Mundaring | Midland Junction Arts Centre

Mundaring Arts Centre | 7190 Great Eastern Hwy (corner Nichol Street) 9295 3991 | mundaringartscentre.com.au

Wednesday - Friday 10am - 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am - 3pm

Coming up: Public Program details available via our website mundaringartscentre.com.au

Midland Junction Arts Centre | 276 Great Eastern Hwy (corner Cale St) 9250 8062 | midlandjunctionartscentre.com.au

Beyond Interpretations brings together artworks from the City of Swan Collection that respond to the diverse City environments, animating the textured stories of this unique area through people who call Swan home. Complemented with contemporary works by artists Gemma Ben-Ary, Peter Dailey, Sherylle Dovaston, Beverly Iles and Gregory Pryor.

Beyond Interpretations is on display from 25 March to 20 May 2023.

Wednesday - Friday 10am - 5pm, Saturday 11am - 3pm

Artists in Residence to 15 April:

Studio 1 - Elizabeth Knuckey and Nina Raper | Consume (visual)

Studio 2 - Michelle Hall | Falling UP! (theatre)

Veranda Studio - DADAA Residency (multi-media)

Coming up: Public Program details available via our website: midlandjunctionartscentre.com.au

Midland Train, multi-media still, DADAA, 2022, dimensions variable, image courtesy of DADAA.

Marloo Blazing the Trail in Safe Theatre Practices

Marloo Theatre has long been highly respected within the Perth theatre community as a welcoming environment for actors, creatives, volunteers and audience members. It has a reputation for being a very warm environment both on and off the stage. The Darlington Theatre Players at Marloo Theatre are now proud to be supporting and actively implementing the Independent Theatre Association’s Safe Theatre Practices and Intimacy Guidelines. These have been developed by the ITA in consultation with Perth based practitioners in order to ‘provide the best possible rehearsal and performance environment for all cast, crew, creatives, and other volunteers working in community theatre; one that is based on goodwill and respect and that is a safe space for all involved' (ITA 2022).

So just how is Marloo supporting and promoting these practices? The community aspect of community theatre has always been the number one priority for the executive committee at Marloo. The quality of the theatre presented reflects the environment in which the performers and creatives are able to engage. The rehearsal process for every Marloo production is built on respect, trust and communication.

This has become particularly prevalent in recent years as Marloo has tackled boundary pushing projects such as the adults only musical ‘Twisted’ directed by Brittany Isaia in 2021, the asylum set Australian adaptation of ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’ directed by Chris McRae in 2022 and the upcoming WW1 nurse centred drama ‘Through These Lines’ directed by Michelle Ezzy, which opens in April. All of these shows have included adult themes or content, physical violence, sexual references, intimate moments and challenging moments to stage. It is therefore paramount that performers and creatives feel comfortable and safe staging these powerful scenes.

Director of the upcoming production ‘Through These Lines’, Michelle Ezzy is also a committee member of the ITA and has worked as an Intimacy Coordinator on productions across Perth, including several shows at Marloo Theatre.

“I’m currently working on my third production as an intimacy coordinator at Marloo,” Ezzy said. “In 2021 I directed a one act play, Harry’s Bounty, and introduced safe intimacy practices at Marloo for the first time. In 2022 I was the intimacy coordinator for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and this year I’m combining directing and intimacy coordination again for Through These Lines Through These Lines has some of the most intense intimacy scenes I’ve ever worked on including a passionate kissing scene and a sexual assault,” she continued.

Reflecting on her role as an intimacy coordinator, Ezzy emphasised the importance of this role in theatre productions. “Intimacy coordinators make sure that scenes involving intimacy are done safely and at the same time look authentic,” she said. "We make it ‘spicy’ but keep it safe. It’s an important role as it supports the mental and physical wellbeing of the cast members involved. It helps develop a rehearsal room with open communication and clear expectations of behaviour,” she continued.

“In the past directors have often instructed actors to “just kiss.” Community theatre often puts people together that have never met each other before, so asking them to tackle physically or emotionally intimate scenes without guidance puts them at risk of crossing boundaries or putting them in situations where they aren’t comfortable expressing their concerns. Intimacy coordination is about using structure, process and a defined vocabulary to communicate consent, boundaries and blocking so that actors can then focus on the emotion of the scene,” Ezzy said. The rehearsal room must be a safe space for all involved and Marloo Theatre prides itself on creating this. The most recent production of ‘The Wind In The Willows’ brought in a fight choreographer to block the fight between the Riverbank animals and the Weasels and Ferrets. Although light hearted in nature, it was imperative that the younger performers knew how to engage in the choreography in a safe manner to mitigate any potential risk.

Club President Luke Miller stated that “Marloo members regularly refer to the club as their Marloo Family”. Having safe theatre guidelines and practices’ ensures new and existing members can feel supported and welcome into our family”.

The Safe Theatre Practices and Intimacy Guidelines are something Marloo Theatre takes very seriously and are proud to be advocating. What you see on stage is a result of many months of hard work but also the culmination of a team working in a safe environment for all involved.

Marloo Theatre’s next production of ‘Through These Lines’ opens on Friday April 28th and tickets are available from www.trybooking.com/

By Chris McRae

@KoolKakess www.koolkakes.com.au