Actor Injured in Second Age's HAMLET Production

According to the NY Times, an actor playing the leading role in Hamlet at the Second Age Theatre was hospitalized last night after being hit and collapsing on stage. Conor Madden has since been released, but he will miss two performances and might return to the show by Wednesday.

Second Age Theatre Company was established in 1989 by Alan Stanford, Ronan Smith, Brian O'Donoghue and Martin Drury as a response to the demand from Second Level schools for a dedicated Production Company to present curriculum based texts, especially those of William Shakespeare. At that time, ad hoc productions were occasionally staged but of an uneven quality and at irregular intervals. It was felt by the company founders that something more permanent was required and offering a more complete package to the students. Since then Second Age has offered regular productions of the major texts for study and in a time frame suited to the study programme of the schools.

Second Age focuses on producing Shakespeare and contemporary Irish classics for young audiences with particular emphasis on the plays being studied by Second Level Leaving Certificate students. As well as performing in Dublin, the company tours throughout Ireland at least once a year. Since 1989 half a million second level students will have gained their first experience of serious professional theatre and of Shakespeare at a Second Age production. In addition, the company has built a considerable following among theatre audiences for its productions and is now a regular feature of the Irish theatre circuit.

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