New Dean Crowe manager combines his passion with professional experience

A lifelong passion for theatre and years of experience in management have combined together to give one local man his dream job. Well-known Athlonian Richard Foy was appointed the new part-time manager of the Dean Crowe Theatre last November and so far he's enjoying his role behind the scenes. "I've always had an interest in the arts. I've done stuff in the past with Eddie O'Shea and Edward Farrell, especially when Tops of the Town was big. I was also with Clara Musical Society," he said. In fact it was around 1980 when performing a musical with the Clara group that Richard met his wife to be, Mary, a Cork woman who had moved to the area to teach in Castledaly's Kilcleagh national school and was living in Clara at the time. The couple now live in Coosan and have four children, three girls and a boy. All the children were heavily involved in sport and drama when growing up. Even Richard's father and grandfather were involved in various shows in the town, back in the glory days when the Fr Mathew Hall thrived. "There was always a sense of involvement growing up," he said. His mother still lives in Athlone and is at the great age of 94. Richard went to school in Coosan NS and for a time in St Mary's, and then went on to boarding school in Clongowes College in Kildare, where he took to rugby and cricket, passions that survive today along with one for sailing - he is a member of Lough Ree Yatch Club. Richard himself was a victim of the current recession - he previously was the manager of Athlone Shopping Centre (Texas) which closed down in the town recently. Now he's happily settling in to the world of arts. "In one way it's similar to what I was doing, but it's also slightly different. But it's definitely something of interest to me. I want the theatre to succeed," he said. "It's tough times at the moment, it's hard trying to get sponsorship from local businesses and also hard getting people to attend." Indeed Richard speaks passionately about the importance of a place like the Dean Crowe in a town, to be a focal point for people's entertainment and creative needs, a place for all kinds of people; an escape, especially from these doom and gloom days of NAMA and the recession. Richard is always busy in his role, whether there is a show running or not. On non-show days, the theatre is "relatively quiet" which Richard enjoys in one way because he gets a lot of work done, however he loves the buzz surrounding the place when there's rehearsals and sets being built before an upcoming show. Local groups will liaise as to when to put on a show, while touring groups will either contact the theatre to enquire about bookings or the manager himself can actively search out shows. "There's a lot of background work to be done, shows are being booked or the theatre is being cleaned," he said. "Promotional work has to be done and there's always planning in terms of financial planning and various logistics." The website also has to be updated and promoted as a box office source to purchase tickets, as well at the theatre's box office itself, which is open from 10.30am to 3.30pm. Running a successful theatre is all about finding a balance between providing shows that people of all ages can enjoy and also appealing to everyone's taste. From comedy to ballet, music to drama, Richard enthused that the Dean Crowe can offer everything and with a 450 person capacity, there is plenty of scope to attract touring companies. "The size of the theatre is unique outside of Dublin. It's the biggest in the Midlands, because of its size it appeals to a lot of groups. For example it's one of the reasons that the All Ireland Drama Festival is held here, that's a huge thing for us. It's a great venue, both in size and also lighting and design." "You have to get a good mix and something for all tastes," said Richard. "Things like ballet and drama do get smaller audiences but it's important to have them. I believe it's so important for the Dean Crowe to survive, it's a fantastic service to everybody. "I'm very much looking forward to hosting the Drama Festival this year and also the Athlone Musical Society's annual production in March. They're institutions now and traditionally there's such a number of locals involved through the years." Funding is also a concern during this recession, with the Dean Crow relying on Athlone Town Council, Westmeath County Council and the Arts Council for grants. "Their funds are being squeezed, so it gets harder for us," he admitted. However, the theatre is lucky to have sponsorship from various businesses around the town and it's now something the theatre is grateful for." He also points to the history of the Dean Crowe and its traditional role in the town. It's been at the heart of live entertainment in Athlone since the 1930s and has seen many talented actors, singers, dancers and performers go through its doors. But he says the success is not just about the shows. It's also due to the huge team behind the scenes, from volunteers who put up posters around the town to those in charge of lighting or scenery, right up to the Board of Directors. "There's a super board of directors - all voluntary - especially Cieran Temple and Maura Hardiman, they're all a terrific group of volunteers," he added. "I'd like to thank all the volunteers, our staff, the Board of Directors and also the shops who put up the posters in their windows. The local media are very good too at promoting our shows." However, at the end of the day, Richard knows that it's audiences that matter. And he knows that the Dean Crowe Theatre has something special to offer. "There's no substitute for live theatre, it's not like TV at all, it's something special and that's the Dean Crowe's unique selling point," emphasised Richard.