Tag Archives: Michael Colgan

Michael Colgan

This morning.

In The Irish Times.

Deirdre Falvey reports:

The author of a report into allegations of inappropriate behaviour and abuse of power by the Gate Theatre’s former artistic director, Michael Colgan, has expressed disappointment it was not released in full.

Gaye Cunningham said she was “a bit surprised” the theatre did not release the review in full. The report describes behaviours, not specific incidents, according to the workplace relations expert.

…Ms Cunningham heard 56 people’s testimony and delivered the review to the board of the Gate this month.

…Ms Cunningham said that while she had hoped the board would be in a position to release the full report, it was not in her remit to decide what was published.

“I don’t want people to feel I let them down,” she said. “I didn’t promise publication. I didn’t have the authority to make that decision. I conducted the review in good faith.”

Release of Gate report into Colgan behaviour not in my remit – expert (Deirdre Falvey, The Irish Times)

Previously: Barbarian At The Gate

“I knew It Was Likely I Would Never Work In The Gate Again”

The Gate Theatre, Dublin 1

[workplace relations expert] Ms Gaye Cunningham received input from 56 individuals, including current and former employees and board members, and people in the freelance community.

The board said it apologised unreservedly to those who experienced the behaviours reported to Ms Cunningham….

The review catalogues what Ms Cuningham reports as “credible and consistent testimonies” of behaviours that indicate Mr Michael Colgan has a “case to answer” in respect of dignity at work issues, abuse of power and inappropriate behaviours.

Many of the participants reported feeling they had “nowhere to go” and that feeling appeared to prevent them from invoking grievance procedures.

Review finds Colgan has ‘case to answer’ over Gate behaviour (RTÉ)

Previously: Barbarian At The Gate

Rollingnews

Yesterday’s Sunday Independent

Grace Dyas insisted that Mr Colgan had been made aware of his behaviour. “I believe that he was made aware by several people in his own organisation,” she told Sarah McInerney’s Sunday Show on TV3. “I myself told him that it was inappropriate . . . in the Oak Bar. He was aware, at least on one occasion that I witnessed.

“It’s interesting to use something like political correctness to downplay his behaviour. It was more than politically incorrect. I think it was abusive.”

…Ivana Bacik, the barrister and Labour senator, said she was not satisfied with Mr Colgan’s apology. “There is a great deal of equivocation in the article where he undermines his initial expression of regret by saying his behaviour should not be equated with sexual crimes,” she said on The Week in Politics on RTÉ. “It’s a very grudging and half-hearted apology.”

Colgan was warned his behaviour was inappropriate, director insists (The Timees Ireland edition)

I failed to see – and should have respected – the difference between friends and employees (Michael Colgan, Sunday Independent)

Previously: “I knew It Was Likely I Would Never Work In The Gate Again”

Barbarian At The Gate

Arts Minister Heather Humphreys

Further to the allegations made against former artistic director of The Gate theatre in Dublin, Michael Colgan…

And further to the announcement by Arts Minister Heather Humphreys that she has invited eight leaders from Irish theatre organisation to meet her and the Arts Council next week…

To discuss ways in which the Arts Department and Arts Council can create a “safe culture and environment” for those working in theatre…

John O’Brien writes on Facebook:

So just a few thoughts. Its been said many times over the last few weeks that one of the principal (but not the only) causes of the abuse and harrassment was “unaccountable power”.

So what does the Minister go and do? Invite eight “leaders” from Irish theatre organisations. I’m sure they’re all fine people, but how accountable is their power.

And why only theatre? And surely, surely if you are serious about “listening” and “hearing” then the people you should be convening are those on the receiving end of the behaviour – they are the ones who understand it, they are the ones who know how it can be contained, and they are the ones who know what has to change.

And if you think that decisions can be made for these people as opposed to by these people then you are a part of the problem.

As someone remarked about the Paradise Papers recently, this is not a glitch in the system, this IS the system. The actions of the Department with its workshops on governance is the classic tinkering with the system approach so beloved of our politicians.

Everything is absolutely fine we just need to iron out a few problems.

No. Unaccounability, abuse of power, bullying, harrassment and fear are the system. (And not just the arts, but accross all sectors of this country – including politics)

Remember that – as Annette Clancy pointed out to me – if this group of “leaders” was convened three months ago Michael Colgan would have been on it.

Previously: “I Knew It Was Likely I Was Never Going To Work In The Gate Again”

John O’Brien (Facebook)

Humphreys announces measures tackling harassment (RTE)

H/T: Annette Clancy

From top: Gate Theatre, Dublin and Arts Council logo

Further to the claims made against former artistic director of the Gate Theatre Michael Colgan…

And the fact The Gate Theatre receives funding from the Arts Council – the theatre received €860,000 from the council in 2016 and €860,000 in 2015…

Yesterday.

The Sunday Independent reported on a survey carried out last year by Irish Equity, which is part of the union SIPTU, and represents actors, theatre directors, stage and set designers in Ireland.

The survey involved people, mostly women, working in the arts and wasn’t limited to any one location.

It found that almost 60 per cent of those surveyed said they had been bullied but that almost 75 per cent had not reported it because they feared it might jeopardise future work opportunities.

Further to this.

Karan O’Loughlin, speaking to Keelin Shanley on RTE’s News At One this afternoon said:

“This is an open secret in the arts. We went to the Arts Council with this early in 2016 to ask them to help us to deal with it by connecting funding to robust anti-bullying procedures and they refused.

They said it wasn’t their business.”

It’s an absolute pre-requisite, in my view, that all of the funding bodies should insist that any organisation applying for funding, or being supported with State money, should have robust anti-bullying and anti-harrassment, including anti-sexual harassment procedures in place.”

Abuse in the arts: the shocking truth (Irish Independent) 

Previously: Barbarian At The Gate

“I Knew It Was Likely I Would Never Work In The Gate Again”

 

Clockwise from top: The Gate Theatre, Jill Kerby and Lise Hand

Earlier this morning.

On RTE’s Today with Sean O’Rourke.

Canadian-born financial journalist Jill Kerby; columnist with The Times, Ireland Edition Lise Hand; Solidarity/People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett and Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness joined Seán O’Rourke for The Gathering slot.

During the slot, they turned to the statement released by The Gate yesterday, in the wake of claims made by six women against the theatre’s former artistic director, for 33 years, Michael Colgan.

The six women are Grace Dyas, Annette Clancy, Ali White, Ella Clarke, Ciara Smyth and Ruth Gordon.

The claims revolve around events ranging from the early 1990s to 2016, Mr Colgan’s final year at The Gate.

In the statement, The Gate Theatre called out for employees, or former employees, who have concerns to raise about sexual harassment or abuse of power to contact them on confidential@gate-theatre.ie.

It also said it intends to appoint an independent professional HR advisor to handle any issues raised.

The statement did not name Michael Colgan.

Readers will recall the Gate Theatre received €860,000 in State funding in 2016. Mr Colgan was paid €231,000, including salary, expenses and pension payments in the same year.

This morning, in light of the statement, Mr O’Rourke raised the matter with his panelists.

Nobody named Mr Colgan.

From the show:

Sean O’Rourke: “Moving on, the, I suppose, another one of the big stories of the week, can be summed up in the two words sex pests. Across the water, suggestions as well that there’s need to look into matters closer to home. I see The Gate Theatre now have appointed a HR expert to receive complaints from people there. What do you make of it all, Lise Hand?”

Lise Hand: “Well, I think there’s sort of two things going on here. First, you know, there’s actually almost a common theme running through a lot of what we’re talking about. A lot of it has to do with no kind of controls, regulation or no, and also people acting with impunity, with no fear of any consequences. And now you have, what started with a say #metoo in America spread…”

O’Rourke: “This is after Harvey Weinstein…”

Hand: “This is after Harvey Weinstein. And an actress started this hashtag and I think, within 24 hours, there was, you know, a million responses on Twitter to it. So, you now have this sort of rolling situation and, for the first time, we probably see people suffering consequences of these allegations. People are being made to step down, shows are, in Hollywood, shows are being axed. You have people, you know, you have men who have, are under these allegations, and they’re actually facing consequences.

“And you’ve a situation here, too, of course, where the #metoo thing has obviously reached Ireland, and, you know, we’ve seen a lot of action on social media over this over the weekend. There was you know, a report of one, it was in a Sunday paper, a couple of Sunday papers, you know, about one individual using the term sex pest and then there was sort of a separate story running online as well about other allegations made by somebody else of a much more serious nature.

“And I think there’s two things here. One, there is a danger when these things go up on social media, that different stories get conflated. And people who have nothing to do with this and are completely blameless, names start circulating. And this is the danger. And I think even with the best intention in the world, if somebody wants to step forward and say ‘we need to make this public so people will come out, you know, will come out with their stories’, I think there is a process, I think that, needs to be followed.

“I mean, as a journalist, if I’m you know, doing a story with any allegations, I will absolutely make sure that I have everybody sourced, every single fact nailed down before I go to it. And just one last thing: I think if the Government want to, could actually turn all this into an opportunity, it’s been, since 2002, many people have been trying to get a report, a new SAVI [Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland] report done…”

O’Rourke: “That’s. SAVI stands for sexual…”

Hand: “Sexual violence in Ireland…sexual assault and violence in Ireland, I think it is. Now they could. Since 2002, there hasn’t been a report on this. They could do that and also broaden it out to just look at the broader thing of harassment in the thing. If it only cost €1million and, you know, of a budget of €60billion, surely €1million could be found.”

O’Rourke: “Social media has transformed everything.”

McGuinness: “It has but the frightening thing is that women in America, who spoke out, are now empowered because they’re powerful. When they were powerless, they didn’t speak out. We and debate in the European Parliament on this issue, and there’s concerns in the parliament, as there would be in all big organisations, and I dare say in this outfit as well, that where people are together and some are more powerful than others, you can have what turns out to be sexual harassment and people are fearful to speak out. You need systems to address that.

“The worry with social media is it vents anger but actually could destroy a follow-up, where people should be held to account. And, in addition, people now saying ‘oh it’s going too far’ and the danger is that where there’s a real problem, and there are real problems in the workplace, that people will say, ‘ah sure look, it was harmless and now people are going too far and you can’t touch anyone in a lift or…’ That kind of thing. There is a danger.”

Jill Kerby: “Sure. But there’s always that kind of a backlash, I think, when any sort of event like this happens – especially in this country. I mean, when 20 years ago, there revelations about child sexual abuse in the church were happening, the same kind of people were coming out saying ‘oh, this is most unfair to the church and it’s most unfair to most priests because most of them are really nice guys and this is a terrible thing to do.”

McGuinness: “No one is saying that now.”

Talk over each other

Kerby: “Hang on, no, no, they’re not saying that but they are saying ‘oh this has gone too far’. You know. We have to live with social media. We have to accept…”

Hand: “I don’t think people are saying it’s gone too far, I think all people are saying is that care needs to be taken.”

Kerby: “On my tweet line, lots of people are coming out and, I have to say, most of them are men. And they’re saying ‘this has gone too far’, you know, ‘you women don’t always know what’s the difference between a little bit of jocular office whatever…'”

Talk over each other

Hand: “That’s different than saying, I think, that you know a lot of the people are going too far. I do agree that there is a certain, like ‘you can’t take a joke’…

Talk over each other

Hand: “The only people surprised by the amount, the outpouring on this, are men because any women have sat down together and they’ve talked about an incident, from something very minor, you know, something irritating…”

Kerby: “You know what? I believe them.”

Hand: “Well, we all believe them. Yeah. But..”

Kerby: “I believe those women who say that and that is why I believe the danger now is that there is going to be this great surge of opprobrium against the fact that it’s social media that’s directing this. We have to live with this.”

O’Rourke: “I, to be honest, don’t think social media is the main explanation for why these issues are coming up and I very much welcome the fact that they’re coming up and I think it’s a sign that feeling more confident, and in a stronger position to challenge what has been a rotten culture of sexism and misogyny and where sexual violence, harassment, sexism generally, was acceptable and pervasive in society. It’s becoming less acceptable and that’s because women are becoming more assertive and that is a good thing.”

Listen back in full here

Previously: “I knew It Was Likely I Would Never Work In The Gate Again”



From top: Michael Colgan; The Gate Theatre, Dublin 1 and (clockwise from top left) Ciara Elizabeth Smyth, Ruth Gordon, Annette Clancy, Ali White, Ella Clarke and Grace Dyas;

Last night.

Ciara Elizabeth Smyth and Ruth Gordon joined Grace Dyas, Annette Clancy, Ali White and Ella Clarke in sharing their experiences of working with former Gate Theatre artistic director Michael Colgan who stepped down from his position at the Gate last year, after 33 years.

This brings to six the number of women who have made claims about Mr Colgan who was the longest-serving chief executive in Irish theatre.

Grace Dyas and Annette Clancy’s statements featured in last weekend’s Sunday Times and Irish Mail on Sunday – though the Irish Mail on Sunday did not name Mr Colgan.

The Sunday Times also covered claims made by Ali White. RTÉ has yet to cover the women’s testimonies.

The Gate Theatre received €860,000 in state funding in 2016. Mr Colgan was paid €231,000, including salary, expenses and pension payments in the same year.

Last night’s Ms Smyth, a theatre manager, recalled instances of Mr Colgan allegedly  inappropriately touching her while working in his office.

Ms Smyth writes:

“I cannot begin to document the plethora of inappropriateness and bullying that I experienced while I was in the Gate. Not all from Michael Colgan either. When it was him, with me, it was mostly behind closed doors.

“Constant touching of my thighs, back and very occasionally my bum while I sat beside him typing from his dictation. He made frequent comments about the size of my breasts and whether or not I’d contemplate a breast reduction, considering my small frame.

“He commented on other women and asked me if I thought they’d give blowjobs or what I thought that they fucked like. He showed me pictures of his girlfriend in her underwear and asked me what I thought of her ass. He would scream, swear and use physical intimidation if anything I did was deemed incompetent.

Ms Smyth also told how, while working as a PA to Mr Colgan and during an audition where other people were present:

“He – Mr Colgan – then drew his hand up high in the air, as if he was going to slap me. I put my hand out to stop him and said quietly, “Michael, don’t.” At this stage I imagined everyone was looking at us, but I didn’t take my eyes off him to check. Michael then said “Would you ever fuck off; I wasn’t going to hit you”. I smiled and turned on my heel to leave. The second I turned he walloped me on the ass.

“It caught me off guard and force of the slap caused me to stumble forward. I turned to look at him and the only word I could manage to say was his name.

“I checked to see did the group of men see what had happened and although their bodies were facing us, they had turned their heads in different directions. Mortified, I made for the door and again Michael grabbed me, around the wrist this time. “Sit in on this audition will you, I want to get your opinion on this actress”. This, I felt, was a consolation prize for the slap. A prize Michael knew I would be delighted by, under normal circumstances. I had once told him that if couldn’t get a job in theatre, I’d sweep the floors of the Gate.

Ms Smyth said she went to the office of the Gate’s Theatre Manager, David Quinlan, to make a complaint.

Ms Smyth said:

“As I spoke, the colour drained from his face and he became noticeably more reserved. He asked – had I told Michael not to do that. Yes, I said. He then told me that I needed to make my “boundaries clear” with Michael. I asked why David thought that I needed to tell Michael that he shouldn’t hit me. David said something to the effect of – if it happened, of course he shouldn’t hit me.

“Ignoring this comment, I asked what I could do as I didn’t want this to happen again. I was told I could write a letter of complaint, which would go to the Gate Board and they may decide a course of action. “But Michael is on the board” I said. “Yes”, he said. I left his office.”

Ms Smyth said she then went to Mr Colgan and raised the matter with him.

Ms Smyth claims Mr Colgan replied: “But darling I hit my daughters on the ass.”

Ms Smyth told him she wasn’t one of his daughters, but an employee, and that he shouldn’t hit her. She said he apologised.

Ms Smyth said:

“Unfortunately, in the weeks that followed, he ridiculed me for doing this. In meetings with the Heads of Department, while I was typing beside him and in front of people who I was meeting for the first time. Always in public. He would raise his hand as if to hit me, then punch me on the arm and say “Oh we can’t hit Ciara”. In one meeting, when he did that, I looked around the room at all the Heads of Department and everyone was smiling. Some people laughed. I was angrier with them than I ever was with him.”

Theatre worker Ruth Gordon claimed last night that, during an interview, Mr Colgan asked her “How do I know you’re not going to go off in 18 months and have a load of babies?”

She also claimed he mimicked her during the interview.

Ms Gordon wrote:

“I told a few people in the upper echelons of theatre in Galway and Ireland – a manager of a large theatre company, a venue manager, and a festival manager, all of whom knew me and whom I trusted.

They all felt terrible for me and were appalled, but not surprised, by Michael Colgan’s behaviour, but they were at a loss as to what action could be taken that wouldn’t have a negative impact on my career.”

On October 18, UCD lecturer and trained holistic massage therapist Annette Clancy wrote on Facebook about an interview she underwent for a manager position at the Dublin Theatre Festival in the early 1990s. She was programme administrator of the festival at the time.

Mr Colgan was on the interview panel and Ms Clancy recalled Mr Colgan saying to her: “Well I wish you would give me a massage someday.”

Ms Clancy later took a case against the festival because of the interview process as a whole while Colgan’s remarks were referred to by Ms Clancy’s union representative in the taking of that case. Ms Clancy got a substantial settlement from the festival and agreed to a “voluntary redundancy”.

Last Friday evening, director, performer and activist Grace Dyas claimed she had the following exchange with Mr Colgan at the launch of the Dublin Theatre Festival last year.

Michael Colgan: “You’ve lost so much weight, I’d almost have sex with you”

Grace Dyas: “Michael! You can’t say that to me!”

Colgan: “What! I didn’t say I would fuck you. You haven’t lost that much weight.”

Later, after Ms Dyas told him this was inappropriate, Ms Dyas said Mr Colgan said: “Well Grace, as my mother always said, you won’t get very far in life if you can’t take a joke.”

Mr Colgan then admitted to Jason Byrne, a friend of Grace’s, that he did say it, and added “but it was a joke”.

Ms Dyas then says Mr Colgan got to his feet and roared at here, saying: “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you. I never want to breathe the same air as you”.

After another friend of Ms Dyas’s asked him to calm down, Ms Dyas says he continued shouting: “She’s a pig, she’s a pig, I’d never ever, ever want to have sex with her. I wouldn’t say that about that woman, she’s a big woman I would never say that about a big woman.”

Limerick choreographer Ella Clarke wrote that during the four/five-night preview run for Sweeney Todd at the Gate in 2007, during which she was the choreographer, Mr Colgan was rude and hostile towards her.

Then, she claims, on the opening night of the show, he groped her buttock as he passed her.

Ms Clarke wrote:

“I choose to believe he didn’t recognise me because I wasn’t wearing my work gear. The thought of the groping being a calculated humiliation of me is painful. I did not call him out about the groping. I was shocked.

“I tell this story because it is my opinion that my career has been limited by this kind of power structure, and that speaking up in whatever way I did, when I did, brought me an image that was deemed ‘difficult’. I knew it was likely I would never work in the Gate Theatre again, which I haven’t.”

Meanwhile, at the weekend, The Sunday Times also reported:

“Ali White, an actress who performed a series of Beckett plays at the Barbican in London in 1999 for the Gate, claimed she was asked to change into a push-up bra, hold-up stockings and high heels for a photocall overseen by Colgan.

“The abuse of power I experienced first-hand at the photoshoot and witnessed on many occasions made me wary of him and ultimately angry that he was getting away with it,” she said.

White alleged Colgan subsequently made a lewd remark to her in public.”

We have contacted the Gate Theatre and await a response.

I’ve Been Thinking About Michael Colgan Lately….(Grace Dyas)

Previously: Barbarian At The Gate

UPDATE:

A statement from the Gate Theatre Board and Management says:

“The Gate Theatre joined with other theatrical institutions last week to condemn the issue of sexual harassment & abuse of power in the theatre world in Ireland and internationally.”

“The Gate Board and Management made it clear in our statement that we will listen to what people have to say and our aim is to foster a safe and supportive working environment in our Theatre.”

“If you have been contracted by The Gate Theatre or in our employment and wish to talk to us about any concerns please contact us on confidential@gate-theatre.ie.”

“Any experience shared will be treated in the utmost confidence and we intend to appoint an independent professional HR advisor to handle any issues raised.”

From top: UCD lecturer Annette Clancy; writer and director Grace Dyas; former director of the Gate Theatre Michael Colgan

On Wednesday, October 18, 2017, UCD lecturer Annette Clancy wrote the following about the former director of the Gate Theatre Michael Colgan on Facebook:

In the early 90s I was asked to apply for the manager position at Dublin Theatre Festival. I had been working there as the programme administrator and the then director offered me the post of manager. He later told me I’d have to ‘interview’ for the role….So I did…

Around that time also I had trained as a holistic massage therapist (I can’t write that down without thinking that I have to justify it in some way as if it’s somewhat seedy)…..

So I do the interview and Michael Colgan is on the panel. When it comes to his turn to ask me a question he draws attention to my qualification as a massage therapist and says ‘well I wish you would give me a massage someday’. This, in front of the rest of the panel that included Tony O’Dalaigh and someone else (I can’t remember who). I was gobsmacked…mainly because nobody, not one other person on that panel stepped in to say that it was inappropriate. I looked at Colgan straight in the eyes and told him he ‘couldn’t afford me’.

I didn’t get the job…it was a lousy process and I’ve moved on.

I’m comfortable putting this out there because I took a case against the Festival because of the whole shitty interview process and Colgan’s remarks were referred to by my union representative at the time. In other words, there is paperwork to back this up.

The Festival’s lawyers told them I would be a ‘compelling’ witness if the case went to court. I ended up getting a substantial settlement from the festival and agreed to a ‘voluntary redundancy’.

The whole thing was a charade and I really hadn’t thought about it until this week and the #MeToo campaign and the fear in the Irish arts sector of saying out loud what we know. I’m in a privileged position because I don’t rely on Colgan or the many other men out there in the arts sector in positions of power to give me work.

So I really do acknowledge this. But maybe, just maybe this anecdote will encourage others to come forward and tell their stories about the power abuses on our doorsteps right here in Ireland.

On Friday night.

In a blog post, writer, director, performer and activist Grace Dyas claimed the former director of the Gate Theatre Michael Colgan claimed the following exchange took place at the Dublin Theatre Festival launch last year:

Michael Colgan: “You’ve lost so much weight, I’d almost have sex with you”

Grace Dyas: “Michael! You can’t say that to me!”

Colgan: “What! I didn’t say I would fuck you. You haven’t lost that much weight.”

Ms Dyas says when she later told him that what he said was inappropriate, he told her: “Well Grace, as my mother always said, you won’t get very far in life if you can’t take a joke.”

Mr Colgan then admitted to Jason Byrne, a friend of Grace’s, that he did say it, and added “but it was a joke”.

Ms Dyas then says Mr Colgan got to his feet and roared at here, saying: “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you. I never want to breathe the same air as you”.

After another friend of Ms Diyas’s asked him to calm down, Ms Diyas says he continued shouting: “She’s a pig, she’s a pig, I’d never ever, ever want to have sex with her. I wouldn’t say that about that woman, she’s a big woman I would never say that about a big woman.”

Mr Byrne has confirmed to Broadsheet that he recalls the events of that night exactly as Ms Dyas has recalled them.

On Sunday morning, just after 11.30am, co-director of the Abbey Theatre Graham McLaren, who was also present on the night, tweeted: “Grace It chimes completely with my memory of events.”

At around the same time, fellow co-director of the Abbey Neil Murray, who was also present on the night, also tweeted in response to a question from Ms Dyas about her account, saying: “Accurately and as I recall it.”

Yesterday, Limerick choreographer Ella Clarke wrote:

“…During the preview run [for Sweeney Todd at the Gate in 2007], it was house policy for the creative team to be brought to the hospitality room for a note session with Colgan following each of the performances. On the first night, when he noticed me there he said something to the effect of “What’s she doing here?” meaning me.

Blushing and shaking, I answered that I was there because I was the choreographer of the current show. He asked everyone what they would like to drink, excluding me, and had orders brought from the bar. I was ignored, but continued to give notes when I felt the well being of the cast required it.

The same routine played out for the remainder of the preview performances, four or five nights. Throughout this time, Colgan was hostile and rude towards me, and I was ignored each night.

In the bar after the opening night of the production, Michael Colgan groped my buttock as he passed by me. I choose to believe he didn’t recognise me because I wasn’t wearing my work gear. The thought of the groping being a calculated humiliation of me is painful. I did not call him out about the groping. I was shocked.

I tell this story because it is my opinion that my career has been limited by this kind of power structure, and that speaking up in whatever way I did, when I did, brought me an image that was deemed ‘difficult’. I knew it was likely I would never work in the Gate Theatre again, which I haven’t. I know I wasn’t alone dealing with this kind of abuse of power, and the loss to the art form is what hurts me most…. (more at link below)”

 

I’ve been Thinking A Lot About Michael Colgan…(Grace Dyas)

Meanwhile…

Sunday morning.

On RTÉ’s Marian Finucane Show.

Ms Finucane opened the show, where Michael Colgan has been a regular guest, by going through the front pages of the newspapers.

The Sunday Times and the Irish Mail on Sunday both reported on their front pages about  Ms Dyas’s blog post.

Ms Finucane said:

“Hello there, and very good morning to you.”

“Different opening to normal but, nonetheless, we should have a good two hours ahead for you. Let me start with the headlines.

“The Sunday Independent: Punish sex party players, says minister. Also warning against witch-hunt after calls to ban GAA. How Humphries misled his friends on abuse of girl and it is very well done in the article done today in the Sunday Independent, in the sports section.”

“Brendan O’Connor saying it mightn’t be sun, sea and sangria; it might actually be trouble that’s coming up in Spain.”

“The Irish Mail on Sunday and The Sunday Times, that’s the Ireland edition of The Sunday Times, leads with reports about online allegations that, as the Mail puts it, a leading member of Ireland’s cultural community had made lewd, sexist comments to a female colleague.

“They also, there are some very nice photographs of Katie Taylor…”

Later – after introducing the panel

“I was just saying to our guests, prior to the start of the programme that there’s an awful lot of kind of shady stuff going on from Ballyragget to here to whatever. And a lot of it is played out, now we are not going to mention the names about whom allegations were made over night on social media.

“But I’m going to start on social media. Regina Doherty, there’s an interview in the Sunday Business Post, Noirin [Hegarty] and she refers to social media as well in that. Now none of us want to be involved in censorship but sometimes you think, in the name of god, it’s getting out of control.”

Later

“I don’t want to go all po-faced about this but to have your name or your family member’s name put out there with no evidence, other than allegations, seems to me to be a bit tricky.”

Listen back in full here

Previously: De Sunday Papers

UPDATE:

Ciara Elizabeth Smyth

Ciara Elizabeth Smyth writes on Grace’s blog…

“I want to begin by saying I do not regret my time in the Gate. I worked there for the last year of Michael Colgan’s tenure. While I was there, I was Company Manager for the South Carolina tour of The Importance of Being Earnest and Casting and Production Assistant.

“My desk was based in the office across the road from the theatre, commonly referred to as Number 8. This was Michael’s office. In that building, Michael, Teerth (Head of Production) and I worked closely together. Michael’s Assistant, the Head of Marketing and the Marketing Assistant, were also based there. When I was working there these three positions were held by incredible, intelligent and hardworking women. They were, like me, all under 30.

“When I was hired, the Theatre Manager, David Quinlan, told me that I would be “able for Michael”. In my stupidity, I almost took it as a compliment. On my first day, I met with David and he gave me a tour of the building and then sat me down for a chat. He asked me was I aware of Michael’s reputation.”

“David said when things got really bad, and they would get really bad, that I could go to his office to vent. Nothing specific was said after that, it was all vague warnings and implied cautions. I soon learned that speaking like that in the Gate was deliberate. I think no one wanted to say anything that they could have to confess later.”

I cannot begin to document the plethora of inappropriateness and bullying that I experienced while I was in the Gate. Not all from Michael Colgan either. When it was him, with me, it was mostly behind closed doors.

Constant touching of my thighs, back and very occasionally my bum while I sat beside him typing from his dictation. He made frequent comments about the size of my breasts and whether or not I’d contemplate a breast reduction, considering my small frame.

He commented on other women and asked me if I thought they’d give blowjobs or what I thought that they fucked like. He showed me pictures of his girlfriend in her underwear and asked me what I thought of her ass. He would scream, swear and use physical intimidation if anything I did was deemed incompetent.

“And still, I quite liked Michael. We laughed all the time. He used to call me into his office and bitch about whoever had pissed him off that particular hour. He would read passages of Beckett to me. He showed me his letters from Friel and Pinter. Knowing I was a playwright and seeing my eyes light up and dance over his library of scripts, he told me that I could borrow whatever I liked. It was very confusing. Michael had an incredible ability to make you feel so important in one moment and then like dirt in the next.

“The first time I realised how badly affected I had been by my experience at the Gate was after I came back from our tour to South Carolina. I experienced a lot of stress because I was Company Manager and had to act as PA to Michael when I was there. It was not all bad, but I had begun to experience frequent anxiety attacks where it felt like I couldn’t breathe. I would like to mention that the actor Bosco Hogan, who was on tour with us, was one of the only people I ever saw stick up for me with Michael. He is a gentleman and I will never forget his kindness.”

“A few months after we came home from the tour, an incident occurred that I was so hurt and embarrassed by that I tried to make a complaint about Michael to the Theatre Manager, David Quinlan.

“On the day of the incident, I had organised auditions in the auditorium. Michael was in attendance, as were two prominent Irish actors acting as readers and the director of the play we were auditioning for. They were all men in their 40’s and 50’s.

“I brought the actor about to audition in and she took the stage. Everyone was still standing around talking and as I went to leave, Michael pulled me back, hard, by the jacket. He noticed it was new and asked me where I got it. He mentioned the colours, announcing to the room that I only ever wore black and that this new blue and white jacket was quite out of character for me. He asked me was it a Waterford jacket. I said I hadn’t a clue.

He then drew his hand up high in the air, as if he was going to slap me. I put my hand out to stop him and said quietly, “Michael, don’t.” At this stage I imagined everyone was looking at us, but I didn’t take my eyes off him to check. Michael then said “Would you ever fuck off; I wasn’t going to hit you”. I smiled and turned on my heel to leave. The second I turned he walloped me on the ass.

It caught me off guard and force of the slap caused me to stumble forward. I turned to look at him and the only word I could manage to say was his name.

“I checked to see did the group of men see what had happened and although their bodies were facing us, they had turned their heads in different directions. Mortified, I made for the door and again Michael grabbed me, around the wrist this time. “Sit in on this audition will you, I want to get your opinion on this actress”. This, I felt, was a consolation prize for the slap. A prize Michael knew I would be delighted by, under normal circumstances. I had once told him that if couldn’t get a job in theatre, I’d sweep the floors of the Gate.

“I took a seat in row J and stared at the stage dumbstruck. He had been sexually inappropriate towards me countless times and he had embarrassed me in public by shouting at me or being breathtakingly rude. But this time he had mixed the two in order to humiliate me, in a new, fresh manner and he had. During work, in front of a group of people he knew I respected.

“During the audition, while I sat there silently staring at the stage feeling worthless, one of the actors who was acting as a reader sat beside me. I adored him. He started whispering to me, asking what I thought of the actor auditioning and what my thoughts were on the script. I wondered was this consolation prize. I checked later that day and Michael had slapped me so hard it had left a red mark on my skin.

“The rest of that day was uneventful. I went back to Number 8; I don’t think Michael returned from the auditions. The next day, I felt shaken. I didn’t know if there was anything I could do, but I did not want to feel like this again. I was no longer able to tolerate the everyday touching and comments. I rang the Theatre Manager, David Quinlan, and made an appointment to meet with him during lunchtime that day.

“When I walked into David’s office and closed the door, I realised I was crying. I explained to David, in detail what had happened. As I spoke, the colour drained from his face and he became noticeably more reserved. He asked – had I told Michael not to do that. Yes, I said. He then told me that I needed to make my “boundaries clear” with Michael. I asked why David thought that I needed to tell Michael that he shouldn’t hit me. David said something to the effect of – if it happened, of course he shouldn’t hit me.

“Ignoring this comment, I asked what I could do as I didn’t want this to happen again. I was told I could write a letter of complaint, which would go to the Gate Board and they may decide a course of action. “But Michael is on the board” I said. “Yes”, he said. I left his office.

“Disappointed with this encounter, I returned to Number 8. Still upset, I decided to mention it to the Head of Production, Teerth. She did not console me, ask me questions or offer any advice. She did not seem interested or have any desire to continue the conversation. After this, I wondered was I overreacting. I didn’t want to write a letter of complaint to the Board. I felt Michael would be furious with me and I would have to leave my job. However, not being able to shake the feeling of anxiety, I decided to speak with Michael.

“When he came into work, I asked him for a word and he told me to come into his office and close the door. I said he had done something the other day that had really upset me. To which he responded “What did I do darling?”. I reminded him what had happened. He immediately said “But darling I hit my daughters on the ass”. I then outlined that I was not one of his daughters, but his employee; that he shouldn’t hit me. I felt like an idiot. He apologised and said he wouldn’t do it again. At the time, I thought that was the best possible outcome of that situation.

“Unfortunately, in the weeks that followed, he ridiculed me for doing this. In meetings with the Heads of Department, while I was typing beside him and in front of people who I was meeting for the first time. Always in public. He would raise his hand as if to hit me, then punch me on the arm and say “Oh we can’t hit Ciara”. In one meeting, when he did that, I looked around the room at all the Heads of Department and everyone was smiling. Some people laughed. I was angrier with them than I ever was with him.

“Michael was not the only one who was actively sexually inappropriate. The Production Manager, Jim McConnell, used to call me, on the phone, at my desk and tell me my voice was “dulcet, sultry and sensual”. He’d ask me to speak slowly or to say his name. He’d ask what I was wearing. On these occasions, I would tell him to shut up or fuck off but I tried to make my tone jovial, so he wouldn’t think I was a bitch.

“When he would come over to the Number 8, if I were alone in the room, he’d call me baby and tell me I looked stunning. If I wore a low cut top he would always make comment on my breasts. It got to the point where I was avoiding being alone with him or putting a jumper on when he came over to the office.

My point is this was not just Michael Colgan. He was happy to accept and cultivate his reputation. But in my opinion and experience a number of people in positions of power aided and abetted him at worst, at best, did nothing to intervene. Some tried to be like him, some would not admit what was happening in front of them and some just weren’t interested. But everyone knew.

“I was not the first woman that had worked in Number 8. I was not the first woman that had gone on tour with Michael. I was not the first woman to be humiliated, degraded, abused and felt up. There were fucking loads of us. We were led into that building like lambs to the slaughter. Interviewed by the people that would later ignore us when we were crying.

“I believe that the Board must have known and that management must have known and if they didn’t, they should have known. From my experience and time in theatre in Dublin, those who knew Michael Colgan, knew. I can only guess at why they allowed him to behave in that manner.

The worst thing for me now is still feeling like I am overreacting. I was slow to write anything down because of that feeling. I imagine other girls and women had far worse experiences. I also imagine that there are far worse men than Michael Colgan. If nothing else happens, we need some funding for accountability, for proper HR departments in theatres and theatre companies. Someone to hold abusers accountable.”

Ruth Gordon

Ruth Gordon writes on Grace’s blog…

“I was interviewed by Michael Colgan in 2011 for the role of Assistant to Head of Production at the Gate. I was initially interviewed by two Gate staff members and was subsequently emailed inviting me to a second meeting; this was to meet Michael Colgan.

“During this meeting Michael Colgan asked me questions of a discriminatory nature about my gender, age, and marital status that weren’t appropriate. The original two staff members who interviewed me, Teerth Chungh and David Quinlan, were also present.

“Neither spoke during the interview except to greet me and say goodbye at the end, they didn’t say anything about the inappropriate questions, or intervene.

“His opening question was “Any date set?”. I was immediately thrown. This had nothing to do with anything. As it happened I had recently got engaged but I wasn’t wearing a ring so I recalibrated as quickly as I could and answered, truthfully, no. I was immediately on the backfoot. Where was this going?

“He talked at length then, not asking many questions. I had been tipped off by the girl working in reception that he liked to talk a lot so I took this as normal for him and waited to be asked something. He eventually asked a few job related questions and then said, “What age are you Ruth?”. Put on the spot, I told him my age reluctantly. This was swiftly followed up by, “How do I know you’re not going to go off in 18 months and have a load of babies?” I sort of laughed from shock, shaking my head and I shrugged my shoulders by way of response. I simply did not know what to say. At this point I just wanted to leave. I already knew that I didn’t want the job.

“The subject turned to which Gate shows I had seen. I named “Waiting for Godot” and then began faltering saying something like, “…and …eh….”. My confidence was shot; my mind blank. When I wasn’t forthcoming, Michael mimicked my own voice back at me, tilting his head to the side and saying “and … eh…. Waiting for Godot?”.

“There was nowhere to go from there. I averted my gaze, turning away from him and placed my hands on my lap closing myself off. We were done. I was thanked, we shook hands and I left.
I was relieved initially to be out. But the relief was soon replaced by a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I felt humiliated, belittled, mistreated but also numb and dazed with confusion as to what had just happened. I didn’t know what to do. It took 3 days before anger fully set in. I tried to think of something I could do. Maybe I would just ring the Gate and feed back that I was unhappy with the questions I had been asked.

“That wouldn’t change anything though. I told a few people in the upper echelons of theatre in Galway and Ireland – a manager of a large theatre company, a venue manager, and a festival manager, all of whom knew me and whom I trusted. They all felt terrible for me and were appalled, but not surprised, by Michael Colgan’s behaviour, but they were at a loss as to what action could be taken that wouldn’t have a negative impact on my career.

“I have always considered myself a feminist and someone who does “the right thing” but in this instance I felt too small and insignificant to make any difference to this man’s behaviour. He was in the position of power, I was not. I had everything to lose so I was afraid to speak up.”

Through the Gate (Grace Dyas)