BE– TWEEN US

THE VOICES PROJECT:

Writers 2014 National Studio & 2014 ATYP Writer in Residence

Director Sarah Parsons

#ATYP_BETWEENUS

04.02.15–21.02.15

Each year, Australian Theatre for Young People brings together 20 of the country’s most exciting young writers to participate in the National Studio.

Held at picturesque Riversdale on the Shoalhaven River, writers aged between 18 and 26 spend a week learning from some of Australia’s most respected playwrights and dramaturgs. As part of the week, the writers are given a common theme and asked to create a seven-minute monologue specifically for a 17-year-old actor. This annual collection of monologues is The Voices Project. From the 20 monologues that are created, up to 12 are chosen to be published by Currency Press. Ten are presented each year at ATYP in a production – this year titled Between Us.

Then, two or three pieces are chosen each year to be turned into short films and released online. So far our Voices Project films have received close to a million views worldwide.

The Voices Project creates dynamic, relevant characters suited to young Australian actors. The pieces are ideal for actors finishing high school, looking to showcase their performance skills. At the same time, the program showcases the best in new Australian playwriting.

Introducing The Voices Project

DirectorSarah Parsons

Assistant DirectorCurtis Fernandez

Stage Manager Olivia Benson

DramaturgJennifer Medway

Set/Prop DesignerMelanie Liertz

Lighting DesignerAlexander Berlage

Sound Designer/Composition Felix Cross

Assistant Stage ManagerBokkie Robertson

CastKaty Avery Christian Charisiou Jordan Cowan Patrick Cullen Rebecca Cuttance Airlie Dodds Kelly Huynh Lucia May Dominica Roebuck Gemma Scoble Michael Smith

2014 National Studio WritersJoel Burrows Tahlee Fereday Sharni McDermott Julia PateyKathleen Quéré Callan Purcell Caitlin Richardson Fiona Spitzkowsky Amanda Yeo

2014 Writer in ResidenceTom Mesker

Cast and Crew

Director’s Note

We all have secrets: they are the whispered confessions, the embarrassing stories shared with friends, the guilty pleasures, the white lies, the gossips and the unbelievable truths.

Challenging young writers at ATYP’s National Studio with a theme such as ‘secrets’ was sure to produce pieces that make us nervous and heartbroken, as we giggle and cringe – The Voices Project: Between Us is a mix of young voices grappling with big ideas. What struck me most about these pieces was their raw humanity – we get a glimpse into the lives of these characters at a crisis point. Should I tell? Does she know I love her? Was I wrong? Who am I? These are the big questions that we have all asked of ourselves; the answers may have changed us or revealed

us in ways we are still discovering.

Working with these incredible young writers and actors has been an absolute joy: I have loved learning from them, being moved and inspired by them and laughing with them. Having so many creative and intelligent voices in one show was a gift. My creative team are magicians and I can’t thank them enough for their support and genius.

Secrets change us for better and for worse; they destroy relationships, build bridges, continue our deceptions and confirm our beliefs. What are yours?

Sarah Parsons

Sarah has been involved with theatre

for almost 15 years, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Theatre and Media), an Honours degree (specialising in Theatre for Young People) and a Bachelor of Teaching (Drama) from Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.

Before starting at ATYP in 2011, Sarah had been writing, designing, directing, performing in and touring Theatre in Education shows to most of regional NSW for many years with Stuck in the Mud Productions, a Bathurst-based, touring children’s theatre company she co-established in 2005.

In the past, Sarah has been engaged as Lecturer of Theatre for Young People at Charles Sturt University, Director of the Bathurst Theatre Company’s Youth Theatre arm and Education Facilitator for Jigsaw Theatre Company in Canberra.

The Voices Project: Between Us is the third show Sarah has directed for ATYP (she also directed Compass in 2013 and Luke Lloyd: Alienoid in 2014), and she has loved the entire process. This is the final show Sarah will direct for ATYP, as she is about to commence a new position as the Creative Producer at Outback Theatre for Young People in Deniliquin.

Director’s Bio

Duration90 minutesNo interval

Running Order

Sure By Julia PateyPerformed by Dominica Roebuck Leo and the Ant By Callan Purcell Performed by Christian Charisiou Two by Two By Sharni McDermott Performed by Gemma Scoble Say, “Yes”. (Part One) By Tom Mesker Performed by Jordan Cowan & Michael Smith

Night Shift By Caitlin RichardsonPerformed by Airlie Dodds

The Baby Elephant Walk By Joel Burrows Performed by Patrick Cullen

Accidents Happen By Fiona SpitzkowskyPerformed by Rebecca Cuttance

Say, “Yes”. (Part Two) By Tom Mesker Performed by Jordan Cowan & Michael Smith

Pink Hair By Amanda YeoPerformed by Kelly Huynh

Petrol Station By Kathleen Quéré Performed by Katy Avery

Mahla Land By Tahlee Fereday Performed by Lucia May

Christian Charisiou

Born and raised in Melbourne, Christian has spent the better part of the last four

years in Sydney, studying at NIDA where he graduated in 2013. During his time there he performed in Uncle Vanya (Dir. Anthony Skuse), Othello, Sunday in the Park with George (Dir. Wayne Harrison), Cloud Nine (Dir. Kip Williams) and Woyzeck (Dir. Imara Savage). Since graduating Christian has been busy improving his skills working with coaches Larry Moss and Les Chantery as well as touring around NSW with the production of Through These Lines and establishing himself as a successful voiceover artist.

Katy Avery

Born and raised in Newcastle, NSW, Katy is a 2013 Actors Centre Australia Graduate.

Prior to ACA, Katy attended the Hunter School of The Performing Arts, relocating to Sydney in 2009 to complete her Cert IV in Performing Arts (Vocal Major) at ED5 International. In July 2014, Katy was selected by ATYP to travel to Glasgow, Scotland to work with the National Theatre of Scotland & Scottish Youth Theatre as part of The Tin Forest, performing with the International Performing Company in celebration of the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Recent theatre credits include Mayella in To Kill A Mockingbird (New

Theatre), Hunger (NIDA), Jessie in The Shewing Up Of Blanco Posnet (NIDA), Pixrose Wilson in The Wake of Jamie Foster (ACA) Lady McDuff in Macbeth (ACA) and Miss Julie in After Miss Julie (NIDA). Katy can next be seen as co-lead, Evie, in the upcoming Australian TV Pilot Subject to Change (Glowworm Films). Katy has been a proud member of MEAA Equity since 2013.

Rebecca Cuttance

Rebecca has been acting for over ten years, training at institutions such as

NIDA, where she completed the Young Theatre Makers Studio. She is an actor, voiceover artist and singer appearing in recent national TV commercials for ALDI and McDonalds. She has a B Communication (Hons) from The University of Newcastle. Theatre credits include: Quay To The City (ATYP), The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other (Tantrum Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream; The Women of Lockerbie; Ghosts; An Absolute Turkey (Newcastle Theatre Company).

Michael Smith

Michael, 24, is a 2011 CSU graduate, with Dean’s Award, with a BA - Acting for Screen &

Stage. Full of energy, vigour, and fast-paced wit, Michael delivers a powerful drive to his work. His theatre credits

Cast

Cast

credits include The Three Sisters, Alarum, Miss Julie, Trafficked, Rebels with a Cause, and 1790; a tale not often told. His musical theatre credits include High School Musical, Go Go Beach, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Boy from Oz, My Fair Lady, and Boy’s Own Macbeth. To view some of Michael’s work, please head to his website: www.michaelneilsmith.com. And in case I don’t see ya, “good afternoon, good evening and goodnight”.

Lucia May

Lucia is a current student at the Australian Institute of Music (AIM) studying Dramatic Arts

and has a Performance Diploma with Trinity College, London. Whilst at AIM, Lucia has performed in Babyteeth (Dir. Anthony Skuse); Physical Stages (Dir. Shane Anthony) and Who’s Afraid of the Working Class? (Dir. Jo Turner). Between Us is her first production with ATYP and is honoured to be surrounded by such incredible and inspiring artists.

Jordan Cowan Jordan graduated from Adelaide College of the Arts in 2012. Her

first show at the college was The Call of the Blobfish, a children’s show which toured schools in regional South Australia and was part of the 2013 Come Out Festival. She played

Grace in the State Theatre Company of South Australia’s production of The Dark Room by Angela Betzien, for which she won the Adelaide Critics Circle and Adelaide Theatre Guild’s Emerging Artist of the Year and Best Female Performance awards. Jordan also landed a role in Wolf Creek 2 and has just finished shooting feature film

Dirt Girls.

Patrick Cullen

Originally from Perth, Patrick is a 2014

graduate of the Actors Centre Australia. His theatre credits include Julius Ceasar (Dir. George Ogalvie), Sexual Perversity in Chicago (Dir. Adam Cook) and Ivanov (Dir. Joeseph Uchitel), all with The Actors Centre. On television he’s been featured on Channel 7’s Winter and in film in WBMC’s highly acclaimed 2011 feature Wasted on the Young. Patrick is a musician and cricket fanatic who splits his downtime between slap bass and video games.

Gemma Scoble

Gemma graduated from the Australian Academy of Dramatic Arts in 2013.

Since graduating she has appeared in productions of Roberto Zucco (Les Theatres Des Assassins), Friday (SITCO) and By Any Other Name (The Long Walk Theatre Company). Most recently, she starred in the premier season of Jennifer Forever, produced by The Two Peas Theatre

Cast

in 2015 can be seen playing Bianca Rhinehart in Channel 9’s telemovie House of Hancock.

Dominica Roebuck Dominica lives in Sydney, and is studying Media Arts Production at UTS. She has been doing drama

since the age of 9 (Trinity College Drama Examinations) and has had minor roles in a few short films as well as writing, directing and shooting her own film and theatre work on the side. Receiving at ATYP scholarship at 13 years of age, she has completed a range of workshops during her time in high school and is excited to be involved in her first professional production with the company.

Kelly Huynh

This is Kelly’s first time performing with the Australian Theatre for Young People and she is

very excited to be working alongside a whole host of talented actors, great directors and writers. Her ambitions for acting sparked whilst doing drama in high school. Upon graduation, she pursued a different career path as she wasn’t sure about performing, so she has a Bachelor’s degree in Media from the University of New South Wales. It was not until recently, that it crystalised she wanted to pursue a career in acting. Kelly is currently taking a course at the Actor’s Pulse whilst juggling a professional career in media.

Airlie Dodds

Between Us is Airlie’s 4th theatrical production with ATYP after Bite Me

(2014), Animal Farm (2012) and Tusk Tusk (2010). She is also a part of the Atypicals committee. She was recently featured on Neighbours and in ABC’s Hiding. She will also be seen this year in the Screen Australia funded short film Skin, and AFTRS produced short films such as Daphne, The Natural Order of Things and Like Breathing. Maybe a few cameo’s at Sydney University, but probably just on the law lawns, drinking soy flat whites.

Tom Mesker

Tom Mesker is an actor and writer from Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Tom was one of ATYP’s 4x4

Fresh Ink writers in 2013, under the mentorship of Jane Bodie. He wrote Strike, Strike, Snap and Homebase which received staged readings and When it Rains it Pours for the 24 hour Playwriting Project at Griffin Theatre. In 2012 he attended the Fresh Ink National Studio and wrote, The Mangroves, included in The Voices Project 2013: Out of Place production and publication. Tom studied Theatre and Media at CSU Bathurst, and is in his second year of Acting at NIDA.

Caitlin Richardson

Caitlin has written fiction and non-fiction for local publications

and has worked as a production assistant on an animated television series, but gets most excited about creating theatre work. In 2014, she was a participant in Blue Cow Theatre Company’s playwriting program and an assistant director for a Tasmanian Theatre Company show. She also directed a production of Disclosed (a performance in three cells), which she wrote as part of an English Honours project based on Tasmanian convict history. Caitlin is the convenor of the Tasmanian Writers’ Centre’s group for young writers, Twitch, and is completing a Masters of Teaching.

Julia Patey

Julia Patey is an emerging director, writer and theatre-maker. As Director and

Producer: The Hand of Time and We Are All (Sydney Fringe Festival, FringeWorld & Adelaide Fringe Festival 2015), Where There’s Smoke (The Blue Room Theatre Summer Nights + 99 Seats Theatre) and Stockholm (Charles Sturt University, Bathurst). As Assistant Director: The Magic Hour by Vanessa Bates (Performing Lines, WA). Julia studied Theatre/Media at Charles Sturt University where she was awarded the 2013 Blair Milan Memorial Scholarship for her graduate production, Burnt. Julia is currently Resident Director for Not Suitable for Drinking.

KathleenQuéré

Kathleen developed a strong passion for theatre at a young age

by becoming involved in countless school productions and writing scripts for her drama class. In 2011 Kathleen’s short play, The Bird, was selected as a finalist in the Fast + Fresh Theatre competition. She has been an ATYP Atypical Advisor (2011 onwards), a Griffin Theatre Company Ambassador (2012) and performed in a production of The Grandfathers (2012) as part of the NIDA Open Program. Kathleen plans to study theatre, film and creative writing at UNSW in 2015.

Writers

Writers

Joel Burrows

Joel Burrows is a playwright, creative writing student at the University of

Wollongong, and producer for Theatre Verses Everything Productions. Joel has been creating plays since 2013, when A Fridge Full of Turnips was presented at OnStage/OnScreen and then performed at UTAS Student Directed Festival. He has gone on to provide works for Tantrum Youth Arts, Crack Theatre Festival, and various independent companies. In 2015, Joel Burrows dreams to complete a number of new projects for the sole purpose of writing more bios.

Fiona Spitzkowsky

Fiona Spitzkowsky is a Melbourne-based writer and dramaturg. Her first

produced work was Room 62791 at the Canberra Youth Theatre in 2009. Since then, she has completed a Bachelor of Communications (Theatre/Media), graduating with distinction, and has penned scripts for the Central West Short Playwriting Festival (2013) and Sprung Festival (2012, 2013), including comic cabaret A World Without Sex, which toured to Sydney and Brisbane. Fiona was also a finalist in ATYP’s 2013 Fresh Ink Competition with Paris. She is currently completing a Masters in Writing, Publishing and Editing at the University of Melbourne, and working with Attic Erratic theatre company.

Callan Purcell Callan is a Newcastle-based artist and has been employed as performer, director

and designer. He devised the CONDA award-winning Past... and Diving Off the Edge of the World. Acting credits include: Spring Awakening, Checklist For An Armed Robber, and The Removalists -for which he also won a CONDA. He recently directed Aftershocks to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the earthquake. Callan is currently a workshop tutor at Hunter Drama, and is devising a new Peter Pan musical.

Sharni McDermott

Sharni is an actor with an Advanced Diploma of Performing Arts (Acting) ACPA

- 2010. Her theatre credits include Parramatta Girls (2014), The Maids (2011), Stolen (2011), The Rock (2010), Soul Music (2010), Miracles in Brisbane (2009) and Equus (2006). For ACPA, Sharni performed lead roles in several productions directed by Leah Purcell. The follow credits include: Low (2010), X-Stacy (2009), Q150 and Long Before (2009), A Midsummer Night’s Dreamtime (2008) and Reflections (2008). After attending ATYP’s National Studio in 2014, Sharni McDermott now also has a keen interest in writing, which she hopes to explore further.

Writers

Tahlee Fereday

Tahlee Fereday is a young writer, actor, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler enthusiast in Darwin.

After graduating school in 2012 Tahlee hosted and produced her own radio show called The Breakfast Show with Tahlee which aired on Larrakia Radio weekdays. Tahlee now is very excited to be from Darwin to study a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre Practice) at Victorian College of Arts in Melbourne.

Amanda Yeo

Amanda Yeo is a solicitor, BA Communication/B Laws graduate, and SWEATSHOP: Western

Sydney Literacy Movement writer. She has performed her work at the 2012 Sydney Writer’s Festival event Moving People, 2011 Bankstown Youth Week event Own It!, and on FBI Radio’s All the Best segment, as well as being published in the UTS Writers’ Anthology 2011: The Life You Chose and that Chose You, Westside New Series Vol 2: On Western Sydney, and Stories of Sydney. Amanda’s writing has previously been performed in ATYP’s Out of Place, as well as The Oligarchs’s multi-playwright project Circuit.

Curtis Fernandez – Assistant Director

Curtis (Curly) Fernandez works for Australian Theatre for Young

People, Sydney Opera House Creative Learning - Education and their Reconciliation Action Plan and the Department of Education. His research and arts performance practice with young people revolves around crossing identity and literacy utilising classical and new hybrid drama techniques with visual art. In 2014 he directed the Multicultural Playwrights Program and Storytime at the Village. Curly has an interest seeing young people being free and confident with language and their own unique expression. He is absorbed in promoting their artistic growth and learning.

Olivia Benson – Stage Manager

Olivia graduated from NIDA’s Production Course in 2012. Since

graduating Olivia has worked on in a variety of roles in theatre and events. As Stage Manager: Dance Hall Days, and Flannofest 2013 & 2014 (Q Theatre), Songs for the Fallen (Michael Sieders), Arafat in Therapy (Jeremie Bracka). As Assistant Stage Manager: Inside There Falls (Sydney Dance Company), The Long Way Home and Kryptonite (Sydney Theatre Company), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (James Anthony Productions). As

Crew

Radio Mic Technician: The Secret River, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and Cyrano de Bergerac (Sydney Theatre Company).

Melanie Liertz - Designer

Designing her first production at ATYP since moving from Melbourne

last year, Melanie brings with her over ten years of experience as a designer and maker for theatre, film, dance and circus. Her design credits include, Yellow Moon (MTC), This is Beautiful (Malthouse), Button and Closed for Maintenance (La Mama), The Dream Factory (St Martins Youth Arts Centre), Automorph Dyuetto (Dancehouse), Dreams from the Second Floor (NICA), and many productions as resident designer at the Ballarat Arts Academy (now Federation Uni). She graduated from The Victorian College of the Arts in 2001 with a Bachelor of Creative Arts.

Alexander Berlage - Lighting Design

Alexander’s recent design credits include Howie the Rookie (Old Fitzroy

Theatre), Everybody Loves Lucy (Hayes Theatre/Luckiest Productions), Book of Days (New Theatre), The Old Maid and the Thief and The Impressario (Sydney Conservatorium of Music), Oprahfication (Sydney Mardi Gras/Adam Lowe Group), Hilt (Mirror Mirror/Old 505 Theatre),

Crew

A Moment on the Lips (Mad March Hare Theatre), The Dissolving Self (Brink Productions/Carriageworks/NIDA), The Red Shoes, Klutz, Fewer Emergencies (NIDA). As Assistant Lighting Designer: Ruby’s Wish (Belvoir/MAKEbeLIEVE), Cruise Control (Ensemble Theatre). Alex was recently a participant at Watermill Center International Summer Program in New York studying under the artistic directorship of Robert Wilson. Alex was also the 2013 recipient of the Peter Baynes Memorial New York Scholarship and is the current recipient of the 2014 Leslie Walford AM Award. Alex holds a Bachelor of Dramatic Art (Production) from the National Institute of Dramatic Art, Sydney, Australia.

Jennifer Medway -Dramaturg

Jennifer has been the Resident Dramaturg and Writing Coordinator at

ATYP since 2014. For ATYP she has been running programs to support writers under the age of 26 and being a dramaturgical resource for writers of this age. In 2014, she was a Griffin Studio Artist where she was the production dramaturg on Jump for Jordan by Donna Abela. In 2012, she was the Associate Artist- Dramaturgy at Belvoir and worked on Strange Interlude by Simon Stone after Eugene O’Neill and was Assistant Director on Death of A Salesman. Prior to this she was Belvoir’s Literary Assistant in 2011. She was also Co-Artistic Director of the

Crack Theatre Festival as part of This is Not Art in 2013. She has assessed scripts for Playwriting Australia, Griffin, Belvoir and for STC’s Patrick White Award. Jennifer has been a dramaturg on: The Bleeding Tree (Playwriting Australia development), Vile (Playwriting Australia development), Jump for Jordan (Griffin), By the Sea Freedom (Festival of Dangerous Ideas/Applespiel), How it is or As you like it (Ashfield Council/9th Women Playwrights International Conference), Blood Pressure (Rock Surfers) and in 2015 will complete work on Animal/People (Rock Surfers), Numb (ATYP/Platform 11+), Between the Clouds (ATYP) and The Trolleys (ATYP).

Bokkie Robertson - Assistant Stage Manager

Bokkie is 18 years old and graduated from SSC Blackwattle Bay Campus in 2014. She is currently taking a gap year to work in theatre and film as a writer, director, stage hand and any other role she can get her hands on. She loves working at ATYP because of the friendly, supportive atmosphere, the great learning environment, and the adults who regularly take pity on her and buy her hot chocolates.

Crew

Felix Cross -Sound Designer/Composition

Felix Cross has been the Artistic Director of Nitro/Black theatre Co-op since 1996 for whom he has written, composed and directed many national and international productions. Other works include: Blues For Railton, Mass Carib - Albany Empire; Glory! (winner 1988 LWT Plays on Stage award); many national and international touring plays for: National Theatre, Out Of Joint (including Convicts’ Opera, with Sydney Theatre Company); Tamasha; Major Road; Nottingham Playhouse, Chichester Festival Theatre, Tricycle, Gate Theatre, Southwark Playhouse, Palace Theatre Westcliffe-on-Sea and Hampstead Theatre. His composition, Integration Octet, premiered at the Aldeburgh Festival and subsequently at the Royal Festival Hall and Derby Proms. He composes regularly for BBC radio

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ATYP would like to thank:

Juz McGuireAaron Beach Paul Musumeci Ava KarusoPaige Rattray

Ben LightowlersDave BergmanHayley Forward Paddy O’SuilleabhainAndrew Hutchison

Supporters

We are very grateful to the following donors for their support of ATYP 2015 productions through the Producers’ Circle: ATYP’s community of generous benefactors who make our productions possible. Antoinette Albert

Robert Albert AO & Libby Albert Edward & Annie Simpson

Martin & Susie Dickson

Louise & Garry Dobson

Nancy Fox & Bruce Arnold

Alexandra Holcomb & Andrew Bird

Michael Ihlein & Gosia Dobrowolska

Rebel Penfold-Russell

List current as of 01.02.15

You too can support ATYP productions. Find out how at: atyp.com.au/support

StaffArtistic Director Fraser Corfield General Manager Amy Maiden Finance Manager Kate di Mattina Development Manager Andrew Deane Marketing Manager Kar Chalmers Workshop Manager Sarah Parsons Education Manager Adèle Jeffreys Production Manager Juz McGuire Education Co-ordinator Lisa Mumford Marketing & Development Co-ordinator Elise Barton Writing Co-ordinator Jennifer Medway Graphic Designer Samantha Cable Administration Assistant James Handsaker Geek-in-Residence Daniel Andrews Archivist Judith SeeffWriter-in-ResidenceJulian Larnach

The Wharf, Pier 4/5 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay NSW 200002 9270 2400atyp@atyp.com.auatyp.com.au

Foundation CommitteeAngela Bowne SC (Chair)Antoinette AlbertMichael IhleinCarolyn FletcherRob RichOlev Rahn

Board of DirectorsMichael Ihlein (Chair)Fraser CorfieldNancy FoxAlexandra HolcombJanine LapworthCathy RobinsonEdward SimpsonSimon WebbNatasa Zunic

Australian Theatre for Young People