You’ve been wondering where I have been? Not in the usual foyers about town… not reviewing my usual quantity of plays… I’ve been in rehearsal, production meetings, I’ve been head down/eyes on scripts for Brand Spanking New 2010.

The Blurb:
Returning for its third exciting season, New Theatre’s Brand Spanking New aims to encourage Australian writing for theatre by providing a collaborative environment to showcase the work of both emerging and established writers. Over two weeks, this curated season explores monologues, short plays, sketches and excerpts from longer pieces, penned by some of the country’s most innovative and imaginative writers and interpreted by a dedicated team of directors, designers and actors. Brand Spanking New is a not-to-be missed celebration of the best of contemporary Australian playwriting. It’s bold, it’s fearless and it’s fun!
Opening this wed 27th October- Saturday 30th October 2010
New Theatre
All tickets $22

Ascend by Rebecca Clarke
Directed by James Winter | Performed by Sonny Glover and Jim Gosden

Band Practice by Fleur Beaupert
Directed by Caroline Craig | Performed by Kailah Cabanas and Thomas Mittelhauser

Black and White by Ned Manning
Directed by Augusta Supple | Performed by Michael Howlett and Jennifer White

Chicom by Kate Mulvany
Directed by Augusta Supple | Performed by Alex Bryant-Smith, Luke Carson, Matthew Charleston and Amy Mathews

Ham And Eg by Joanna Erskine
Directed by Beverley Callow | Performed by Felix Jozeps and Anya Poukchanski

One Percent by Katie Pollock
Directed by Lisa Eisman | Performed by Adam Roberts and Bruno Xavier

Yolk by Phil Spencer
Directed by Ngaire O’Leary | Performed by Andrew Johnston

The Pash Off by Anna Lise Phillips
Directed by Shannon Murphy | Performed by Georgina Symes and Tim Walter

Creative Team

Season Artistic Director Augusta Supple
Designer Paul Matthews
Lighting Designer Miles Thomas
Choreographer Sam Chester
Composer/Sound Design Rosie Chase
Stage Manager Alexander Hayden
Assistant Stage Manager Alison Murphy-Oates
Production Coordinator Julia Lenton
Partnerships Coordinator Leigh Russell
Assistant Designer Bri Small

It’s been a pretty interesting year… and playwrights and productions have certainly kept me busy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. I feel really lucky. honoured to be working with and for Australia’s best emerging playwrights. I am also lucky to have a home at Queen Street Studio, where development and experimentation is valued. It’s been a back to back year, and every now and then, I stop and look around. To see what’s happening.

Sometimes, I poke my head up from my email, or I sit in my backyard, rooibos in hand, looking at the garden. In one of the beds are the tulip bulbs Vanessa Bates gave me on the opening night of Stories from the 428 back in March… with the heartfelt message: “you are growing us.” This spring (fringe time) Bates’ tulips had burst open into yellow and red striped flowers and their emergence had kept me going during some tricky times… I guess, reminding me it’s all about growing.

So knee-deep in Spankers (Brand Spanking New)… and I see on a cursory glance on Facebook some congratulations flying around – and I am baffled, and happy and excited: three of the Off The Shelfers have been nominated for Awards as a part of the Sydney Fringe… And I couldn’t be more thrilled for them…

Sexy Tales of Paleontology by Patrick Lenton, directed by Anne Maree Magi
The Hideous Demise of Detective Slate by Alli Sebastian Wolf, directed by Jane Grimley
Zetland by Jasper Marlow, directed by Andrew Johnston

… and if that wasn’t exciting enough- new Australian works by emerging writers have been acknowledged in the Sydney Airport Excellence in Theatre Award, in the programming of The Boiler Room… I am thrilled! Mainly because the message it sends is clear- Australian works are good, in fact, they are exciting! Read more

Here’s an awesome opportunity to kick your play or play idea into high-gear with this very special play writing workshop series over October and November. Facilitated by Award-winning Australian playwrights this play writing workshop series will give you insight into the process of play writing. This 3-week workshop series will provide you with a new-found discipline to dive into your play with vigour and imagination and kicks off with Kate Mulvany.

It’s no secret. I love playwrights. Completely. Utterly. Obsessively.

And occasionally (probably twice or three times a year) I have the great fortune of spending some time with playwrights in the form of short courses at various places and I have been honoured to have the time and company of some of Australia’s most respected, award wining, creative, prolific writers: Hilary Bell, Timothy Daly, Noelle Janaczewska, Caleb Lewis…

There are many reasons why I like short courses-

1. I have come to the understanding that no two playwrights are the same, nor do they enter a room the same way.

2.For me playwrighting courses are the easiest way to meet playwrights. Writers are (like many artists) reclusive by nature- their craft takes time and solitary-ness… silence and focus. This doesn’t mean they are anti social- just they spend alot of time with words and computers. Short courses let me get to know writers- let me find out who they are, how they think, what they want, what they are passionate about…

3. Courses force me to stop and focus. To get away from my email and all the demands of my laundry and everyday life and focus on story- focus on what I love. It encourages me to priviledge my time and my thoughts. It forces me to have discipline about my own writing, allowing me to see and use techniques for when inspiration is thin on the ground… ‘Coz inspiration is for amateurs as someone once said… and a job is a job. Storytelling is a job and it’’s important to keep going at work- even when you don’t “feel” like it.

ABOUT THE COURSE
TOOLKIT is Queen Street Studio’s professional development program for Sydney’s independent performing arts community and is perfect for anyone interested in adding skills and inspiration to their creative ‘tool kit’. Lead by Australia’s most inspired and experienced artists; TOOLKIT is designed to provide a great environment for trying out new ideas and developing new approaches alongside a diverse cross-section of our artistic community. TOOLKIT is supported by the City of Sydney.The program is specifically for emerging or mid-career performance practitioners and is open to members and non-members of Queen Street Studio.

Wednesday 20th October, 6pm- 9pm
Fraser Studios
14- 16 Kensington Street, Chippendale
$50

http://www.queenstreetstudio.com/toolkit.html

David De Silva, or “Father Fame” as he is named in the director’s notes of this recent Australian production, writes a short blurb for the inside programme:

“To know oneself is a life ling process. It helps us along the way if we recognise that Life is Theatre. There are many sides to the “character” we play in it. We are always making our entrances and exits. Through the study and the appreciation of the Arts, we become better able to project our true selves, discover our uniqueness, design our space and channel our spirit. Thus, giving more meaning to our lives.” Read more

Very soon, Shopfront Theatre will say goodbye to Artistic Director/CEO TJ Eckleberg as he heads out to pursue a collage of exciting and interesting new projects both in Australia and Internationally. He’s been a fantastic visionary for Shopfront Theatre, a tireless visionary and a go get ’em facilitator to the development of many artists over his 7 year career. We have been very lucky to have a dynamo like TJ forging ahead into sometimes unknown territory – and we can only wish him the very best for the future which will be nothing but bright and exciting. But this means, that…

Shopfront is seeking an Artistic Director / CEO!

Shopfront Contemporary Arts & Performance is looking for an experienced Artistic Director / CEO with exceptional creative vision, and outstanding leadership and business skills to lead its dynamic and creative community. We are looking for someone with the ability to inspire as an artist and director; and who is passionate, innovative and supportive in their cultivation of individuals and the community.

Shopfront is a dynamic and exciting organisation. Using a process fusing different forms and disciplines, the company incorporates technology, contemporary arts practice and sustained skills development to foster long term engagement and empowerment of young people. Read more

It’s been a little over a week since the (New) Inaugural Sydney Fringe closed. For the general public there may be some confused murmurs.. “Sydney has a Fringe?”… Newtown has settled down to it’s usual thrumming pace as the artists wait some weeks until box office reconciliations declare a sink or swim.

There is no doubt that Sydney needed/needs a Fringe Festival- especially when you consider the quality artists who are drained out of Sydney when Adelaide and Melbourne are opening their doors – and the feasibility study said so. Artists, venues, councils all agreed that a Fringe festival would indeed be a good idea for the economy of the local area ( in the realm of City of Sydney Council and Marrickville Council) – for artists bring with them a mystique: an idea of lifestyle (an edgy/alternative life wherein ideas and ideals mean more than money… ), they bring punters who like pre-show drinks and after show desserts… and the type of energy that makes life feel spontaneous and things seem/feel possible… Artists are by nature brave – and they , their practice of their art inspires others to do so… and Newtown- the funky/hip epicentre was the place to do it where lifestyle and resources collide. Artists wanted it. Over 300 submissions were made. Wow! And all signs were pointing to “This makes perfect sense! WHY DOESN’T SYDNEY HAVE A FRINGE?!?!” Read more

It’s a funny catchy title. I loved asking people “Are you seeing My Private Parts?”… and the usual guffaw or smirk results. In a Fringe Festival guide stuffed full of shows, it is hard to find a point of difference- but My Private Parts manages this brilliantly.

Polka dot dresses, Doris Day tunes, a giant picture of a pin up girl with a microwave inserted where her “private parts” would be… a three piece band, plenty of music and two stunning performers- what more could I possibly want? Read more

Yesterday was playwriting Australia’s marathon “Breaking Down the Doors” which offered over 80 playwrights the opportuntity to have a section/scene of their work read by professional actors, facilitated by professional directors at Carriageworks. I was one of the few folk who attended over 8 hours of playreading (yep, I’m hardcore!) making notes on the plays I had seen or read before, writers I knew, writers I didn’t know and writers I want to know. It was large scale, impressive carousel of plays. By contrast Off the Shelf- an opportunity for plays to be developed over a month is an intimate affair: only 5 teams are selected- the readings are for an invited audience only. There are several scripts developed during Off the Shelf that have gone onto have a production- Combat Fatigue, Sexy Tales of Paleontology, Zetland and The Hideous Demise of Detective Slate have all been included in the Sydney Fringe, And Of the Causes of Wonderful Things is on at Next Wave Festival in Brisbane.

Queen Street Studio is a wonderful place to work… built on the vision of Sam Chester and James Winter, Queen Street Studio is an artist run rehearsal space, meeting and event venue that fosters and encourages the development of artists.

In the performing arts industry, sometimes it feel as though you are fighting a beaurocracy, being selected by administrators, not peers or artists… sometimes it is lonely and isolating. Queen Street Studio is the place where performers, performance makers and writers can come to be nurtured, develop work or process, and rehearse. I am honoured to be a part of the team at Queen Street Studio, and able to provide emerging writers an opportunity to develop new scripts. Read more

Since April, I have been reading, researching, approaching playwrights… It’s what I spend most of my time thinking about… I talk to them, I read plays, I see plays, I hang out at playwriting courses… I see readings, I hold readings… all in the name of BRAND SPANKING NEW. Read more

Remounting a show is a huge gamble- the hope that people who missed it last time are in town and can see it, the hope that those who saw the original show feel such a fondness for the show they want to see a replay (like that much loved VHS tape from my childhood) or are curious to see how it has changed. It’s a gamble that the writers, the directors and actors want to see it again, want to work on it again- want to plunge their foot in the same river twice… and the risk feels huge.

Luckily for Stories from the 428, a collection of the writers, directors and actors were available, keen and generous enough to lend their time and talent- and with the help of Leslie, Naomi, Guy and Kendall at ACTT the rehearsals were sorted out- and before long everyone was back ready to jump on board and into the Fringe Festival. Read more