It has been on my “to see” list for a couple of weeks – and especially essential viewing as this production includes two of my previous colleagues (Shondelle Pratt, Assistant Director during BSN and Julian Ramundi from Stories from the 428) – and was highly recommended by one of my cast members this year. Read more

In February 2011, Queen Street Studio will bring acclaimed New York-based artists Barney O’Hanlon (SITI Company) and Laura Sheedy (The PIT) to Sydney to present TOOLKIT Performance Lab 2011; a two week physical training intensive for performance based artists, theatre directors and dance makers. Read more

This time last year – a conversation started about the lack of women included in Australia’s mainstage seasons. Triggered by a shocking image at the launch of Company B’s 2010 season – a line up of men in black with one woman in a white shirt… the question was asked “Where are the Women?”

Blog posts, a Philip Parson’s lecture (presented as a panel) and some national and international press later – the conversation got bigger and louder and more complex resulting in an Action planning day for Women directors which was held in May 2010 at Belvoir. Members of the Australia Council’s Major Performing Arts Organisations came to hear the recommendations of women from all aspects of the industry – mediated by Anne Dunne. In August this year, the recommendations were finalised and submitted to the Australia Council. (I have included an excerpt compiled by Susanna Dowling below)

But what was missing in this discussion was the role of women playwrights in this discussion. Read more

Part 1: bloody funny. Part 2: bloody tragic.

If reviews were condensed into 8 words and a scattering of semi colons (and written by someone else) that would sum up B-sharp’s A Distressing Scenario.

A double bill of two of Australia’s most fascinating performance makers – Post (a triumvirate of three women – recently finalist for the Philip Parson’s Award) and Version 1.0 (who recently presented The Bougainville Photoplay Project in the upstairs theatre.

Unlike many of the BSharp shows over the years, this double bill comprises of two new devised productions. Such work has previously been the realm and speciality of places such as Carriageworks and Performance Space, PACT and festivals such as Next Wave… and seen as alternative theatre in a landscape of predominantly text based theatre.

As a style, or genre, devised work is very challenging and demanding – of the devisors and of the audience. Much of the making of this style of work is based on trust, risk, daring, conversation, experiment, and a series of accidents, “what ifs” and the willingness to say something. There is no room to be coy, tardy or elusive – it just wont work. It is a slippery shifting style – that I must admit I am continually evolving my opinion and ideas about… When it works it is profound, surprising, terrifying and stimulating – when it doesn’t work it can be self-indulgent, tedious navel gazing posturing… but you don’t need to think about that. A Distressing Scenario works. Read more

The lady who takes my pre-loved “ticket” when I descend the stairs at the Old Fitz, warns me to be careful where I tread when crossing the stage. Covered in scattered newspapers – fringed by piles and piles of clutter – the theatre is like the bottom of a budgie cage – except it’s not budgies that live here, there is hard (well, soft actually…) evidence that dogs inhabit this space.

A woman in a neck brace, a neck brace supported by a snooze cushion sleeps in a well-worn beige bed. A girl in torn cartoon pyjamas and a t-shirt emblazoned with “I’m about to do something AWESOME!” on it, scuffs around in old slippers, cracking opening a can of Chum, picking up sticky dog turds off the newspaper. Read more

It has been weeks since Brand Spanking New 2010 and I have some of the distance of time to reflect on what has been a wonderful season. It is no secret that a lot of work goes into making a project like Brand Spanking New happen… and it’s success relies on each person on the project imbuing their work with a sense of purpose, focus, enthusiasm, time, pride, generosity, flexibility to make it happen. In week 2 of Spankers – that is 9 directors, 9 writers, 6 crew, 35 actors – and it never ceases to amaze me the collective energy of artists. Read more

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. Read more

Producers Authors Composers Talent. PACT. A space which has been crammed full of names/projects/ideas in Sydney’s alternative theatre landscape, rich with history. I remember meeting Patrick Milligan (Spike’s brother) at the PACT 40th celebrations some years ago (I had written something for a troupe of “ordinaries” that ended in them busting out with glitter and enthusiasm into a dance number to Petula Clarke’s “I know a Place”… anyway… ) and learning about the early days of PACT when it was in Pitt Street in a squat, effectively. It had been set up by a bunch of alternative theatre makers and over the years has developed into the current “Centre for Emerging Artists” – NOT a youth theatre. Read more

Good afternoon. Welcome. I’m Ms Augusta Supple and I am a graduate of the University of Sydney’s Performance Studies department.

All those years ago I was immersed in a department whose focus was/is viewing performance (please note the word “performance” – as opposed to the word “theatre”) from an ethnographic point of view. I very casually involved myself with the identity of the “academic ethnographer” as I saw myself (or had aspirations of being…at least in my involvement in SUDS) as a practitioner sitting inside the goldfish bowl of academia. I thought if I was outside ethnography – I was inside practice (and no, it doesn’t work like that – if you are outside academia, it doesn’t automatically thrust you into the realm of practice.) It has taken me many years of struggle to recognise that my unique position in the theatre community (no, Ms Croggan, I assure you, I won’t use the word “industry”) is that of practitioner who feels like an outsider in my own field part practitioner part ethographer in my slashy identity as a theatre documentarian (read “blogger” – yes an ugly word, Mr Waites) /producer/new Australian play activist/artistic director/writer/commentator. Read more

I sit on a board. As opposed to sitting, bored. They are different things. I don’t know why or how – I doubt it’s genetic – but I love meetings. I love strategy. And I love supporting emerging artists. So it makes perfect sense that I should sit on the Board of Shopfront Contemporary Arts Centre. Read more