My 2012 started with playing guitar on the riverbanks of a small NSW coastal town. No, not in public. Not even close to the public. A free barbeque area and the occasional fizz of an illegal backyard firework in the near distance, a few singlet-shirted boys (drunk and mouthy) were as close to “the public” as I got… I was sitting with two men, two guitars waiting for my year to begin. I thought of how my “year off” (2011) had failed – busier than ever, I had managed to mend my broken heart, direct too many shows, write, speak publicly about issues and ideas that keep me up late at night.

My start to 2012 was a lot like teenage love: naive, full of star gazing and fumbling about on guitars.

The start to 2013 found me gently sobbing to perfect voices soaring through Gale Edwards’ production of La Boheme at the Sydney Opera House. Thanks again to kind Mr Waites, who yet again, furthered my education in opera – we consumed all the canapés and drinks we could handle and rubbed shoulders with his contemporaries/my heroes of Australian theatre. As the sky exploded in splashes of ecstatic decadence – I was in awe of the contrast of the previous year.

My start to 2013 was a little more sophisticated, a little less naïve.

I have been absent from the Blogosphere – you’ve noticed? It’s been a necessary hiatus but now in revision. I thought I’d timeline for you highlights/low-lights from 2012: professional, theatrical, personal…

JANUARY
Professional:
In fierce rebellion against the Sydney Theatre Awards – I Tweeted a prolific stream of alternative thank yous to artists not represented/ineligible for nomination – I also wrote a justification of why I felt the awards were inherently unjust. John McCallum called me “grumpy” – and we soon hugged and made up.

Theatrical:
Attended 16 shows in total:
A spectacular bouquet of Sydney Festival shows – I had been invited left/right/centre to some really fascinating shows (plenty were about boxing, I recall)… Most notably I Am Eora (Carriageworks), The Boys (Griffin Theatre Company), Thyestes (Belvoir/Carriageworks), Carnival of Souls (Riverside Theatre)…

Personal:
Saw my first 3D film: Pina a film for Pina Bausch http://www.pina-film.de/en/
Started baking more bread… decided to reduce the quantity of shows I’d see in 2012.

FEBRUARY
Professional:
Meetings began with Sama Ky Balson about taking over a space for artists to make and create (The Arts Platform) – I started writing a business plan – and thinking differently about spaces to create.
I designed, developed an initiative for playwrights called Write Here Write Now to introduce me to Sydney-based playwrights interested in working with me on full length work and multiplaywright projects.

Theatrical:
Attended 11 shows in total:
Stand out shows included: Best We Forget (The Old Fitz), Pygmalion (Sydney Theatre), Namatjira (Riverside Theatres dir Scott Rankin)

Personal:
Highlight included a late night jam session at Zen Studios where I was reminded that I love playing music.
I received my first real adult haircut at a hairdressers. In Castle Hill. That’s all I’m saying about that.
I met Alain De Botton – we mutually follow each other on Twitter – It must be said he takes excellent direction… Here’s the proof…

MARCH
Professional:
I launched Write Here, Write Now, a program I had decided to create for 10 writers to write plays/scenes/sketches under pressure every second Monday for 2 months: Melita Rowston, Grace De Morgan, Jasper Marlow, Luke Carson, Guy Birks, Allie Sebastian Wolf, Georgia Symons, James Pike, Carolyn Burns, Melissa Lee Speyer.

I held a reading of Nick Atkins’ first near full length play: True North, read by Andrew Henry and Naomi Livingstone.

The NSW Writers Centre’s inaugural Playwrights Festival, curated by Australian Playwriting’s sweetheart Kate Mulvany, included me on panels:
“Fringe Benefits” with Drew Fairley and Leland Keane , and also “Reviewers VS the Reviewed” with John McCallum, Kevin Jackson, Kath Thomson, Lachlan Philpott et al. I wore a polka dot dress and chatted to full rooms about passion projects and practical matters…

All of a sudden The Arts Platform had taken over and was renovating the space above the Ray Hughes Gallery…

The Arts Platform V1.0

Theatrical:
Attended 10 shows in total:
Stand out shows included: New Electric Ballroom (Siren Theatre Company at The Griffin), The Marriage of Figaro (Benedict Andrew’s Opera Australia Production) – and some contentious ones: Belvoir’s Every breath was much commented on – everything from the gratuitous masturbation on stage, and suggested plagiarism, even Jason Blake suggested Belvoir’s dramaturgy department had been caught sleeping on the job.
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/theatre/bad-bad-belvoir-20120329-1vzxs.html

Personal:
I started toying with the idea of starting a publishing house. I also ended the idea of starting a publishing house.

What I look like when I'm writing...

APRIL
Professional:
A paper I contributed to Australia Council’s Women In Theatre is published.
I was also approached by Bell Shakespeare to pitch – puzzled but always up for a chat – I did. It was a fun meeting, but clearly not the right fit – but amusing for both parties to see what happens when a New Australian Work Advocate is asked to pitch Comedy of Errors to Australia’s King of Shakespeare. Irony anyone?

I directed Stephen Wilkinson in Luke Carson’s Boys Night Out for Griffringe.

This was also the month of writing a metric tonne of grants for Arts Platform, Shh Centre for Hybrid Arts, My own projects and for 7-On Playwrights.

Theatrical:
Attended 6 shows in total:
April’s stand out shows included: Lord of the Flies (New Theatre dir Anthony Skuse), Henry Rollins (Seymour Centre)

Personal:
I finally learnt who Lady Gaga is… thanks to Luke Carson and Stephen Wilkinson. Terrifying. And the preamble makes next to no sense to me…

MAY
Professional:
Selected a song for ATYPs Fresh Ink May We Have This Dance Blog: curated by the lovely Jessica Bellamy. I selected Tim Minchin’s Drowned and she also linked to my muffin recipe: which I stand by even though I have refined it somewhat since then.

Became Board Secretary at Shopfront Contemporary Arts and Performance.

Theatrical:
Attended 11 shows:
May’s stand out shows included: Food (Belvoir Downstairs), Something in the Air (Sidetrack Theatre dir Jeremy Brull)
Contentious shows I reviewed included: Boo (King Street Theatre), Reasons to Feel Pretty (Darlinghurst Theatre) – only contentious as I yet again raised the need for American accents on Australian stages, An Officer and A Gentleman (The Star Theatre) after a terrible onslaught of reviews the (American) writer lashed out at the Australian theatre critics. The delightful Mr James Millar wrote an open letter responding:

Personal:
An army of internet trolls, a death threat and some health issues. I found out who my friends are. I became single.
I met Emma Magenta and she did this portrait of me:

Follow The Muse

JUNE
Professional:
I made the decision to stop blogging… abusive late night phone calls, emails, anonymous threats and one producer sending me reams of demands and insults: well, I thought, “I’d rather get more sleep.”

New headshots by Ms Marnya Rothe… had a lovely time having them taken.

I started traveling on trains with playwrights and photographers and begin dreaming/getting practical about “A View From Moving Windows” which was commissioned by Riverside Theatre’s True West season.

I threw myself into the End of Financial year as a time for fundraising and philanthropy – I hosted fundraisers for Shh Centre for Hybrid Arts and Shopfront Contemporary Arts and Performance… I donated money to The Arts Platform, Griffin Theatre Company, Darlinghurst Theatre Company.

Theatrical:
Attended 13 shows in total:
June’s stand out shows included: Truck Stop (Seymour Centre, dir Katrina Douglas), Porn.Cake (Griffin Independent dir Shannon Murphy), Hamlet (Sport for Jove)

Personal:
I met playwright John Misto and we spent 3 hours driving to Shoe Horn Sonata (produced by Emu Heights Productions, dir Ian Zammit)… he tells me I should focus on being a trophy wife and learn Chinese so I can meet a businessman. Instead I fall in love (for about a day) with John Misto.

Headshot my Marnya Rothe

JULY
Professional:
I made a decision to stop freelancing and focus all my attention in one artistic “home” – and by chance head hunters start buying me coffee and I start looking around for a ”Job Job.”

Theatrical:
Attended 7 shows in total:
July’s stand out shows included: All the Rage (Old Fitz, dir Leland Keane), Punk Rock (ATYP, dir Anthony Skuse), Variant (Seymour Centre), A Hoax (Griffin Theatre Company, dir Lee Lewis)
Death of A Salesman (Belvoir dir Simon Stone) causes a bit of a storm in a tea cup: Australian accents?!?! Cutting of the Requiem?!?!? GASP! Read Kevin Jackson here:

Personal:
I drank too much at John McCallum’s birthday party. Enough said about that the better.

AUGUST
Professional:
I was interviewed for the job of Assistant Director at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre.
I held a reading of Catherine Zimdahl’s full-length play: Gifted, read by Helen O’leary, Suz Mawer, Kate Skinner, Stephen Wilkinson, Peter Maple, Shondelle Pratt and Ildiko Susany.
I hold a series of Playwriting Workshops open to everyone at The Arts Platform.

Theatrical:
Attended 17 shows in total:
August’s stand out shows included:
On the Misconception of Oedipus (Malthouse dir Matt Lutton),
Double Bill – Master Peter’s Puppet Show’ & What’s Next (Victorian Opera dir Nancy Black)

Personal:
I met Chris Boyd – he adopted me when I was in Melbourne and forced a composer the lovely Dave Maney to cook dinner for me at the last minute. We arrived at Dave’s house. Dave was charming. I also met Bryce Ives that night.
Whilst on a 5 day visit to Melbourne I realised how many friends/colleagues I have there – I was hosted by critics (Aunty) Alison Croggon, Cameron Woodhead, Chris Boyd and playwrights Ned Manning, Shannon Murdoch.
I met my newly arrived Nephew “Henry James Clement” who inspired me to buy a leather jacket and own my Aunty status.

Henry is a tough crowd, but liked my story of overcoming the odds as a patchwork knight.

SEPTEMBER
Professional:
I travel to This is Not Art Festival and speak on a panel “I’ve Started and Blog and Now I’m a Critic” alongside Jane Howard (my blogging sister.)
I start at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre: a staggered start as I am gearing up for a show… I meet the team, pick artwork for my office and start reading business plans, strategic plans etc.
Meanwhile I start scouting for talent for A View From Moving Windows: auditions, meetings, production meetings by the end of September I had cast and A View From Moving Windows had started rehearsal…
http://aviewfrommovingwindows.com/

Theatrical:
Attended 18 shows in total:
September’s stand out shows included: The Hiding Place (ATYP dir, Kai Raisbeck), Ride (The Old 505 Theatre, dir Gareth Boylan), The Sea Project (Griffin Theatre Company, dir Paige Rattray), Esque (New Theatre dir Scott Selkirk), Win/Win: Power, Privilege and my Little Pony* (Pact , Leon Ewing)

Personal:
I attended a lot of The Festival of Dangerous Ideas with BestFriend Chris and his engineering pals… sat and chatted with Germaine Greer as Sam Harris spoke about the Delusion of Free Will.

*Leon’s show was disturbing as there was a segment which Leon tailored to me as he knew I was attending. He attempted to destroy me publicly including a video of me made my ex… I loved the show, and loved how he attempted to destroy me. But It proved I am made of stronger stuff. My date was concerned for me. I wasn’t. We had beer together after the show. I was flattered whilst also being annoyed. A new feeling for me at the theatre.

The stamp I'm not allowed to use: for obvious reasons

OCTOBER
Professional:
I had the delight/horror of selecting 1 hour’s worth of music that meant something to me for FBI Radio’s Out of the Box program… Harder than you’d think:
I was invited by the Centre for Sustainability Leadership to speak on a panel to their young entrepreneurs/leaders. I wore a pretty dress, swore a lot and asked them to only back (financially, emotionally) that which they absolutely believe in. As was talking I realised I may have needed to give that talk more than they needed to hear it, but anyway, they made an INCREDIBLE dinner. I felt a small measure of regret that perhaps shouldn’t have delivered such a “blue” talk.

October was all about A View From Moving Windows – rehearsing/opening/closing the show: whilst working a few days a week at my new job at Casula.

Theatrical:
Attended 1 show (other than my own):
Between Two Waves of the Sea (Griffin Theatre Company, dir Sam Strong)

Personal:
I started spending too much time with a younger man who ignited my interest in Hip Hop. I discovered the work of Horrorshow and I fell in love with the nostalgia for a youthful time I never really had. In short, I had a mid life crisis. But he was tall and relaxed and made me laugh.
I turned 33.

NOVEMBER
Professional:
I started full time as the Assistant Director of Casula Powerhouse Art Centre… where we hosted the StoryLab Workshops for Griffin Theatre Company.
Meanwhile in my creative life I was directing a moved reading of 7-On Playwrights Collective’s (Hilary Bell, Ned Manning, Verity Laughton, Noelle Janaczewska, Donna Abela, Vanessa Bates, Catherine Zimdahl) new suit of work: PLATONIC at NIDA with a cast of: Helen O’Leary, Tracy Mann, Jeremy Waters, Stephen Wilkinson, Shondelle Pratt, Wendy Strehlow, Madeleine Jones, Lynden Jones, Maggie Blinco.

Theatrical:
Attended 9 shows in total:
November’s stand out shows included: St Joan (Genesian Theatre dir Kevin Jackson), Blue Angel Hotel (Old Fitz, dir Aarne Neeme), 7arakat (Rex Cramphorn Studio), The Share (Seymour Centre, Dir Corey McMahon)

Personal:
I started considering the notion that weekends should be for friends, not for work. I watched Breakfast at Tiffanys for research. I was horrified by Micky Rooney/ delighted by the writing…

DECEMBER
Professional:
I taught theatrical criticism to HSC students at NIDA. I ended the class rewarding the students by throwing chocolate frogs at them if they could answer basic Australian Theatre history facts. I ended up giving them the frogs anyway.
I threw myself into a few matters involving emerging artists. Attended board meetings. Hosted my End Of year Party at The Petersham Bowling Club…
Sat on the couch of my Best friend Chris and wrote the first draft of a musical for/with Barbara Bryce and Sue Smith– “When Mermaids Sing.”
After 2 years of false starts and many challenges the plays from Stories from The 428 plays was formatted ready for publishing.

Theatrical:
Attended 7 shows in total:
December is a month of parties in the arts: showcases for recent graduates, Christmas parties etc… there was a lot of foyers and canapés in December… but I’ll have to consult my diary for any stand out productions.
Alison Croggon announced her retirement from Theatre Notes. Read James Waites here:
http://jameswaites.com/

Personal:
I became single again and decided to dedicate more time to doing my laundry.

And so that was my year: with some omissions of more incidental events: also I don’t mention my 35 hour a week day-job in there. Actually I just did…

AND WHAT ABOUT 2013?
Well I’ll fill you in on how the year is shaping up in the next post: it contains a reflection on the art I experienced in and around the Sydney Festival under the direction of Lieven Bertels… a few hot topics in art regarding curation as an artform, and a few projects I’m forming and about to launch this year…

But for now, it’s time to do some laundry….

Here’s an opportunity to get together and do some writing… and on Monday 13th August… it’s PAY WHAT YOU CAN (minimum $2 donation) for a night’s worth of playwriting.

How many times do you feel like you just want to get out of the house and do something creative in a creative space? I don’t know about you, but sometimes I just want a deadline to work to on … I want to jam some quick ideas – which might be disposable – or which might be long-lingering – but without expectation or the burden of writing a WHOLE PLAY. Sometimes I want to be inspired by other people’s writing. And that’s what Write Here, Write Now is about.

Setting aside time to write: in a different environment, with a variety of exercises and tasks, with other writers, who are there not to “learn” but who are there for the joy of writing. It’s a workshop to inspire play and character generation and provides a networking opportunity for like minded writers.

Bring your laptop, or pen and paper, or pencil or whatever it is you use to write. Make yourself a cup of tea, and we’ll get stuck into it.

And if you need an altruistic reason to come and do some writing – this workshop is a fundraiser for the space – so it’s pay what you can/want. And then if you are super keen you can sign up for the 4 week series is on offer, with the money going directly to the space to help with rennovations.

Anyway, here’s the Blurb:

Write Here, Write Now – is a dynamic workshop for playwrights seeking to sharpen their writing skills, expand their network and create a new works by “writing on the spot” during a series of workshops. Headed by Augusta Supple, this is a unique opportunity for writers to explore and develop their work in a supportive environment. The workshops are aimed at writers with a view to developing plays ready for production. Each week, individual and group exercises will be provided to invigorate and challenge the writers to experiment with form, style and story. They will be provided with dramaturgical feedback and support with the final session dedicated to a small in-house play reading by actors.

PAY WHAT YOU CAN
MONDAY 13th August
6:15pm for a 6.30pm start – 8.30pm
The Arts Platform
268A Devonshire Street, Surry Hills, Sydney
Bring pen & Paper or your Laptop… whatever you want to write with.

4 WEEK SERIES
Mondays 6:30pm- 8:30 pm
4 week Program: $200 Monday evenings 27th August- 17th September
Contact: programs@theartsplatform.com
More info about programs http://www.theartsplatform.com/exchange/programs/

Some people look at a few hundred dollars as the cost of a flight to New Zealand, or a modest bill at a fancy restaurant, or perhaps the cost of a cheap suit or an outrageous hair treatment from an innerwest hairdresser. I don’t. A few hundred dollars for me is the start of something new.

I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I’ve not really been the lonely holiday/pricey food/cheap suit/hair treatment type of person.

The options for me as an artist are few and far between – if I wait for the results of funding rounds – or to be granted a residency somewhere – I will never ever do anything.

I’m not good at that.

So a few hundred dollars and a wild notion that what I would do is buy some space off my old employers to run my own sessions, my own residency… and I called it WRITE HERE, WRITE NOW.

The idea is to respond actively to playwrights – to answer some questions I have about writing. Questions like: How do I start directing new work before it has already had the life and vigor work-shopped out of it? How to I nurture and connect with playwrights on a practical level? What can I offer that no one else can? What if playwrights were priviledged and supported before they even wrote their great play? What if playwrights had some one to come to with a wild and dangerous idea – and what if they were greeted with a “yes, tell me more” rather than silence or rejection or a “answer these questions to fit our criteria” stuff? What if playwrights were asked to write on the spot? What if playwrights were given spontaneously stimuli and challenges to write to spec? What if writers were selected not by a project – but by their interest in a potential project? How to you make playwriting immediate? How do you write collegiate? What happens when you confine the writer in a time and space? Writer’s block or writers unblock?

So I sent out this call:

“Write Here, Right Now will be encourage a select group of playwrights to write on site, within a finite period of time – this is a hot, ready multi-playwright project for those who love writing to spec, writing in the company of others and who love a deadline. (Or have a “Just do it!” attitude) If you have any questions or need more information, don’t hesitate to send me an email augusta@augustasupple.com … I’d love to hear from you.

To submit your expression of interest: Please provide the following by 6pm on the 7th March to augusta@augustasupple.com:
• Your contact details (Name, mobile number & email address)
• A sample of your writing (2 pages)
• A brief bio (1/2 page)
• A brief response outlining what interests you about this project (1/2 page)

And I hired a space.

I received over 150 submissions from Sydney writers. I selected 10 (double what I expected) and I held a bonus group for 15 invited writers who weren’t selected for the monday night sessions, for a one night only sample of how I work and what I like to work on.

A response came from one of the “bonus” writers who blogged about the experience here http://ildikosusany.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/day-sixty-two-of-366/ (I really recommend her blog)

“The highlight of my day… was a most splendid and insightful writing session lead by Augusta Supple as a side-project to her Write Here, Write Now writing program. I am ever so indebted to her for inviting me to be a part of such a perfect evening of writing and sharing. Augusta set us off on an imaginative, creative – and I must say easy – journey of writing and devising. I say easy, because, as Augusta mentioned, sometimes as writers we get “stuck” or we make writing seem harder than it is (well, sometimes it is)! However, with just a few simple exercises or a piece of stimulus – a song here, a smell there, a fistful of words/names/adjectives/locations/fears/wishes scribbled furiously on a series of place cards, we can have a whole play and a whole world of creativity within the palms of our hands! Even passing around a contrived text message conversation and adding to the dialogue can get the ideas flowing! Stream of consciousness writing is such a powerful, whimsical and productive way of getting something, anything, down on paper – and it can be such a perfect way to get the left brain working and to get you moving towards something big, new, exciting and… unexpected! I will definitely be using some of these wonderful exercises in the workshops I am running with refugees in Brisbane for the creation of a new theatre piece created and performed by the participants themselves!
It was so lovely and special to meet with other writers and their work was incredible and beautiful and poetic and mesmerising – I have my work cut-out for me and a lot of learning ahead of me on this journey! It was so magnificent and intimate – to hear the work of others and to share in something poetic and thoughtful and magical. I loved it! What a night! Augusta is a gem and I wish her all the best with her Write Here, Write Now project! I was very pleased and very humbled that she follows my blog and it’s good to hear that people enjoy sharing in this journey – and in some cases, being a part of it! I learnt a great deal and I wrote a great deal! Additionally, I am re-re-enthused about getting back on the horse and getting this play to a play-reading standard! Whatever that may be.”

We met, drank tea, wrote wrote wrote. Shared work. After two months of writing and meeting and pitching and emailing… the initial face-to-face sessions are over. And in two Thursdays time, we will be testing out the works via the voices of generous actors in a reading situation. I’m still not sure what sections will be offered, how much or what will be read… but it’s been really wonderful to share this time.

And I’m looking forward to the reading of the new material, Thursday week.

Here’s a little bit about the writers: Pretty interesting people, I think you’ll agree?

Melita Rowston
A graduate of VCA (BFA-Painting ‘97), NIDA (Grad Dip-Directing ‘00) and UTS (MACreative Writing ’10), Melita has directed, dramaturged and written for many independent theatre, dance and cabaret productions.
Melita’s plays include ‘Crushed,’(New Theatre’s Spare Room Season ’12), ‘The diver’ (short), ‘SPEW,’ (Darlinghurst Theatre ’04), ‘Sugarbomb,’ (TRS@ The Old Fitz ’04), ‘Solitude in Blue,’ (Griffin stablemates ’02), ‘Swing Girl,’ (Griffin stablemates ’01) and ‘Night Reflections,’ (NIDA ’00). Melita was a resident playwright at Griffin Theatre Company in 2005/06. From 2007- 2010, Melita trained as a screenwriter and novelist at UTS. She is continuing to develop the screenplay (‘Solitude in Blue’) and fictional memoir (‘The art of failure’), commenced during her Masters. Also in development are text and illustrations for a children’s book, a one-woman show: ‘The Wonder from Downunder: The search for Gippsland’s Giant Worm,’ and a new full-length play: ‘Goodnight Moon.’

Jasper Marlow
Jasper Marlow’s resume encompasses credits as a producer, playwright and screenwriter, across film,
theatre and commercials. His first full-length play Zetland debuted at the 2010 Sydney Fringe Festival where it was nominated for Best New Work at the Fringe Awards. He has been a member of ATYP’s Fresh INK ensemble 2009/2010 and received mentorship from Lachlan Philpot, Matthew Whittet and Jane Fitzgerald. An avid theatre writer, his short-plays have been performed in Tasmania and New South Wales. These include: ‘Deep Space 9mm’ (Onefest-Hobart, 2009) ‘Stories from the 428’ (Sidetrack Theatre,2010) ‘Zetland’(Sidetrack Theatre, 2010) and Tell it like it isn’t (ATYP, 2011). Trained at the Australian Film Television and Radio School, his debut short-film ‘Reception’ has been an Official Selection in both local and overseas Film Festivals. Most recently it won Best Thriller/Horror at the Hollywood International Student Film Festival where Jasper was invited to attend the ceremony and received the award from legendary Actor Edward Asner (Up, El- Dorado). He is currently working on a new play and short-film which, fingers crossed, will be completed before the 2012 Armageddon.

Carolyn Burns
Carolyn’s first two plays, Careers for Attractive Ladies (2010) and Mongrel (2011) were both official selections of the Sydney Fringe Festival. As a 2011 member of the Australian Theatre for Young People’s playwright development program, Fresh Ink, her monologue ‘Stick’ was selected for inclusion in The One Sure Thing and published by Currency Press as part of The Voices Project 2011-2. She is a member of Alana Hicks’ online comedy collective The Kvetch Set, and her screenplay, Detroit, is a finalist in the 2012 Australian Film Festival’s upcoming FutureFilm screenplay competition. Carolyn graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a Master’s in Literature and Modernity in 2009. She also holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the University of Sydney, where she is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of English, conducting research into adaptation and twentieth century lyric drama. While at the University of Sydney, Carolyn has been extensively involved in student publications, writing regularly for Honi Soit and The Bull, and served as an editor of Hermes, the University of Sydney Union’s annual literary anthology. She is currently developing a situation comedy about a high school debating team (pilot episode in post-production) and a longer play about primordial monsters who avenge murders in suburban Australia.

Georgia Symons
Georgia is a writer, director and producer for theatre, film, print and radio. She has studied writing in its various forms at NIDA (Young Writers and Directors Studio), Metroscreen (ArtStart Young Screenwriters’ Program), UTS, and as a member of ATYP’s Fresh Ink Young Writers’ Ensemble. Her first two short works for theatre, Mollycoddled and Dear Diary Today I… were performed at the 2011 Short + Sweet Theatre Festival, Sydney. She was subsequently awarded the Best New Talent Award in the festival, and Mollycoddled received another production in Auckland. She has had her work published twice in the UTS Writers’ Anthology, and once with Currency Press as part of The Voices Project. Her monologue Twisted featured in The One Sure Thing, produced by ATYP. In 2011, Georgia’s film projects included All Bound (producer), Death By Diamonds (producer, costume designer), Sister Death (production design, 1st AD), Tell (writer, director, editor, sound designer), and Honourable Discharge (production design). Her short film, Tell, was nominated for Best Experimental Film at the Golden Eye Film Festival, and pre-production on her next project as writer/director, Shoebox, begun in January. Her theatre directing credits include Beach (Timothy Daly, Fort Productions), Ruby Moon (Matt Cameron, Hatter Productions/Seymour Centre), Margin Walker (Luke Scholes, Short + Sweet Sydney), Dear Diary Today I… (Short + Sweet Sydney), and Dangerous Lenses (Brooke Robinson, Queen Street Studios residency). She has interned in various capacities at ABC Radio National, Belvoir Street Theatre and Griffin Theatre. Georgia also performs in poetry slams around Sydney. Georgia is currently working in production and development at ABC Radio National’s Radio Arts unit. She holds a Certificate III in Entertainment, Live Production and Events (Technical Production) and is studying a Bachelor of Arts in Communications (Media Arts and Production) and in International Studies at the University of Technology, Sydney.

James Pike
James Pike is an Australian playwright, cultural activist and labourer. He was born in Hornsby, Sydney in 1988.
His first work ‘Pendeo’ was performed by alumni of the American Academy of Dramatic Art (AADA) at both the Charles Jehlinger Theatre in Los Angeles and at the Edinburgh Festival in 2006. His lived and wrote in Aix, France in 2007 before undertaking a Bachelor of Communication (Theatre/Media) at Bathurst, NSW in 2008. His works ‘Fly in the Ointment’, ‘Archie’ and ‘Before and After Knockoff’ (all written in 2009) all received immediate performance while the latter was selected for the 2010 Sydney Fringe for performance at the New Theatre. Funding bodies ArtsOutWest and Local Stages supported a regional tour of the work. His short plays ‘The Crib Room’ (2006), ‘Bernard and Leon’ (2007) and full-length ‘Cotton’ (2011), ‘Ballad of a Locksmith’ (2010), ‘Penelope’ (2009) ‘The Unit’ (2007) are yet to be performed. His writing subjects unintentionally herald the lives of entrenched Australians and his style can be described as playful, symbolist and colloquial while retaining classical story design. His plays arehigh-staked and visceral with intention to move and provoke thought.
James works as dramaturg, facilitator and secretary for Desert Pea Media, an indigenous cultural development organisation operating in remote communities around the country. His travel and work in rural and indigenous environments has affected the subjects of his recent stories. He plans to base himself in Sydney while continuing expeditions to minute communities intermittently over the next few years. His current project is on the shearing industry and has taken him from Casterton, VIC to Collarenebri, NSW where he temporarily works as a rouseabout.

Guy Birks
My name is Guy Birks and I am a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). I graduated from the NIDA Playwrights Studio in 2007 was then mentored for 2 years by Francesca Smith, then Director of the Playwrights Studio. Since then I have completed several plays – including We Do Invisible Mending, Visiting Hours are Over, and The Door that Does Not Open – and have had work performed at NIDA, the Powerhouse in Brisbane (with Arts Council funding) and in venues in Sydney. Currently, I am working on the text for a one woman musical play called Why Lions (and humans) Live Longer in Captivity, and my musical collaborator on this play is a post graduate student at the Conservatorium of Music. I am also about to workshop my one act play We Do Invisible Mending with actors Fiona Butler, Richard Hilliar and John Michael Burdon. I have been a member of the Australian Writer’s Guild for a number of years.

Alli Sebastian Wolf
At twenty six years old I have been quite lucky in my creative life; working as a visual artist, playwright and theatre maker I have been widely published, exhibited and performed. I have been supported by numerous grants and residancies and won prizes including the Patrick White Young Playwright Award, The Sydney Fringe Festival Best New Theatre Award and am currently on a Sydney Premiers Fellowship. My dioramas have been seen in national magazines and in solo shows in Sydney and Melbourne, winning prizes and receiving grants since 2009. I write for and creatively direct a performance collective Deep Sea Astronauts who are staples at arts and music festivals in Australia. My latest play The Importance of Being Ernest Dragons and Other Classic Tales As Told By An Octopus at the old Fitzroy Theatre, Sydney, opened to great response.

Melissa Lee Speyer
Melissa graduated from NIDA’s full-time Graduate Diploma in Playwriting in 2011. Her plays have been performed in Australia as part of NIDA’s Festival of Curious and Original Things, Griffin’s Festival of New Writing (24 Hour Play Project), Crash Test Drama in Newtown, Playtime in Kings Cross, Short & Sweet Short Play Festival and Playwriting Australia’s Kicking Down The Doors initiative.

Luke Carson
I am an emerging playwright in Sydney. I am currently writing a third draft of a full length play Second Time Around (It’s a play about sexuality, fidelity and a search for personal truth in a world built of image) dramaturged by Augusta Supple and she just directed Stephen Wilkinson in Boys’ Night as a part of Griffringe. I am also writing the first draft of a comedic play called That’s great … Now act gooder! Focusing on a one month rehearsal period leading up to opening night of a Narrabeen Amateur Dramatic Society production of Working Title. A devised play written by an anonymous writer and directed by the infamous Arthur Flagontout. N.A.D.S. is an independent amateur theatre company fighting to stay in the game. They are going through a name change from N.A.D.S. to N.A.D.S. replacing the amateur with actor. This boost in street cred along with the help of well-loved community actors and an E-Street star will hopefully put NADS on top. Welcome To Sydney: Now Get Out Of Our Way is a collaborative project in its development stage with Stephen Wilkinson & Elizabeth Heaney, from our company Cut The Bull Productions. This is a play exploring what it is like to live in Sydney from an outsider’s perspective. Featuring a collection of monologues and scenes on the eclectic people you meet in the City of Villages. Cut The Bull are also working on a rap video called East Suburbia Gangsta about living life on the other side of the Coca-Cola sign. Tellin like it be told from the ’hood of Vaucluse the Hugo Posse Bosse leave no check unturned yo!

Grace De Morgan
Grace is a Sydney-based writer/performer who finished her Masters in Writing for Stage & Broadcast Media at the Central School of Drama, London in December 2010. Her performed works include: My Brother’s Keeper and Three is Not the Magic Number (short plays staged as a part of Theatre 503’s Rapid Write Response initiative).
After her first play Integrity’s Wench was long-listed for the Edward Albee Script Competition Award in 2010, the Australian Writers’ Guild invited her onto their Pathways program. In July 2009, she spent two weeks on a writing internship at Channel Ten’s Good News Week and has had five ‘Postcard’ articles published in the
Sun Herald Travel lift-out since November 2008 – February 2012. Grace is currently working as a captioner at Red Bee Media, volunteering as a Short & Sweet script assessor, doing an online copywriting internship at Todae.com.au and redrafting her second play, Said a Father to His Son. Her short play Riding the Red is
was performed as part of the Short and Sweet Festival at the Sidetrack Theatre, Marrickville.

*****

And whilst I continue to work with the writers individually and in a group setting… they continue to work on their own projects…

Here’s some of what’s coming up by these writers:

CRUSHED by Melita Rowston:

AM I GOOD FRIEND directed by Georgia Symons:

HEART DOT COM with work by Jasper Marlow and Luke Carson
Five newly commissioned monologues/small-handers directed by Olivia Satchell written by Luke Carson, Ellana Costa, Alison Rooke, Jasper Marlow, Katie Pollock
exploring the absurdity/beauty of searching for love without being able to touch/see the other person.

EAST SUBURBIA GANGSTA written and performed by Luke Carson:
Showing at Cut & Paste
DATE: Sunday May 13th 2012
TIME: 8.00pm
WHERE: The Old Fitzroy Theatre
COST: $12.00 (door sales only)

MICRO FOREST PERFORMANCE created by Alli Sebastian Wolf
HOME BREW FESTIVAL
Venue: The Old Fitzroy Theatre
Dates: May 17th – 19th 2012
Times: 7pm doors.
Tickets: $35/$30
Bookings: www.rocksurfers.org or 1300 241 167

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again – I love playwrights. I’m always on the lookout for the best new writers and the best new plays. And nothing (as far as I’m concerned) is more exciting or inspiring than working with a playwright on a new work. It’s like venturing into unchartered territory, or like hunting for treasure – you just never know what you are going to uncover.

At the moment I am looking for some projects to direct over the next year and so I have developed a project to start developing some ideas and some relationships with writers.

Write Here, Right Now will be encourage a select group of playwrights to write on site, within a finite period of time – this is a hot, ready multi-playwright project for those who love writing to spec, writing in the company of others and who love a deadline. (Or have a “Just do it!” attitude)

If you have any questions or need more information, don’t hesitate to send me an email augusta@augustasupple.com … I’d love to hear from you.

Expressions of Interest: Write Here, Write Now
Write Here, Write Now is a dynamic new opportunity for a select group of playwrights seeking to sharpen their writing skills, expand their network and create a new works by “writing on the spot” during a series of workshops.
Headed by new play director/creative producer, Augusta Supple (Brand Spanking New, Stories from the 428, I Contain Multitudes) this is a unique opportunity for writers to explore and develop their writing in a supportive and nurturing environment, with a view of developing work ready for production.
Each fortnight, individual and group exercises will be provided to invigorate and challenge the writers to experiment with form, style and story. They will be provided with dramaturgical feedback and support with the final session dedicated to a small in-house play reading by actors.

Details:
Dates: Mondays (12th & 26th March, 9th April & 23rd April)
Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Venue: Studio 10, Fraser Studios 10-14 Kensington Street, Chippendale
Cost: Free

To submit your expression of interest:
Please provide the following by 6pm on the 7th March to augusta@augustasupple.com:
• Your contact details (Name, mobile number & email address)
• A sample of your writing (2 pages)
• A brief bio (1/2 page)
• A brief response outlining what interests you about this project (1/2 page)

Decisions will be made by Friday the 9th of March to start on Monday 12th March.

More about Augusta:
Augusta has worked as a director, creative producer, curator, dramaturg and writer in both Australia and North America. A passionate new work advocate, she works exclusively on the development, production and promotion of new Australian plays and has directed new work by Australia’s leading playwrights including Jonathan Gavin, Kate Mulvany, Ned Manning, Hilary Bell, Tahli Corin, Kit Brookman, Alana Valentine, Vanessa Bates, Brooke Robinson, Patrick Lenton, Tim Spencer, Phil Spencer, Katie Pollock and 7-On Playwrights’ collective (Catherine Zimdahl, Donna Abela, Hilary Bell, Ned Manning, Noelle Janaczewska, Vanessa Bates, Verity Laughton)
Augusta has worked in creative and curatorial capacities for several theatre companies in the development and production of new work. She was the inaugural Season Artistic Director of Brand Spanking New (New Theatre, 2008-2010), Program Coordinator Blueprint & Off the Shelf Residencies (Queen St Studio 2009-2010), Creative Producer of Stories From the 428 (Sidetrack Theatre, 2010), Curator of The Boiler Room Series (The Sydney Fringe Festival, 2010) for which she was nominated for a Sydney Fringe Award and programming assistant for The Reginald Season (Seymour Centre, 2012.) She is the resident dramaturg for Shh Centre for Hybrid Arts. Currently, she is on the Board of Directors for Shopfront Contemporary Arts and Performance Centre and sits on the Advisory Board of Kaleidoscope Gallery.
Augusta has written feature articles, commentary and reviews for www.sparkonline.com.au (2009) and www.australianstage.com.au (2007-2011), www.newmatilda.com (2009) and has written regular columns for www.aussietheatre.com.au (2007) and www.artshub.com.au (2007). She has been quoted nationally and internationally on various sites and publications on the status of women in positions of key creative control, issues facing Australian playwrights and the value of independent theatre.