Second Age
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. Thereafter Second Age offered regular productions of the major texts for study and in a time frame suited to the study programme of the schools. Second Age focused 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 toured throughout Ireland at least once a year. Between 1989 and 2013 well over half a million second level students gained their first experience of serious professional theatre and of Shakespeare at a Second Age production. In addition, the company built a considerable following among theatre audiences for its productions and was a regular feature of the Irish theatre circuit.