Blood Wedding by Lorca is one of the classics- written during the Spanish Civil War- inspired by a newspaper article written about a bride who ran off with her former lover on the night of her wedding- explores the perils of repressed passion. It is a steamy, sexy and violent play which exposes the dark undercurrent of desire in the face of duty/obligation.

Not much has changed since Lorca wrote it.

And that’s what gives a great play it’s endurance. The comforting/depressing truth that nothing ever changes. We still lust/yearn for/love who we can’t shouldn’t/musn’t. We still live in a society which has rules and expectations.
It’s a great play.

I went along to Cleveland Street Theatre to see what the ACTT graduates had made of this work, directed by Aarne Neeme (who’s work I have enjoyed many times including Alana Vallentine’s Shafana and Aunt Sarrinah which was on last year at The Seymour Centre).

Why go to a student production? you ask.
Why not go to a student production, I answer. After all Aren’t schools the holding pen of some of the great and ferocious minds and voices before they are thrust onto the world stage? Isn’t school for risk? Aren’t student productions just as valid as others- except they show an edge- they show potential and they provide space for ideas to be explored. Great student productions show a daring, a robustness, a cavalier attitude- a statement about risk. Not great student productions are obedient, mild, safe, rudimentary.

The cast of 8- Tiffany Stoecker, Timothy Selby, Billie-Rose Crane, Reece Vella, Sophie Richardson, Imogen Rose Carn, Kailey Higgins, Laura Peach- have produced a very clear reading of Lorca’s play. It is clear that the play itself is not something the actors themselves would choose to be in or put on- given a budget, space and choice- but that does not mean that it is a wasted opportunity for them- to stretch themselves in song, dance and a classic.

I believe that in rehearsal and in theatre- nothing is wasted. All experience is valuable- the good, the bad the ugly- and should be embraced for it’s learning. Over the next 5 nights as the production develops I hope the actors give themselves permission to enjoy the anguish of unrequited love/sexual frustration… I hope they find something about themselves that inspires them to tell stories which they love.

Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers examines the reasons or causes behind people who are high acheivers- the thesis goes onto explain that for any person to be a leader in their field, they need to accrue 10,000 hours of practice in their given field. Gladwell sites the practise of The Beatles (who played 8 hours straight in Hamburg 5 days a week) and Bill Gates (who used to sneak into his local university at 2am to work on Computers as a teenage boy) … its a fascinating idea- and a hypothesis that rings true in the realm of the theatre.

One of my favourite designers, Barbara Bryce told me that “work breeds work” and this is very true- the more you do, the more you are offered… and perhaps this practice factor has something to do with it? Practise skills you up, makes you ready- keeps your mind ready and alert for challenges or problems… It arms you with confidence and knowledge. But do not mistake this – this is different from the concept “work for works sake.” The practise I am talking about is that which is quality, which keeps you challenged and invigorated and striving and is ultimately worth investing yourself in. It is the practice which you deem to be worthy of your time (your time being precious and finite) and your talent. Practise which is pedestrian and easy and the re-invention of your own wheel – is more destructive than the practice I am talking about… I am saying practise- and while you practise aim to elevate your practice.

For me, Stories from the 428 is practising my practice- my dramaturgical, directorial and producing pursuits… I am being stretched and challenged like I never have before- this is not a re-cycling of Brand Spanking New, Metamorphases or Off the Shelf- it is its own unique and marvellous beast- mainly because of the hardwork and talents of all the marvellous people who are feeding their ideas into this production- a wonderous and terrifying creation. And all of us on this production are clocking up hours- rehearsing/writing/sourcing/pitching/painting etc…

For those who are inbetween projects and looking for some practise time- If you are a writer I suggest Griffin Theatre’s playwrighting class http://www.griffintheatre.com.au/playwriting/playwriting-courses/ . If you are a director why not apply for The Colour Blind Project more info: http://jobs.australianstage.com.au/job/3380/expressions-of-interest-for-the-colour-blind-project-various-positions-at-the-colour-blind-project/ , and if you are an actor this amazing offer has fallen across my desktop-

SPECIAL FREE ACTT ACTING WORKSHOP: On Saturday 20 March from 10:30pm – 12:30pm, there will be a free acting workshop and information session at ACTT, 505 Pitt St. (15+ only) The workshop will be a fun and invigorating acting class and a unique and inspiring learning experience. BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL: Call 02 9213 4500 to register your interest.

But above all else- do what you love. And. Love what you do.

After I attended the much anticipated Philip Parsons Lecture at Belvoir last year I was invited to write an article for New Matilda about the women in theatre debate… which I have included below.

Another perspective which I have been thinking about is that of MTC’s Artistic Director Simon Phillips which he explained in his radio interview for ABC radio national: that the prominence of men getting opportunities on mainstages pertains to the particular aesthetic which get the attention of artistic directors- shows which are flashy- that there is a peacock quality about some of the male directors. Perhaps this is true that women are less likely to market themselves in a flashy way that gets attention. An interesting thought… which I will continue to think about…

One thing that has been wriggling under my skin is a comment made by one of the panelists who claimed that she had not experienced any set-backs as a woman working in theatre, which when she was asked why that was, she put her success down to “hard work.” At the time I was shocked by the comment- and decided not to include it in my NM article- but I have found that particular response coupled with the idea that mainstage slots are given to artists based on “merit” two of the most harmful and misleading comments about programming I have ever heard. Does the former comment from that panellist imply that all the women sitting in the audience that day (Suzie Miller, Vanessa Bates, Elke Neidhardt et al) haven’t worked hard enough? I am still waiting for the transcript to be made available… just incase I misheard and misinterpretted…

As published under the title of “Who’s Directing The Gender Politics In Oz Theatres?” at www.newmatilda.com

Where are the women in Australian theatre? On a Sunday afternoon in early December, most of them were sitting in Sydney’s Belvoir St Theatre waiting for the Philip Parsons Young Playwright’s Award announcement and annual lecture, which this year gave way to a panel discussion about the absence of women in positions of creative authority in the Australian theatre scene.

Earlier this year, when Company B launched its 2010 Season — presenting a lone woman in a line-up of men on stage — a spate of public conversations about the industry erupted in print and online media: here, here and here, about the invisibility of women in positions of creative authority. These discussions culminated in this year’s Philip Parsons lecture, “Where are the Women?”.

The truth of the matter is that women in positions of creative authority are largely invisible — but that certainly doesn’t mean that they don’t exist or that they aren’t working incredibly hard. Some of the most brilliant women in theatre are working in less visible — or rather, less marketable and glamorous — sectors: community theatre, youth theatre, independent theatre. On the main stages of Australia (with the Black Swan State Theatre Company a notable exception), they are mostly working in development positions like Tahli Corin at B Sharp, as general managers like Brenna Hobson at Company B, and as education managers like Naomi Edwards at the Sydney Theatre Company.

On those same stages we are overwhelmed by male figures of authority: Neil Armfield as the father of the Belvoir St Family; Andrew Upton as the artistic director of the Sydney Theatre Company — along with his largely invisible wife who is busy being “visible” overseas or in cinemas; Nick Marchand of the Griffin Theatre; Michael Gow of the Queensland Theatre Company; and David Berthold of La Boite Theatre — the list stretches on.

We have venues named after men — Sydney’s Richard Wherrett Theatre, Melbourne’s Lawler Studio, Brisbane’s Bille Brown Theatre. We see these names everywhere: on signs, plaques, in local news, in foyers, in newspapers.

Usually, an individual delivers the Parsons lecture but this year, a panel was assembled which was comprised of several women in positions of creative authority: Rachel Healy, director of performing arts at the Opera House; blogger and critic Alison Croggon; emerging director Shannon Murphy; Marion Potts, associate artistic director at Bell Shakespeare, and Gil Appleton who was asked to provide an historical overview. Chaired by Monica Attard, an ambitious agenda was set for discussion: the “boys club” of the theatre industry; nepotism; training institutions; the politics of quotas and the programming of work “selected on merit not gender”.

Was this panel discussion an attempt to divide and conquer women? Or was it an attempt to advertise just how many women in a position of creative authority exist in the country — and how many of them have been helped by Belvoir in their career pursuits? The discussion that ensued was timely and much needed but did not yield any definitive answers.

After the panel, a microphone was passed around the audience.

The first to join the conversation was Elke Neidhardt, an accomplished opera director who asked the panel how much merit women need to make the grade? And in a response which amplified the invisibility of even accomplished women directors, she was first asked in response, “can you tell us your name?”

Playwright Suzie Miller spoke next, disputing the assertion that programmers, artistic directors and general managers chose works based purely on “merit”. If that was the case, she argued, more women would be represented in the main stage theatres, as many of Australia’s playwrights and directors readily find work overseas, but not in their own country.

A woman with her hair in a profusion of hair clips stood up and declared “I’m Gale Edwards.” Edwards proceeded to point to the lack of precedents for women directors in this country, emphasising that for Australian women to work, they have to pursue their career overseas. They are thus invisible in Australia; she then spontaneously identified emerging director Kate Revz — who is easily recognised by her penchant for red. And then behind me, I heard someone mutter:”So that’s what Gale Edwards looks like!”

The conversation covered both the symptoms and the causes of the absence of women in key creative roles. Some of the reasons advanced for why women are so poorly represented were high-level women judging other women practitioners harshly; the inherent nepotism of main stage culture and a broader cultural gearing against women in positions of authority in Australia, in which masculine matrices of marketing and commercialisation are a factor. To combat the furphy of male-dominated seasons chosen on merit not gender, the instigation of a quota system for women in main stage seasons was canvassed. Not surprisingly, different voices brought different perspectives to the discussion. We could all see many sides of the story and no firm conclusion was reached — except to “keep the conversation going”.

For me, the most interesting part of the day was finding out what this invisible industry actually looks like: an army of articulate and accomplished women. And I am left considering many questions for myself: why are we so invisible and so easily overlooked? Perhaps women theatre practitioners have been too polite? Perhaps we don’t want to be seen as noisy troublemakers? Perhaps we don’t want to become tangled up in the full-time pursuit of marketing ourselves? Perhaps we are too busy battling our self-doubt? Maybe we are not hard wired with a killer instinct or a tendency to “show off”?

I still don’t know the answer to all these questions — but I think it is important to monitor the visibility of women in our theatres. I am sure that if Robyn Archer was the artistic director of Belvoir, and there was a painting of Dorothy Hewett in the foyer of the Sydney Theatre, and there was a Studio Theatre named after Hilary Bell, and an award named after Katharine Brisbane, and if the opening night speeches thanking Audi and Armani were delivered by Cate Blanchett … well, I’m sure it would be a very different industry.

2009 has finished- no Bull! We survived the teething decade of the new millenium- and her we are at the start of a new year! What a relief! As with every end of the year comes certain things- sunburn, family Christmases, NYE revelling, music festivals and retrospection which sometimes justifies some introspection- so here is my intro/retrospection about theatre in the last year…

Looking back 2009 was busy for me- after 10 years of working full time day jobs I finally threw caution to the wind and left my job at Screen Australia (formerly the AFC) and decided freelancing as a theatre person was really where my heart lies. I helped the development of 9 full length plays through the Develoment hothouse I run at Queen Street Studio- Off The Shelf. I wrote one full length and one short play produced. I started writing on this little site and consequently SparkOnline. I commented alot on the women in theatre debate (and wrote my first article for New Matilda).I produced 15 new short plays for Brand Spanking New. I received my first ever grant (gasp!). I saw 83 shows (excluding 35 new short plays in the space of 3 days- which I admit felt a bit much). I was an assistant director for the first time in 5 years. I attended two playwrighting workshops. I bought my first subscription (to the Sydney Symphony at the Opera House). I played my first public gig (as a musician) for the first time in 8 years… oh yeah, and I turned 30.

2009 was the year of the Ox- which if you follow Chinese astrology symbolizes prosperity through fortitude and hard work… and I must say I felt it was a year of hard work which has really inspired me. Nothing is more inspiring than the bravery of my fellow artists and I feel greatly honoured to have had such an interesting and rewarding 2009- thank you to anyone I have worked with in 2009- I had a blast!

The change of year/decade also signals the announcement of the 2009 Sydney Theatre Award Nominations . At the prompting by my dear colleague and co-hort Mr Waites and a public suggestion hinted at by Mr Pickard I thought I would contribute an overview of the highlights of Sydney’s theatre for 2009… of course I have a few conflicts of interest as I have worked with and reviewed many of the listed below- but you will forgive me (I hope) because the list is going to indicate a collection of excellent work- not a sole “winner.”

I don’t like competitions- it makes artists ugly and ungenerous towards each other. It is a banal and rudimentary attempt at trying to create a hierarchy in what is not ever a level playing field- so I’m not going to rank the shows or artists I am going to focus on the nominations. My take on the nominations is really more to group together some of the highlights of the year in rough categories- including some I’d include as they represent alot of the work I have seen this year.

NOMINATIONS FOR 2009 SYDNEY THEATRE AWARDS
(If I was asked to nominate and could create my own categories)

BEST MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Peter Grimes (Opera Australia)
Happy Days (Company B)
When the Rain Stops Falling (Sydney Theatre Company and Brink Productions)
Poppea (Sydney Opera House)
The Gatz (Sydney Opera House)

BEST INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
CuBByHOuse (MAKEBeLIVE Productions & Tamarama Rock Surfers)
Norm & Ahmed/ Shafana & Aunt Sarrinah (Alex Buzo Company)
References to Salvidor Dali Make Me Hot (Arts Radar & Griffin Independent)
A Woman in Berlin (Tamarama Rock Surfers)

BEST DIRECTION- MAIN STAGE
Chris Drummond (When the Rain Stops Falling)
Marion Potts (Venus and Adonis)
Barrie Kosky (Poppea)
Neil Armfield (Peter Grimes)

BEST DIRECTION- INDEPENDENT
Lee Lewis (Ladybird- B-Sharp)
Stephen Colyer (What a Shock N Shame)
Jo Turner (CuBByHOuse)

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEAD ROLE
Julie Forsyth (Happy Days)
Octavia Barron-Martin (What a Shock ‘N’Shame- New Theatre)
Melita Jurisic (Poppea)
Susan Prior (Venus and Adonis- STC)
Michaela Cantwell (When the Rain Stops Falling)

BEST ACTOR IN A LEAD ROLE
Laurence Coy (Shining City- An Inside Job/Griffin Independent Production)
Darren Gilshenan (Elling- STC)
Ian Meadows (Ladybird- B-Sharp)

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Kris McQuade (When the Rain Stops Falling)
Kerry Walker (The Man From Mukinupin)
Emma Jones (And at that Moment Everything Changed)
Tracy Mann (Inside Out)
Camilla Ah Kin (Shafana & Aunt Sarrinah)

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Nick Curnow (Take Me Out- New Theatre)
Jonathan Prescott (The Ruby Sunrise- Ensemble Theatre)
David Lee Smyth (The Duel- STC)
Craig Menaud (Norm & Ahmed)

BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK
CuBByHOuse (Holly Austin and Adriano Capelletta)
When the Rain Stops Falling (Andrew Bovell)
Concussion (Ross Mueller)
Shafana and Aunt Sarrinah: Soft Revolution (Alana Valentine)
Inside Out (Mary Rachel Brown)

BEST SET DESIGN
Anna Tregloan (Venus and Adonis)
Hossein Valamanesh (When the Rain Stops Falling)
Ralph Myers (Peter Grimes)
Alice Babidge (The Mysteries: Genesis)
Michael Zerz (Poppea)

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Paul Jackson (Happy Days)
Niklas Pajanti (When the Rain Stops Falling)
Damien Cooper (Peter Grimes)
Nick Schlieper (Poor Boy)
Chris Page (A Midsummers Night Dream)

BEST SCORE OR SOUND DESIGN
Barrie Kosky (Poppea)
Andree Greenwell (Venus & Adonis)
Jeremy Silver (Shining City)
CuBByHOuse (Holly Austin and Adriano Capelletta)

BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
Avenue Q

BEST PRODUCTION BY THEATRE FOR UNDER 25s/ EMERGING PRACTITIONERS
Public Bunnies (PACT THEATRE)
Superperfect (SHOPFRONT THEATRE)
Bustown (ATYP)
Julius Caesar (CRY HAVOC)

BEST SHORT PLAY
The Return by Jonathan Gavin (Brand Spanking New- New Theatre)
Escape Pod by Rebecca Clarke (Sydney Ghost Stories-TRS/Stories Like These)
A Man’s Not a Piece of Fruit by Joanna Erksine (Short and Sweet 2009)
Homemade by Vanessa Bates(Brand Spanking New- New Theatre)

BEST PROGRAMME OF SUPPORT FOR AUSTRALIAN PERFORMANCE AND/OR WRITING
Fresh Ink (ATYP)
Artslab (Shopfront Theatre)
NextSTAGE (Sydney Theatre Company)
Vacant Room (PACT)
Parnassus Den (Darlinghurst Theatre)

FAVOURITE WEBSITES FOR CULTURE AND COMMENTARY
www.jameswaites.com
www.joannaerskine.com
www.artsjournalist.blogspot.com
www.kjtheatrereviews.blogspot.com

For drama school hopefuls, facebook statuses have been announcing the results of applications- ranging from “Potential writer is giving up on the whole game ” – “Potential Director is having a “Year of the Rejection Letter”!”- “Potential Writer is moving to Ireland if NIDA doesn’t take me”- “Potential Director is going to VCA!”… and for most applicants they have heard the results and have a Christmas of awkward family enquiry of “how’s your drama stuff going?” or “when am I going to see your name up in lights?” or “are you doing a show at the moment?” or if they have been successful awkward social moments where they have to admit to their friends and colleagues that they have received an offer to a drama school when they know their friends haven’t.

Mainstages have announced their season for next year’s season . Since September the fate of Australia’s writers and directors have been publicized for subscription season- and interesting to note that for 2010 we have noticed the rejected artists more than the selected artists.

Independent spaces have slowly been locking in their year- some slower than others- some may not decide until the new year… and so the rejections in the independent sector continue.

The emerging sector- especially for those under 26 have had some rejection- but more opportunities open up in early 2010 – for those keen on short courses or perhaps appling to PACT’s imPACT ensemble or Shopfront Theatre’s Artslab residency- there are slightly more opportunities ahead, but for everyone else… egg nog and a solemn broken record of internal monologue which questions why you should bother, and why wasn’t I as good as X or why did THAT project get up and not mine?

It’s not easy- there are a finite number of spaces in a finite number of venues. There is a limited intake for drama schools.. and it is a numbers game. I think the worst thing about the drama-school rejections is how it can embitter people- artists who are passionate and engaged with their industry turn their passion to anger- their engagement to sourness… that the generic rejection letter feels a further insult to people who have poured weeks into gluing bits of balsa wood to black core-flute model boxes, who have exhausted flatmates, partners, friends and family with their feverish attempt to re-invent a Chekov, Shakespeare or Modern American Classic for the dull-eyed stares of the panel who have seen it all before and can’t wait to get their pay packet and their 5pm glass of Shiraz. And there is no feedback (infact I think there is a policy against it?) and no conversation- just a long line of questioning which is then internalised, distorted and which I have seen fester.

Everyone hates rejection- and the urgent need to be legitismized by selection keeps the applications to institutions flooding in. I must say that I think of rejection (and theatre in general) in botanical metaphors- I think in terms of eco-systems, in terms of multi-layered levels of growth in a forest, in terms of inter-relationships between the sectors, cross pollination, the cleansing /devastating effects of flood or fire, and in the case of rejection- a pruning. Just because someone cuts off a branch of a tree- doesn’t mean the tree will die. Just because a rose bush is reduced to ugly angular thorny twigs doesn’t mean their will be no roses. Just as a rejection is merely an opportunity for you and your artistic pursuits to find new areas to grow. And sometimes what you learn is that a cactus can’t grow in a swamp- and a tree-fern doesn’t belong in the desert.

The greatest lessons I could have been taught- and that I hold so dear- have come from my rejections because they have forced me to examine, take stock, scrutinize, work hard, start again, be open, shoot straight, diversify, acknowledge my vulnerability, invest in my strengths and have ultimately informed who I am, how I practice. I was not taught at a drama school how to write or direct, but I was taught by drama schools how to handle rejection- which in the theatre is the most common occurance there is… and to me a valuable lesson that work happens whether you are “trained” or “untrained.

So to all those who are headed to an institution- enjoy the hothousing- because you will never work that much with that level of constant support and resources probably ever again…

And for those without an institution or venue in the foreseeable future- this is a time of great growth and re-focus… keep your curiosity about your artform, enjoy the summer for its beach cricket and watermelon- live your life and dream big dreams for your future audiences- they need your unique and courageous perspective.

Since 10pm on Monday I night I have received text messages, facebook messages, emails- I’ve read the installments from 7-On: (http://sevenon.blogspot.com/2009/06/what-is-going-on-here.html) and Joanna Erskine (http://www.joannaerskine.com/cluster/), and talked and listened to the frustrations and the disappointment of many of those in the industry. This is a post about the reactions, my thoughts, my feelings and my perspective about the theatre industry as it is right here and now. And what it means to be a practitioner working in that industry. A practitioner who happens to be a woman.

Firstly the issue that has surprised and even shocked and infuriated some is that in the 2010 Belvoir Season that was launched on Monday night, there was a clear lack of female key creatives at the helm of the shows. Belvoir st will be celebrating their 25th year- no mean feat! And within the next 6 weeks there will be the naming of the new artistic director…. its a big turning point.

Belvoir has always had a special place in the hearts of many- practitioners regard it with pride having worked their- they talk of community and family and equality. (Perhaps this has to do with the egalitarian pay structure?) They regard it as the place whcih was started by a syndicate of like minded practitioners who all fronted cash- put money where their hearts were – to start a theatre. This mythology has captured the imaginations of already a highly imaginative group of people. And rightly so.

Belvoir has hosted a range of Australia’s top practitioners- launched the career of many a celebrity… names Australia and the Australian creative industries are proud of- Geoffrey Rush, Cate Blanchette, Wayne Blair, Lee Lewis, – You know the ones I am talking about.

Belvoir has also championed new Indigenous writing and indigenous practitioners- giving space and time to the oldest living culture of storytellers the world has known. Though sometimes seen to be treated as a token pattern of programming- this is still an essential part of theatre practice in this country- it is essential for Indigenous stories to be told by artists who are Indigenous… as this exchange is artistically and culturally vital as a step towards any sort of healing and understanding.

However- there is another side of this- if you look at Belvoir as a place of equality- lets look a little further. Lets look at the Contact Us section of the website…
http://www.belvoir.com.au/800_contact_us.php

The top and most influencial names of the company- the taste makers- the folks chosing and priviledging the practitioners, the plays, the stories that are told- are all men.

The women of the company are in positions of education. Of promotion. Of support.

It seems the age old saying is true- behind every great men are great women. And Belvoir certainly has impressive women working there- Brenna Hobson- a remarkably intelligent and skilled producer and manager whom I first met in 2000 and have ever since held in very high regard for her clarity and strength and her calm and sensible ability to overcome all challenges.

Tahli Corin- one of the most supportive and passionate and brave and change making individuals in the independant sector- she is largely an unsung hero for the opportunities she has provided and projects she has spearheaded.

But the question begs- are women fairly and equally treated in our industry in general? I am not going to discuss the wider world politics of women- that is for another time. Is the Belvoir season indicative of Australian/local theatre talent?

As someone who sees between 1-4 productions a week, I would say, no. And then the question is- does this matter that Belvoir’s Season has not equally represented women, or new australians, or first Australians, or transgender identifying?

My thoughts are-
The gender issue only matters if there is not equal opportunities available for female artists as there are for male artists.

The gender issue only matters if there are not avenues for people to be selected, based on talent and merit.

The gender balance only matters when there isn’t one.

My programming practice-

I program on talent. I program based on potential, not genitals. I program for Brand Spanking New and Off The Shelf, based on the heart of the work- that speaks to me. That reflects stories that confront , puzzle and reassure me- who I am living as a person right now in society. I can not avoid nor deny I am a woman. I am not sure how, but I am sure somehow all the things that make up who I am affects how I see the world- those things ranging from my small country town background, my university education, my partner, my experiences of travel, all theatrical experiences I have experiences (as audience and practitioner) up until this point. I can not escape who I am, how I feel and what I want from theatre. I program accordingly. And the results of gender split if scrutinized are as follows:

Brand Spanking New 2009 has 7 writers out of 15/ and 9 directors out of 14 who are women.
Brand Spanking New 2008 had 9 writers out of 14 /and 9 directors out of 14 who are women.
Off the Shelf # 2 has 10 creatives involved half of which are women.
Off the Shelf #1 had 10 creatives involved, four of which are women.

And the truth is- Belvoir is the same- they are a collection of people programming from their perspective- now if that means that female key creatives don’t figure in that- that is their choice. And I can’t and won’t expect them to be anything but true to what they believe in. I don’t want women programmed due to their genitals but their talent- their story. And if Belvoir is not a place for key female creatives in 2010- well thats fine… because women will continue to create and develop work and be in this industry forever- like it or not.

The main issue for me is, has and always will be- are there opportunities offered to people from all backgrounds, regardless of sexual preference, race, gender? Is there enough of a mix- is what we are seeing on Australian stages a diverse and spectacular array of works- or is it the same old story by the same people? Are we chalenging each other and ourselves and our audiences by opening up the industry?

If not why not and how are we going to fix it?

So we’ve had a wake up call from Belvoir- through the absence of female creatives in their mainstage season they have shown us what we DO want to see. So great now we know what we want- let’s make it happen. Can and should one theatre answer all the problems and questions? No. But 100 theatres might.

If you click on the link on the “What’s On Downstairs” page of Belvoir St Theatre’s website: you’ll be linked through to a grainy, black and white “teaser” of the upcoming show by Vassily Sigarev, “Ladybird.” Backed by what could either be an erratic heart-beat, a demanding military march, or the pulse of an insistent nightclub, is Meadows victorious, shadowboxing, dancing; and understandably so. There is a lot for him to be happy about.

Ian Meadows’ company Small Things Productions over the course of a year has scored a couple of significant achievements in the independent theatre scene: a grant from the Australia Council, a project with a prolific and talented director (Lee Lewis) and its first production at Belvoir St Theatre’s Downstairs Theatre. Produced by “a collective of young Australian artists committed to producing compelling, entertaining and socially urgent storytelling” the creative team includes the talents of designer Alice Babidge, Lighting Designer Luiz Pampohla, Adam Booth, Eamon Farren, Sophie Ross and Winner of the best Newcomer and Best supporting actress 2008 Sydney Theatre Awards: Yael Stone.

Founded with fellow actors Sophie Ross and Adam Booth, Small Things Productions has a big vision. What is interesting about the story of the company, the project and the telling of the “since graduating three years ago” story is the big picture sensibility Meadows talks about. There is a sense that he has a sense of longevity and sustainability in mind when he talks about this company and the possibilities of opening it up to projects beyond the here and now: beyond Ladybird.

Since moving to Sydney in 2007 as a freshly graduated actor from WAAPA, Meadows has been busy building his CV and networks. September 2008 introduced him to Sydney theatre audiences through multiple roles in Griffin Theatre’s production of Damian Millar’s award winning play The Modern International Dead, directed by Chris Mead for which he was nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2008 Sydney Theatre Awards.” “Up until that point I had mainly been working as a writer and in film and TV, which was nice after doing so much theatre [at WAAPA], to have a break from it, but that was an excellent way to get back into it.” Ian has received development grants from The NSW Film and Television office for his collaborations with fellow WAAPA graduate Josh Wakely, for a project he is created as sole writer, and more recently directing a short film through the Emerging Filmmakers Fund.

When asked about how he describes himself professionally: “how do I define my job position? Usually I say I’m a carpenter” he laughs at the joke. “It’s not true, I just like to say that, its easier.” A writer (of TV and film), an actor, a director, Meadows now adds the feather of producer to his cap. Although in the broadness of his role, he struggles to define his one obvious talent he has, except for the fact that all that he does is one thing: storytelling. In an awareness of his position as a storyteller he also speaks of the aspects of producing which have really helped him refine his focus. Describing producing as the opposite of the process of acting: [producing involves] “being aware of the outside, what’s on, when, what’s out there and is a completely different process from the close internal examination of the character.”

It’s clear that the stakes are higher as an actor when also in the position of producing. Meadows, talks about the importance of believing in the project completely, as it consumes ever moment of his life. He speaks highly of his co-producers and co-performers Adam Booth and Sophie Ross: “Adam has a talent for contracts and finances and Sophie has a knack at marketing and I just hope that I earn my position of producer … when it comes to writing anything, that’s when I think I make up for it.”

Despite Ladybird hailing from a new wave Russian playwright, the script is as relevant and pertinent to the area Western Australia where Meadows was raised. The story follows Dima who’s choices are limited by his circumstances and is about to join the army and it is a “savage, hilarious and haunting dissection of futile dreams and rage of those living on the urban fringes, yearning for escape.” Since finding the play early 2008, Meadow’s connection to the play has evolved with a changing political environment and economic climate, through both the impact of the change of Australian government and the recent change of the US Government. It is clear: in a “small” play, Meadows sees the world at large. There is a social conscience which drives Meadow’s curiosity and which has inspired him to put his money and talent where his mouth is.

Perhaps its Meadow’s ability to see the universal as local, and vice versa which ensures that Small Things Productions is about to embrace some big themes, big issues? Perhaps it is his insatiable work ethic which inspires him to tackles a demanding dramatic role and a demanding role as producer? Regardless one thing is clear: in a “small” play named after a

Inspired by her performance training and experience in Europe, Stockley hopes to bring Sydney (and eventually Australian) audiences access to performance styles and approaches to theatre that are not necessarily regularly taught in Australian training institutions. “A lot of [theatre] spaces [in Sydney] do not lend themselves to the type of physical based theatre I have experienced in say, France… because the spaces here are so intimate the style of theatre has a closeness, more like television, than theatre.” Stockley, between sips of peppermint tea, speaks about the need to create work which exists “outside of the normal world” and which contains ideas that embrace large scale spectacle and “explode the inside, out.” It is easy to see that her ideas are ambitious and invigorated with an aesthetic embracing adventure and imagination.

Earlier this year Wildfire Theatre Company presented Martin McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane directed by Maeliosa Stafford at The Seymour Centre which was greeted with critical acclaim. The review from the Daily Telegraph stated:
“Just when independent theatre was looking jaded along comes this little gem of a production. It’s an auspicious debut for the newly formed Wildfire Theatre, which has opened with the kind of taut theatre we would all love to see more often.” A precedent which has set the bar high for Wildfire Theatre Company’s next production: the scottish play.

Transferring techniques she experienced as a performer in France with École de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq and her training with Philippe Genty and in London with Theatre de Complicite, Stockley has turned her hand to directing Wildfire Theatre Company’s production of Macbeth, opening at The Cell Block Theatre this Friday. Relaying this style and aesthetic to the cast of Macbeth has been a wonderful “artistic challenge” to face and is made easy by her ”hugely talented” cast.  Her bravery mounting a show as large as Macbeth in a space not regularly used as a theatre is impressive. When I ask her about the magnitude of this, her Australian directorial debut, she seems genuinely at home, “having previously played Lady Macbeth in 2000 I felt extremely comfortable with the text, with the language and the characters and how to cut it.”

With a dedicated cast and a passionate crew including Set Designer Barry French and costume designer Clare de Mayo, Stockley talks freely about her collaborative process directing Macbeth, and also about “managing the ideas and the experience and keeping the reigns on the play , especially working with a cast who haven’t worked together for a long time trying to get your ideas across to people who have not ever seen a show like the one you are trying to create it is a real challenge… especially when everyone has an idea about what the meaning of the play is or what acting is.” Drawing on her experience on the other side of the footlights, Stockley’s directorial process is composed not necessarily of the process she does have, but rather processes which she refuses to have. Having experience as an actor, she is aware of the particular and unique qualities actors bring to a text and also the fragility and difficulty actors face sometimes in auditions and in rehearsals. Armed with this knowledge, having had the shoe on the other foot, she says she appreciates directors in a different light. “ Directors are always on, they don’t have any breaks, and they are holding the reigns for the whole show, even if there is a break in rehearsal the costume designer might have a question about this, or the designer wants to know about that…” It is clear that Sandra Stockley, is “on” and will continue to be “on” in many capacities as Wildfire grows in her wake.

Trained as an actor in Adelaide, Corin spent some time with a touring children’s show (Monkey Baa theatre) before taking matters into her own hands. Admitting that often actors are at the mercy of the tastes and decisions of others Corin admits she is “far too impatient” to let projects she wants to be involved with find her and so made a decision to write a play. Using playwriting as a means to escape the steady film diet her partner was consuming as a part of an AFTRS screenwriting course, Corin was delighted to discover the liberation that comes from being able to call her own shots… “to create without asking permission.”

Corin freely admits that to produce a show you must really love it. That the energy and time and effort it takes to put on a show must be worth it…

For two years Corin worked on her play… confessing that in the long term love affair with the characters and story of “Bumming with Jane”, hasn’t always been easy. As with all relationships there were moments of reckoning. Whilst touring, she locked her self away in her room in Margaret River with a bottle of wine and as she wrestled with the characters who “were not doing as they were told” which turned out to be “a good weekend of not much love but good cheese.” Using her back ground as an actor she set to work on the script making sure that the “action was present and characters were as clear as I could make them.”

And how did the play end up with its premiere at the Downstairs Belvoir Theatre? After submitting the play, Corin was in Hong Kong where she met up with Belvoir St Theatre’s Artistic Associate, Eamon Flack who also happened to be in town and somehow over a gin and tonic they discussed the possibility of having the show as a part of the B Sharp Season.

Corin cites director Kellie Mackereth, recent NIDA graduate as a wonderful person to collaborate with on “Bumming with Jane”. After seeing Kelly’s production of Lunch by Steven Berkoff in the 2007 NIDA Directors showcase, Corin knew that Kelly was the director she wanted working on the project. “The actors seemed to be enjoying themselves” and that was the kind of working environment she envisioned for the actors working on “Bumming with Jane.” Corin attributes the invaluable support of Mackereth who has spent nearly a year with the script, making dramaturgical suggestions strengthening the world of Patrick and Jane. And after such a development process Corin praises the importance of dedicated and focussed actors such as Sophie Cook, Tahki Saul and Gertraud Ingeborg. “In the casting process- it is wonderful to have the actors we cast just as much in love with the characters as Kelly and I.”

Having a dedicated team of collaborators who are equally passionate about the characters and story whilst “taking the play to a whole new level” and liberated Corin from the rehearsal room and has allowed her to fully embrace the role of producer. Racing from a production meeting at Belvoir St to lunch and an interview then off to the Sydney Theatre Company to borrow Gobos … then who knows where. Although Bumming with Jane is a story about “love, poverty and the fleeting joy of choosing to live a free and ragged-arse life” Corin is a highly energetic, deeply thoughtful and perfectly impatient person, who’s impatience has been rewarded.

Technicolour postcards advertising Studio shows scream out from Avant Card stands across Sydney promising unique experiences of Internationally acclaimed shows. In the past year she has programmed everything from the controversial yet ever- charming Tim Minchin, a rock-star ukulele player from Hawaii, burlesque comedians and adults-only puppets from Canada…. And her brave, bold, diverse choices light up the studio at the Opera House week after week and soon the next six month season will be revealed…

Hyam’s signature authenticates the blurb inside each Studio brochure brimming with the boldest, bravest fringe shows, musical and magic acts from festivals across the globe. Sporting a distinct contempo haircut, Hyam is often encircled by a fizzing ring of opening- night bubbly, chatting with artists from a variety of performing arts backgrounds. She is busy… I was lucky enough to catch a slice of her time for a lunch-time interview: just after her meeting with an agent and just before she disappeared to pick up airline tickets to Korea.

Sitting across from me in a cramped, yet cheerful, Japanese restaurant, with a flyer for Hamlet in one hand and chopsticks in the other Hyam candidly spoke about the Sydney Opera House Studio, her life long passion for the performing arts and her unique career path.

Where does she come from? How did she get here? What inspires her? How does she choose the programme?

How did she become the Executive Producer of the Sydney Opera House? Did her career start, like so many in the arts, with an arts management degree?  She smiles and her eyes twinkle… “It used to be something I would think about “oh my god! I don’t have any arts management training!” but now I think I’ve been doing it for so long now that it doesn’t matter. So I guess you could say that was completely self taught in learning how to engage with the industry.” And it seems that learning on the job has worked in her favour, with a string of impressive job titles and a strong vibrant season about to be launched in mid-June.

Starting her career as a school teacher, Hyam brachiated from arts organization to arts organization; from the Come Out Arts Festival in Adelaide, to Director of the Melbourne Fringe Festival in 1996, then to become the Executive Producer of the Sydney Opera House Studio in 2001. From brave new beginnings, Hyam has developed the Studio’s reputation for providing audiences with access to fascinating shows and unique artists at one of Australia’s internationally recognizable venues at a reasonable ticket price. Nearly eight years on, Hyam continues to engage with independent performing artists with her unique blend of natural generosity, open-minded adventurousness and a thirst for entertainment in all its incantations.

Hyam attributes landing her position at the Studio to a modest “right time, right place” on the back of her work at the Melbourne Fringe Festival. And although she has worked across several states, and with artists from all over the world she views her role as an arts ambassador in very clear light… “I guess in many ways I feel like my career has followed a really simple trajectory of it always being about supporting emerging artists and independent artists, new contemporary work new ideas and cross platform.” There’s nothing pretentious about her, nothing that appears to be posturing or insincere: just very genuine, generous  and highly energetic.

Prior to Hyam’s appointment, The Studio was an occasionally programmed space- which was beyond the financial reach of many struggling and emerging artists.  “I went in there with my fringe head on going “you can do all these things!!!” and they loved it and loved the idea that the opera house was putting on bold work which would not otherwise be put on there.. it’s about bringing in audiences, it is about giving artists a platform that wouldn’t otherwise have one in that environment and that’s what has fitted in there. And it’s really fitted in with what my philosophy was and it still is very much for and about independent artists…” Amid the teriyaki and miso soup, I began to understand how much Hyam sees herself as a facilitator of artists and audiences: a person who encourages and celebrates collaboration and who is always looking for interesting and challenging new work and who is aware the big difference a small space can make in the landscape of Sydney’s performance venues.

There is nothing stale or safe about her choices: she’s not there to find performances that merely adhere to a “SOH studio style-manual” (which doesn’t exist) nor to program shows which are automatic sell out seasons of critical (or popular) acclaim. She is there to nurture artists, entertain audiences…

What is it then that she looks for in a production? With Sydney AND the rest of Australia AND the rest of the worlds artists competing for a spot at this well resourced, iconic venue, how are artists/shows chosen? And the answer lies with the audience. It seems that she is trying to shake the cobwebs from dusty regular theatre-goers and ask them to take a risk something she is constantly seeking: to “try something new.” Virginia programs not by style, nor by art form but based on one simple criteria: “entertainment.” And keeping the audience’s need for entertainment in mind, she sees performances, programs shows and facilitates artists regardless of their genre. How does she know a good show? “If  I have been challenged, if I have laughed or had a cry … its not about the art form it’s about the engagement with what ever it is, if all you understand is the beauty of it that’s ok.  I think you have to program on your own tastes to some degree, you sort of have to.” It is this faith in her own taste and instincts: developed over years of trial and error and an insatiable hunger for new ideas and innovative practice that drives Virginia’s quest for programming brave and bold new works. It is not a detached, impersonal filling of a quota which fuels diversity in her programming tastes is a very simple down to earth message: “I love going to cabaret, I love going to music, I love going to dance, I love a lot of different things actually and I think, ‘why wouldn’t other members of the population be like that too’?”

After years dedicated to the unearthing of emerging artists, Virginia Hyam continues to encourage artists and audiences to push the boundaries of their own experiences. There is a generosity and warmth which backs her choices and that inexorable goal of “constantly trying to be at the beginning of popular trend” keeps her interested in her work. But what if others aren’t happy with her choice? And how do you handle that… again something that has been learnt on the job: “the minute you don’t trust your gut, something goes wrong” that’s what I have learnt really.” That and learning to “face that sometimes you were wrong, and sometimes it wasn’t worth fighting for, but you did fight for it.” Sometimes audiences walk out, sometimes they complain about the content, and that doesn’t bother her at all. “Perhaps they should have read the promotional material: it gives a clear indication on what they might expect, people should research the shows they are about to see.”

Hyam’s willingness to take risks and her passion for entertainment can be seen in the upcoming program. Somehow amid the pressure of reviews and box office income and shows that compete for her attention, Virginia Hyam is completely at home. She finds inspiration and buoyancy amongst the community of artists, the buzz of creation and hectic schedules and continues her crusade into a bright bold season of surprising and vibrant work.