![logo[2]](http://augustasupple.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/logo2.gif "logo[2]"){kind=logo}
Ah… writers… some of my favourite people. And playwrights – my favourite – whom I refer to as “sociable hermits.” Playwrighting is one of the most difficult writerly forms because it is so collaborative. more…
Tag Archive for 'Vanessa Bates'
This is not a review.
It can’t be. It’s unfortunate that the little tab on my site says “Reviews” when really this is not a review. it’s a post. Well perhaps it might be a review of sorts as I re-view the past month or so working on my pieces for Women Power Culture. I am viewing it – or responding to the questions I have been asking myself about many things. more…
![identity-crisis1[1]](http://augustasupple.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/identity-crisis11.jpg "identity-crisis1[1]")
As it gets to the narrow end of the year, it’s not surprising that I seem to be dipping into moments of introspection and retrospection – as I gear up for production – namely Vanessa Bates’ The Night We Lost Jenny and Alana Valentine’s The Sex Act for the season of Women, Power and Culture – and Platonic a site specific work by Playwriting Collective 7-ON.
After a massive 2010, 2011 has been a time of finding balance and scale. more…
This was a year for me to sit back, enjoy some fallow time… A time to see shows, think about things, bake muffins, tend my garden, and support the new writing world in a different way. After a wonderful year of mulitple and many productions and a hot phone and much demand – I decided that 2011 would be a very different year.
No Brand Spanking New this year… an instead I am in the director’s chair for New Theatre’s Women, Power and Culture season directing two new works by Alana Valentine and Vanessa Bates. more…
In the offices and kitchens and bedrooms across Australia, bodies bent like cashews, sit. The blue light from computer screens flick up their faces as a tappity tap-tap sound is heard. more…
From the moment my 12 year-old palm was pressed onto the tiles of the Sydney Opera House, I was in love. Not just with the architecture – not just with the harbour and the natural beauty surrounding it in the botanical gardens -but the history, the people, the culture. (Yes, I used the ‘c’ word.) It’s a beautiful place – and an interesting place – a new city – with some established traditions, and a sense of urgency more…
There has been a simmering discussion amongst AWOL (Australian Women Playwrights On Line) about the presence (or lack of presence) of female writers included in the mainstage theatre seasons. Currently in Main stage seasons women are grossly unrepresented – and it’s not because there aren’t any women writing plays. There are. When curating the multi-playwright seasons I have produced in the last 4 years, I have not struggled to find quality female playwrights, and not just any female playwrights – excellent playwrights.
In late 2009, the Philip Parson’s Award hosted a panel discussion “Where are the women?” to which 200-ish female theatre workers turned up to prove exactly where the women are (Just in case Belvoir couldn’t see them, as their 2010 suggested) – they were filling the theatre. that day I sat with Suzie Miller and Vanessa Bates. When confronted with the argument that women aren’t being programmed because scripts and directors are assessed on merit not gender – Miller told of her experience which was having a play of hers knocked back for an Independent Season at Belvoir, only to have the very same play receive awards and productions overseas. Rachel Healy turned to Neil Armfield and said, “Well, Neil, it looks like we stuffed up.” And I think everyone in that audience agrees: there has been some major stuff-ups when it comes to theatre companies being committed to equal opportunity employment. So much so Melbourne Theatre Company have since implemented an EEO policy. more…
Unlike the recent debacle with the NSW Premier’s Literary award, there was absolutely no problem for a shortlist to be generated by The Griffin Theatre Company.
A beautiful list of writers and some fascinating plays- a grand mix of established and developing writers- an exquisite cross section:
Elise Hearst The Sea Project
Nathaniel Moncrieff Sleepyhead
Caleb Lewis Clinchfield
Lally Katz Return To Earth
Aiden Fennessy Brutopia
Ross Mueller A Beautiful Gesture
Vanessa Bates Porn Cake
Kit Brookman Close
Tom Holloway Faces Look Ugly
Reg Cribb Damned
Alana Valentine The Sugar House
Raimondo Cortese The Dream Life of Butterflies more…
![EFLYERWEEKONEBLUEv2[1]](http://augustasupple.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/EFLYERWEEKONEBLUEv211-300x224.jpg "EFLYERWEEKONEBLUEv2[1]")
In eight days time, Sidetrack Theatre will be hosting the first week of Stories from the 428. In under 3 months, two groups (a cluster perhaps?) of 8 writers will have created two full length works – which have been auditioned for by 150 actors, rehearsed by 8 directors and finally staged at Sidetrack Theatre, in the Addison road centre…
Largely this has been a playground for theatre practitioners: writers- given permission to write hatever they want (to a maximum of 12 minutes) and know that whatever they offer, will be staged. Directors- given actors, time, space and scripts with which to work. Actors- given a chance at being a part of an exclusive Australian premiere. Designers- given the chance and the challenge to create for 32 vignettes…
Over the past 6 weeks, I have been asked “where did the idea for this project come from?” and “what’s it about”… to which I take a deep breath and reply- community. more…
2011: A Year in Review/s
Well thank goodness that’s over! I don’t know about you, but 2011 was a weird one. more…