proceeds from the show going towards the budget associated with producing her short film Roisin Dubh, which is one of the school requirements. Production of the film will begin in July 2016.
To book tickets for a great night and to support a talented Tralee-woman, contact Siamsa Tíre Theatre on 066 7123055 or visit www.siamsatire.com
