In a warehouse in Chippendale, I sweep a giant concrete floor. I lug chairs. I listen as a rehearsal takes place. I thank Julia for buying the cheese. James checks where to put the lights. Sam sends me a text message saying good luck. Pete purs himself a glass of wine. I change out of my black, sweaty clothes into a floral dress. I welcome into Studio 10 friends, colleagues and industry representatives. I place the chalk board outside the roller door – I’ve written on it ” OFF THE SHELF” with a big arrow pointing to an open door.

Now at the end of its second year, and 17 new Australian plays later, Off the Shelf is the space and place where writers and directors can develop their working relationship whilst working on a script of their choice. Providing a deadline to artists and the support needed to develop plays, Off the Shelf is the answer to a multitude of problems I have identified with the development and the production of new Australian plays.

After the success of three Off The Shelf programs, one of which propelled four full-length plays into the inaugural Sydney Fringe festival with award-winning results, it was a wonderful way to end a year of successes for New Australian writing.

80 people filed into the Studio 10 space to view the new works – all ready to provide written or verbal feedback. But the message is clear. When you attend an event like this – you are saying you support new Australian work. And nothing, absolutely nothing speaks louder than when a literary manager, an artistic director or a programmer comes to participate and celebrate in this work. And what is 2 hours once, every 6 months? I think it’s pretty good. 2 hours of meeting and engaging with a new play that talented actors have spent hours preparing for you to enjoy is SO much easier than reading alone in an office, well I certainly think it is.

What I love about Off the Shelf is that it is 4, not 1 play which is presented. 4 different plays by different playwrights all at different stages of their development… so it’s an instant cross section of work NEW work which is on offer. And I love the collegiate behaviour. I love the feedback which is offered – always generous, always willing to support and cheerlead, always read to confront the writer… and I love th bravery of all involved to actually TALK about new work – terrifying as it can be.

Thank you for those who came, who have supported and continue to support the development of new work – and a bit “sorry you missed it” to those who couldn’t make it – there’s some pics for you at the end of this post – but here’s a taste of what went on.

SMALL LIFE
Written by Zoe Hogan
Directed by Paige Rattray
Read by Shari Sebbens | Raymond James | Carl Batchelor | Kimberley Hews
Small Life is about finding families in challenging places – on the streets and far away. A girl makes a living as a beggar and manager of beggars. Across the road from a famous cinema, she struggles to manage new relationships and old debts.

UNHINGED IN HORNSBY
Written by Andy Leonard
Directed by Helen Tonkin
Read by Jan Langford Penny | Gary Edmonds Wood | Lynden Jones | Deborah Thomson | Luke Carson
Shane is quite the proverbial arsehole. After an accident he moves home to convalesce at his mother’s urging. His hen-pecked father, Jim, puts a six-week time limit on the stay, for everyone’s sake. Many many years on, however, Shane is still there, inflicting SBS Russian news on his poor old dad, steadfastly ignoring the jobs and real estate sections of the paper that his dad leaves out for him every week, and bullying his mother into driving him to the pub so he can piss his pension up the wall. When the shady Booner comes to stay and Frank Sargeant joins the fray, the stage is set for disaster on an epic scale.

***

IN THE COMPANY OF DEAD CATS
Written by Emrys Quin
Directed by Carolyn Eccles
Read by Sebastian Lamour | Nick Willis | Lilian Silk
After desperately seeking relief in any form from the grief caused by the death of a dear friend, Michael – Ray, Lily and Daniel are meeting for the first time since Michael’s funeral, three months ago, in the flat the four of them had shared. Never the most stable judges of social ettiqute, the three find there’s comfort to be found in the accidental maiming of domestic pets

***

CRUSHED
Written by Melita Rowston
Directed by Lucinda Gleeson
Read by Lucy Miller | Jeremy Waters | Sean Barker
On December 12, 1988, Sunny Girl Susie turned sweet sixteen. Her boyfriend Jason gave her a Poison t-shirt, her best-friend Kelly gave her a name necklace, Kelly’s boyfriend Dazza gave her a handful of pills.On December 12, 1988, Susie disappeared. Her body has not been found. Twenty-two years later, developers excavating nearby scrubland discover evidence that drags Jason, Kelly and Dazza back for the bleakest of high school reunions.

***

More information on Off the shelf and Queen Street Studio, visit http://www.queenstreetstudio.com/

Last Saturday night, under a clear dark blue sky, fifty people stood on the street in Chippendale, waiting for the latest showing at Queen Street Studio to start. Busy talking amongst themselves, it took a while for the audience to notice the elephant walking towards them- holding a sign which said:

“4am”

and another that said

“Follow Me”

We made our way en masse under the roller door of Studio 10- into a new world. Or a familiar world re-invented by the artists within.

I have been working with Queen Street Studio since early 2009. Queen Street Studio is a member-based, non-profit organisation which provides studio space run by artists for artists and is a response to the lack of affordable and appropriate space for artists in Sydney to practise their craft. The studios are managed by local artists Sam Chester (Choreographer) and James Winter (Theatre Director) who are supported by a Board of Management made up of industry peers. The organisation manages FraserStudios; a new multi-disciplinary art space for Frasers Property. Located at 10-14 Kensington Street, Chippendale (3-minute walk from Central Station), the FraserStudios facility includes: Studio 10: Space for meetings/seminars/launches/arts-business, Studio 12: Non-commercial exhibition space for visual artists, Studio 14: Rehearsal studio for performing artists and very soon to be opened, the freshly re-floored/renovated Heffron Hall. (By the way- if you want to get an exclusive invite to the Heffron Hall opening, send a donation towards the renovations to :http://www.queenstreetstudio.com/support.html and be a part of history!)

In addition to providing affordable rehearsal space, Queen Street Studio produces training programs for Sydney’s independent performing arts community as well as residency programs for both the performing and visual arts sectors, Supported by the City of Sydney. Blueprint to is the latest addition to Queen Street Studio’s programs to support emerging artists and was designed in response to groups of devisors sending in applications to Off the Shelf- Queen Street Studio’s script Development hothouse. I felt that the devisors needed their own mini residency- to test ideas, to focus on developing relationships with other artists.

Though out the residency artists were mentored by TK Pok who has a huge amount of experience in the development of devised work. For me it was really important to offer the artist a “phone a friend”/ out side eye option, should they need it – to provide them with additional support during the creative process- and also to remind them- that a showing is not a make or break, it is not the end point of anything- it is a beginning just as much as it is a deadline. The three groups were left to their own devises and resources to make something in the space… and the they did- three pieces emerged- distinctly different- utterly unique and all three embracing spontaneity and reacting to the space.

The residency encouraged artists to apply with a view of creating a site specific devised work at FraserStudios. They could choose from Studio 10, 12 or 14- and had to write a proposal outlining their ideas and process. Open to groups and individual performers from all backgrounds and disciplines, Blueprint aieds to provide emerging artists with time and space to develop their practise and artistic enquiry. More information about the program can be found on the Queen Street Studio website:
http://www.queenstreetstudio.com/blueprint-residency.html

Here’s a little summary of the works:

In Studio 10: ‘Ebony and…’
Through our month long residency we started to play around with a few ideas that came out of our response to the studio space, as well as additional secondary source material that was brought into the room during rehearsals. We have experimented with how movement, text, photography and sculpture can interplay to create a piece of live performance in this specific site. What you will see tonight is a fragment of what may go on to be developed into a durational multi-site specific work in the years to come.
Artists: Scarlet McGlynn, Phil Spencer, Brooke Robinson, Gemma O’Nions, Glenn Judd

Studio 12: Have you ever wanted?
The project will be an opportunity for artists Huw Lewis and Jacqui O’Reilly to explore an interdisciplinary enquiry, expanding the limits of particular fields of practice. A ten-minute performance will be devised from this exploration. Two sensibilities, male and female, and the traction of psychosocial engagement will inspire themes implicit in the works. These themes will include desire, rejection, ego and apathy. A range of ‘real time’ preparatory explorations, based on exercises learnt from Rosie Dennis at her Permaculture Workshop in 2009, will form part of the creative process of the project. Designing sound parameters will also be involved to treat vocals used in the performance. The use of masks and costumes will be explored in the rehearsal space.
Artists: Jacqui O’Reilly & Huw Lewis

Studio 14: Discarnate
‘Discarnate’ explores the latent sounds of the historic Queen St Studios building through the metaphor of ghosts. We were to adopt the personas of ‘mediums’ that would listen, channel and record sounds manifest by our presence and actions in the site. The passivity of listening soon gave way to a desire for action, to create rhythm, melody, and even suggest at narrative. In a cyclical structure, action is recorded via its sound trace, which is then overwritten by present action. Initial action exists as its trace, but contends with subsequent traces that accumulate in a multitudinous history speaking all at once of the past from the point of the present. The title ‘Discarnate’ is contradictory, as the piece is generated through the bodily action of performers, yet fitting in referring to the two-fold definition of performance as both present action and it’s subsequent existence through its traces. The aesthetics of the work were influenced by the industrial history of the building and the horror genre
Artists: Amy Wilson & Megan Garrett Jones

An exciting time for those who are brave enough to throw themselves into the big, deep unknown.

It’s an exciting time for those teams who have been in rehearsal the last 4 weeks, refining and developing their scripts for the first taste of the Sydney Fringe… in the Off the Shelf showing this weekend…

The announcement of a new Sydney Fringe Festival has been a welcome catalyst for creative conversation. For many artists in Sydney, a Fringe festival so close to home is a daunting prospect- for some, there is now a home for what has previously been a journey to Adelaide or Melbourne. Queen Street Studio have been quick to support the artists of the Sydney local area create work/begin to create/ develop work for the Fringe festival through OFF THE SHELF.

Designed for emerging artists (typically that means artists in their first 5 years of practice) to explore a section of text based theatre in a safe a nurturing environment, Off the Shelf is for writer and director teams to develop their working relationship, develop a common language or approach to work, test/experiment/develop a section of a larger work- and then offer it to an invited audience of peers and industry professionals for feedback.

It never ceases to amaze me the amount of energy and ambition people have for their craft. All writers and directors who send in their work, I have found to be remarkable and driven people. I am always honoured to receive a script- it is always thrilling- as I have said before new work is like a treasure hunt!

This occasion the four writer/director teams were selected, not only on the potential of the script to tell the story- but on the strength/conviction of the directors and writers passion to have the work produced- after all this particular development has a fringe focus. This is not a development for development sake- this is about getting work out there- exposing it to the public. There is a tradjectory which aims for audience… and to writers and actors and to directors the audience is a dangerous thing.

BUT.

The audience isn’t dangerous. The audience is not some unknown, nasty, judgemental, insatiable other… the audience is a group of people who want to be entertained and transformed- they want to love your work. They want to have a good time. No one walks into a theatre, pays money so they are made to feel awkward, sad, bad or regretful- they come to the theatre to have fun (sometimes rigorous and challenging types of fun) but they want to be engaged and delighted, challenged, suprised and excited- all in differing doses- in different ways.

On Friday night will be the first time all the writers, directors and actors will come together to meet… previously the writers and directors had a meeting- now we have the actors… and I can’t wait for them to see each others work! Sunday is when they show a segment of their work to an outside audience. And it’s the first taste of the Sydney Fringe Festival which has embraced the idea of “suck it and see”- this will be a bit of a “suck it and see” for artists and the test audience- the peers!

The projects are:
Sexy Tales of Paleontology
written by Patrick Lenton
directed by Anne-Maree Magi
with Lucy Goleby and Felix Jozeps

Peace at Last
written by John AD Fraser,
directed by Lizzie Doyle
with Phil Spencer, Scarlet McGlynn and Greg Eccleston

If you are keen to check it out this Sunday- drop me an email and I’ll let you know if I have enough room.

I am very delighted to share with you some photos taken by Leah McGirr of the get together of the OFF THE SHELF artists in residency at Queen Street Studio. Leah has documented 6 productions I have headed in the last 18 months and I love her photography- it is a rare and precious thing in the transient world of the theatre to have a record of what was- and Leah does it with such style and grace.

Here are some pics from Friday night’s gathering-

Less than three weeks remain for Queen Street Studio’s playwrights residency- OFF THE SHELF. And there are four teams working hard in every spare minute of their lives to get a script ready for the showcase.

The teams are given 15 hours of rehearsal time and a couple of months in which they are encouraged to develop a script that they have “shelved” with a director of their choice. Over 30 submissions were received and four will be shown in late November to an audience of industry who provide feedback on the scripts.

The projects for the last Off The Shelf for 2009 are:

“Of the Causes of Wonderful Things” written by Talya Rubin, directed by Nick James

“Wretched Excess” written by Stephen Graham, directed by David Adlam

“Zetland” written by Jasper Marlow, directed by Mark Pritchard

“Combat Fatigue” written by Alison Rooke, directed by Ian Zammit

For more information about the program please visit:
http://www.queenstreetstudio.com/offtheshelf.html

Writers and directors are asked to submit an expression of Interest form and a script. It is recommended that writers do not direct their own work, nor plan to perform in the showcase of the script: a cast will need to be
confirmed upon selection. Please fill out the Expression of Interest form by no later than 5pm on the 4th September 2009
Guidelines for Off the Shelf:
We are loo king for tea ms (writers and directors) who:
++ Have an unproduced script that needs some development
++ Are interested in working together in a nurturing and collaborative environment to produce a 15 minute
presentation of a scene from the script which will be performed in a studio showing at FraserStudios – Studio 14,
managed by Queen Street Studio
++ Are interested in building their network, skills and script in a non-competitive, supportive environment
++ Can write to specifications whilst being mindful of the presentation challenges outlined below
++ All teams need to submit a proposal with a writer and a director attached being mindful that writers are not to
perform nor direct their own work.
++ Would like to test an idea or concept in front of an invited audience who will provide them with feedback.
++ Available to attend all meetings, rehearsals and the showcase.
QUEEN STR EET WILL PROVIDE:
++ 15 hours of rehearsal space (starting 5th October 2009 – primarily on weekends)
++ Dramaturgy (upon request)
++ Opportunity to show your work in front of industry professionals and an invited audience for feedback
++ Simple light and sound equipment
++ A photographer for promotional photos and archival materials
++ Networking opportunities
++ Publicity and promotional support including a series of meet-and-greets.
YOU WILL :
++ Provide a first draft with your application
++ Be available to attend meetings and scheduled rehearsals
++ Be willing to re-draft and refine your script over a four-week period
++ Stage a showing of the work: whether it be a reading, a moved reading, or a performance, within the technical and
practical limitations of the project.
HOW TO APPLY:
If you would like to lodge an expression of interest to participate in this project please go to: http://www.queenstreetstudio.com/pdf/OffTheShelf-0909-EOI.pdf fill in the form and email Augusta Supple offtheshelf@queenstreetstudio.com by 5pm on the 4th September 2009

Designed to hothouse 5 full length theatre script projects over a month, Off The Shelf encourages the community of writers to focus on their play. The result of their work is a showcase in November for industry representatives to provide feedback on the scripts and provide a networking opportunity for writers and directors.

For more information check out the Queen Street Studio Website:
http://www.queenstreetstudio.com/offtheshelf.html

or contact me augustasupple[at]hotmail[dot]com

For those who attended: thank you, your presence, feedback and support means so much to all the participants, including myself… and really: it is time we started discussing, embracing and engaging with work in development. New writing does not happen in a silent cold writers garrat, but in between scheduled work, between actor,director/dramaturge, producer and writer: and ultimately audience.

Off the Shelf is a program of Queen Street Studio that provides an opportunity for writers and directors to hothouse a script based project which is in the early stages of development.

HARPOON Written by Bridget Price, Directed by Mark Pritchard

GRAVITY WAVES Written by Will Snow, Directed by Jonathan Wald

RETALE Written by Patrick Lenton, Directed by Anne-Maree Magi

BOXING DAY Written by Phil Spencer, Directed by Scarlet McGlynn

NIGHT, MAYBE, OR A ROAD MAYBE Written by Kit Brookman, Directed by Amy Satchell

Who is OFF THE SHELF for?
Writers: Provides an intense writing hothouse, complete with a deadline, (or a series of deadlines) to develop work. Builds relationships with directors. Exposes writers to actors (who they may write for in future projects) A showcase provides a “soft” end point to the hothouse project /a midway point to further production. Allows writers to test out working relationships with dramaturges/ directors. Focuses on the writing “process” over performance “product”. Enables the writer to hear audience response and respond to feedback. Introduces writers to the theatre community.
Directors: Helping directors connect with writers. Ecourages directors to develop a working relationship with a writer and be involved in the shaping of the project. Allow directors to invite actors they know, or would like to work with. Working towards a showing not full production allows the director to focus on the writing and their methods in working on new plays with actors. Introduces new directors to the theatre community.
Actors: Providing an opportunity to be a part of a dramaturgical process, provide feedback into the script process whilst practising sight -reading skills. An opportunity to network with writers who may write specifically for actors and/or directors who may be looking to cast actors in projects beyond the OFF THE SHELF hothouse.
Industry: Build community, strengthen relationships between artists, advance new writing through awareness of emerging work/practitioners, provide a platform for meaningful engagement with text, encourage thoughtful constructive criticism to build confidence in discussion and discourse about writing for performance.

If you’d like more details on the showcase, artists or OFF THE SHELF program please don’t hesitate to contact me offtheshelf@queenstreetstudio.com