Our Board Members - those who chair Crooked House Theatre Company

Mary was the Arts Officer for Kildare County Council until 2001, when she became Home School & Community Liaison Officer for Scoil Mhuire here in Newbridge. Mary trained as an actor with Deirdre O’ Connell in the Focus Studio in Dublin. She has written a number of touring children’s shows performed by Crooked House, including The Liquorice Witch, Spellbound and The Snow Queen. She wrote White Noise for KYT in 2013.

Mary first came across Crooked House in 1994, when she auditioned for the play The House of Bernarda Alba, where she played the role of 'Poncia'. This was an early start for the cast and a humble beginning for Crooked House. She continued her career with later shows such as Pride and Prejudice. She has now 'hung up her boots' so-to-say, but is a staunch supporter of Kildare Youth Theatre, providing a friendly face to all our shows. Her position as a board member is fueled by the great talent and creativity of our young performers, and she believes it is "a wonderful organisation and a great asset to the town of Newbridge."

Kieran has been teaching art since the 1980's. He studied in NCAD and the Glasgow School of Art, specialising in ceramic sculpting, as well as doing some photography, digital art and large murals on the side. For a period of 10 years Kieran had a studio near Station Road here in Newbridge and made work for solo and group exhibitions in Ireland and Europe as well as commissions for individuals and businesses. Then teaching took over - he has since been working in the Patrician Secondary School since they built their art room in 2000.

He has known Peter Hussey and Kildare Youth Theatre as a part of the creative landscape of Newbridge for a long while, with many members of Kildare Youth Theatre also being students of Patrician Secondary School. Along with that and enjoying performances by the group, he was happy to be asked to help out by becoming a Board Member. 

Evonne Boland is from Newbridge. Having spent a decade working abroad, she now lives with her family in the centre of town. Following a career in International Private Banking and Hedge Funds, she has spent the last few years as a stay-at-home mother whilst being active in the community and voluntary sector. 

She is a chairperson of Newbridge Tidy Towns Association, amongst other local organisations and she co-founded the Cottage Market here in Newbridge. She is also an active member of the Kidlare Environmental Network. 

Evonne has a BA in Economics & Sociology from TCD. She joined our board in 2019.