Past Productions
BIG SKY TOWN
28 April to 22 May
Following a sold out season in the Irene Mitchell Studio in 2008, Big Sky Town by Amelia Roper (winner of the 2007 St Martins National Playwriting Competition) was listed on the 2009 VCE Play Syllabus. Big Sky Town received a regional tour starting at The Arts Centre and playing at venues in Geelong, Bendigo, Frankston and Warburton.
As a result of being listed on the 2009 VCAA syllabus and a testimony to the extraordinary capability of young writers, the play was also published by Full Circle Productions and is available for sale.
Writer: Amelia Roper
Director: Naomi Edwards
Set Design: Esther Hayes
Lighting Design: Lisa Mibus
Production Manager: Tim McNamara
Stage Manager: Jess Keepence
Performed by: Sean James Murphy, Casey Gould, Charlie Mycroft, Joanne Redfearn, Aaron Walton
THE PAUL KELLY PROJECT
14 to 16 May 2009
In my mind it’s shining bright
I’ve had enough of all this stuff
Now I’m going to the pretty place
Drawing inspiration from Kelly’s situational songs, 20 emerging artists create a performance capturing the very essence of how Paul Kelly colours the world through performance, music and poetry.
This project is especially exciting for St. Martins as it is the first time our two pinnacle ensemble programmes have joined together on one production.
Directed by Lucy Angell and Petra Kalive
Performed by The 2009 Creative and Performers Ensembles
SOMEBODY
12 to 13 June 2009
Dear Future Maddy,
Is your handwriting still really bad? What’s the future like? Has the moon collapsed? Do you have friend that’s a robot? Does Kevin Rudd have diabetes?
A devised performance featuring our youngest members, SOMEBODY explores the hilarious and poignant things children think about their world and their future.
Directed and conceived: Sarah Austin
Assistant direction: Kate O Keeffe and Alison Bennett
Musical direction : David Peake
Animation: Nick Barlow
Design consultant: Dayna Morrissey
Performed by the 5 to 12 year old St Martins members
THE EAVESDROPPING PROJECT
8 to 11 July 2009
Devised by St Martins teenage members, The Eavesdropping Project is a stimulating theatre project, based on real conversations heard on Melbourne’s public transport system.
Project director, Melinda Hetzel believes the cast have uncovered a surreal snapshot of Melbourne through their travels, “public transport is a strange open forum, passengers think no one is listening, but the cast have reported on various overheard conversations that are culturally specific, poignant and often quite hilarious.”
Direction: Melinda Hetzel
Writer and Dramaturg: Kylie Trounson
Set Design: Katherine Branch
Lighting Design: Paul Lim
Sound Design: Kelly Ryall
Performed by David Bartl, Freya Baskcomb, Morgan Campbell, Stephanie Crowe, Jake Fehily, Nicole Green, Rita Judah, Wing-Ying Mak, Rachael McArthur, Mairead Murphy, Mia Mussett, Ned Schloeffel, Madeleine Seach, Alice Tovey.
HATCHED 09
10 to 12 October 2009
At Hatched, audiences will have the opportunity to meet a cardboard cutout family, attend a big gay Indian wedding, come across those who work and shop at Savers, laugh at the circus of everyday life and discover why downsizing the world population is beginning in Ararat.
Hatched is not your normal night out at the theatre and according to Curator Lucy Angell’s this year’s ensemble is set to present a night that reflects “their commitment to a unique vision as well as the brave and varied work the Ensemble has done all year”.
Curated by: Lucy Angell
Peformed by: The 2009 Creative Ensemble – Alice Boyle, Emily Dalkin, Aleisha Hall,
Laura Harris, Tara Patwardhan, Louris van de Geer, Leone White
ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES
23 to 25 October 2009
Young people from many of Melbourne’s emerging communities will land at SIGNAL to share their experiences of departing home and arriving in Australia to begin a new life.
“when I arrived people were like monsters to me, but I wasn’t right, here you have a lot of friendly people – I’m on the top of the world.” Flori
The participants come from a vast array of cultural backgrounds including; Albanian, Liberian, Iraqi, Sri Lankan, Vietnamese and content for the performance has been generated through sharing stories, writing poems, collecting images and photographs with St Martins members.
Director: Olivia Allen
Sound Design: Hayley Forward
Lighting Design: Paul Lim
Stage Manager: Ashley Groenen
Project management: Hayley Butcher and Trevor Matthews
Performed by: Hindoloh Sesay, Ephrem Mehari, Alice Tovey, Phuong Khanh Gia Doan, Emma Lynhe, Ramis Issac, Khanh Gia Doan, Ramsin Khoshava, Dominic Buckham, Ko Ko Shwe
CONTROL
20 to 21 November 2009
The Chaos Choir, a new singing ensemble met weekly across three terms under the curatorship of Wes Snelling. The choir’s aim was to defy any preconceived notion of a Choir being about daggy robes and singing “Bright Eyes”. The Chaos Choir sang a range of popular songs with the own distinct edge as well as composing original music and lyrics. Their end of year showcase, Chaos Choir in Control placed the group in an intimate cabaret-esque configuration in the Gallery space and saw the Choir try to break away from their vindictive Choir leader, Miss Finkelstein.
Curated by: Wes Snelling
Musical Direction: David Peake
Lighting Design & Operation: Tim McNamara
AV & Sound Operation: Ashley Groenen
Performed by: Alice Boyle, Ally Bruce, Alexander McDonald, David Peake, Alisa Tanaka King, Marissa Schulze
1989
2 to 12 December 2009
Four new Australian plays written by four developing writers and developed across the course of the year, exploring the theme 1989 and performed by the 2009 Performers Ensemble was our last production of the year. This project combined the talents of both an extraordinary group of young performers and the amazing vision of four writers; Samantha Hill, Dan Giovannani, Christopher Summers and Michele Lee.
LOVE written by Michele Lee
TECHNIQUE written by Chris Summers
HOW GEORGE GOT HER JACKET written by Dan Giovannani
DANCING DOGS written by Samantha Hill
Directed: Adena Jacobs and Sarah Austin
Dramaturge: Melanie Beddie
Designer: Marg Horwell
Lighting Designer: Richard Vabre
Sound Designer: Jared Lewis
Stage Managemer: Dori Bicchierai
Performed by: Angelique Murray, Danielle Asciak, Danny Ball, Darcy Thomas Hegarty, Douglas Lyons, Juliet Hindmarsh, Melissa Kahraman, Ruby Mathers, Xavier O’Shannessy
