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When Grandpa Trod the Boards: From The Colleen Bawn to the Irish Cultural Garden

Title page from The Colleen Bawn script.   In 1933, when Joseph John Gilbride was 23 years old, he took to the stage. Grandpa had a bit part as a soldier in a production of the 19th century Irish play, The Colleen Bawn , by Dion Boucicault. The play was produced in Cleveland's Little Theater in Public Hall. 1   My grandpa's name and address in The Colleen Bawn cast list. 2   Now, it's not a huge stretch to imagine Grandpa doing a bit of theater. He was an outgoing fella, prone to jokes, puns, and visual nonsense that made his grandkids laugh.  Cut-up Grandpa checks out his new headphones, getting a smile from Grandma! 3 But beyond the novelty of thinking about a young Grandpa playing a soldier, it was the context of this Theater of Nations endeavor and the groups that helped produce  The Colleen Bawn  that grabbed my attention.   Beginnings  It began with this announcement on 13 December 1929 in The Plain Dealer: Races of City to Give Plays with P...

GENEALOGY CHALLENGE 2021 - FAMILY PHOTO

James, Anne and Jim Casey, Camping Trip. Photo by N. Gilbride Casey

GENEALOGY CHALLENGE 2021

Family Photo - January 3rd entry of a 31-day challenge to post a document, photo or artifact on social media every day in January.
 
by Nancy Gilbride Casey
 
Though it is not a very old photo, this one evokes fond memories of camping trips we made with Anne (here about 12), and James (about 6 years). We had a travel trailer when they were younger, and took lots of weekend trips, and wonderful several-week summer trips to the Grand Canyon, New Mexico, and one terrific trip from Texas to Ohio and back. 
 
Some of the best times while camping were the four of us all crowding onto our full-size bed in the evening to watch whatever TV station we could manage to get reception for, in whichever tucked-away town we were staying near. This looks like one of our winter trips, and it was probably raining and cold too. What better to do then snuggle up together, with neither chores nor obligations nagging, with your favorite people in the whole world? It was lovely.
 
COMING TOMORROW - Photo of family heirloom

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