Padraic Colum Colum started to write and met a number of the leading Irish writers of the time, including W. B. Yeats, Lady Gregory and Æ. He also joined the Gaelic League and was a member of the first board of the Abbey Theatre. He became a regular user of the National Library of Ireland, where he met James Joyce and the two became lifelong friends. During the riots caused by the Abbey Theatre's production of "The Playboy of the Western World", Padraic Colum's father, Patrick Columb, was one of the protestors. Padraic himself was not engaged in the protests, although he
Shaw Festival by "contemporary Shavians" such as Tony Kushner and Caryl Churchill. She produced many plays written and directed by women. In the summer of 2015, it was announced that Tim Carroll would take over as Artistic Director. He announced his inaugural 2017 season in August 2016. Under its current mandate, the Shaw Festival celebrates the life and spirit of Bernard Shaw by creating theatre that is as entertaining and provocative as Shaw himself. Dates listed are when the theatre's association with the Shaw Festival began; The Court House and Royal George theatres predate the festival. Shaw Festival The Shaw Festival is