“I’m a Drinker With a Writing Problem”

As seventeen eager students boarded international flights to Dublin, Ireland, we all had one goal, to make this the best summer of our college career. We boarded the plane with every intention to sleep until we landed, but in my case I was to excited to even keep my eyes shut. Our plane ride went smoothly, and going through baggage claim, and passport checks was a no brainer. With less than four hours of sleep I was ready to take on Ireland

All seventeen of us dropped our bags in our assigned apartments, and we hit the ground running. We ran around Ireland fearless, and ready to take on the next six weeks. When the excitement settled I began to notice the little details about the city, especially the advertisements about theater. I stumbled upon theaters and performances, but none that sparked my interest. I decided not to take the easy way out and sit through a performance wishing I were somewhere else. So naturally I did what any college student would do, I Googled Dublin Theater. Again I was disappointed, so I decided to unpack my belongings and clear my mind.

As I organized my clothes I stumbled upon a “Discover Ireland” book. I remember getting into a petty argument with my mother, who demanded I leave the book home because, “I would never use it.” I flipped through the thick book highlighting such a small country and came across The Dublin Literary Pub Crawl. It may seem like another reason for a bunch of Irish lads, and tourist to get drunk, but that is far from accurate.

I sat patiently waiting for the pub-crawl to start with three other Temple University students at Duke Bar. As the lights dimed, two older men take the center and belt out a song, and a scene from one of Samuel Beckett’s collection. The crowd crawled to the next stop, which was a small talk about Oscar Wilde and Trinity University. We continue to O’Neil’s Pub for a quick drink then move on with our actors. Next the actors enthusiastically act out a scene from the work of James Joyce that leaves the crowd and people walking on the street extremely impressed. We swing by another pub for a quick drink, and then were off to an alley for the final performance, a scene from one of Brendan Behan’s work. The final performance was one to remember, the crowd was left in stitches, and people from across the street could be heard cheering. To complete the tour, our actors gave us a quiz to see how much we remembered, and Temple University proudly claimed second place.

For my first theater experience in Dublin, I can confirm that the literary pub-crawl is worth the time. The actors were professional, and each performance was well rehearsed and presented with passion. This experience allowed me to move one-step closer into the theater world, and I’m more interested too see what Dublin theater has to offer.