STUDENT PRODUCTIONS June 2021
WELCOME I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands on which we learn and tell stories, the Bidjigal and Gadigal people of the Eora nation. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders past and present who have cared for land, water and story on these lands for generations. We also recognise the work and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, workers and creatives within the NIDA Community. Sovereignty was never ceded. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land. It gives me enormous pleasure to welcome you to another outstanding June Season of Student Productions at NIDA. The focus on digital and emerging technologies is now embedded in NIDA’s core practice as we commit to creating and nurturing the world’s best storytellers and unlocking the power of the performing arts across stages, screens, future media and beyond. These four, fully-staged NIDA productions tell stories that will surprise and shake. With live cinema, an urban mystery, an urgent demolition and a flagship partnership – this is a season of shapeshifting. Change is in the air. Certainties are challenged. The past and present collide. Eat Me is a series of four short new Australian plays in one night, devised and produced in a unique collaborative process with NIDA, Sydney Theatre Company’s Emerging Writers Group, and Contemporary Asian Australian Performance (CAAP) with leading writers and directors. Metamorphosis is a big and bold interpretation of a classic Franz Kafka, directed by NIDA Course Leader Dr Benjamin Schostakowski. We’re delighted to welcome Kate Champion back to NIDA, directing Hilary Bell’s confronting Perfect Stranger, where the world of audience and performer collides in a revolving world. Award-winning Heather Fairbairn disrupts accepted modes of storytelling with Alice Birch’s exposure of patriarchy REVOLT. SHE SAID. REVOLT AGAIN. This season gives all our students the opportunity to push boundaries and engage with industry representatives, agents, theatre and event companies, film, and television producers. The state-of-the-art performance spaces they work in, as well as the experts they have access to at every step of the creative process, are what makes NIDA one of the world’s top performing arts educators. It is fantastic to see the outcomes of the hard work of the incredible group of talented and passionate students and practising artists from diverse backgrounds and from all over Australia. We couldn’t present any of these high-calibre productions without support from the Australian Government, our Principal Partner for Property Services ARA, our Major Partners Technical Direction Company and Canon Australia, our Corporate Partner YouTube, our Supporters Tempus Two, Young Henrys, Media Super and Screen Australia, our Legal Services Supporter Kay & Hughes, our Event supporter Fourth Wall and the trusts and foundations and the generous individuals who make up our donors and supporters. We hope you enjoy these live productions.
– Liz Hughes, CEO
June Season of Student Productions 2021 Rehearsals
Eat Me Four short plays by James Elazzi, Jordyn Fulcher, Enoch Mailangi and Wendy Mocke Directed by Tasnim Hossain, Kenneth Moraleda, Jennifer Rani, Courtney Stewart NIDA Theatres, Playhouse 10–12, 15–17 June, 7pm 17 June, 1pm
Running time 90 minutes Eat Me will be performed in one act with no interval. Originally commissioned and first produced at the NIDA Playhouse by the National Institute of Dramatic Art, Sydney Australia, from 10–17 June 2021 as part of the Sydney Theatre Company Emerging Writers Program.
Presented by NIDA BFA Design for Performance, BFA Costume, BFA Properties and Objects, BFA Scenic Construction and Technologies, BFA Technical Theatre and Stage Management, MFA Directing and final year BFA Acting students.
Company 2019 The Necklace Assistant Directors David Ryan Enniss Tam Charlotte Lucas Movement Director Aquil Wern Mak Sophia Christy Tran Set Designer Mohamad Adolphus Waylee Costume Designers Writer James Elazzi* Lighting and Co-video Designer Director Courtney Stewart* Co-video Designer Sound Designers 1969 Blowback James Ryan Enniss Voice Coach Ruby Charlotte Lucas Alex Wern Mak Production Stage Managers Annie Christy Tran John Adolphus Waylee Deputy Stage Managers Writer Wendy Mocke* Assistants Stage Manager Director Kenneth Moraleda* Costume Supervisors 1919 -.- Woodrow Ryan Enniss Props Supervisors Fern Charlotte Lucas Harry Wern Mak Roberta Christy Tran Construction Manager Vincent Adolphus Waylee Head Electrician Writer Enoch Mailangi* Costume Makers Director Tasnim Hossain* Props Makers 2069 The End of Everything from the Perspective of Lawn Chairs Daniel Ryan Enniss Costume Assistants Tayla Charlotte Lucas Fin Wern Mak Costume Design Assistants Missy Christy Tran Archie Adolphus Waylee Props Assistants Writer Jordyn Fulcher Set Design Assistant Director Jennifer Rani* Technical Assistant
Samuel Jing Rikiah Lizarraga Gavin Robins** Hannah Yardley Amy Jackson Bella Saltearn Saint Clair Ethan Hamill Elif Akgul (1919, 2019) Tim McNaught (1969, 2069) Angela Sullen** Sophie Jones Jimi Rawlings Jordan Jeckells Jodi Rabinowitz Madeleine Picard Cameron Russell Elsbeth Cameron Lucy Jauristo Danielle Guyot Rhyanna Martinussen James McKay* Jessie McGuigan Tamsyn Balogh-Caristo Jasmin Gray Lily Mateljan Hunter Depalo Zachary Portelli Maeve Durkin Nina Price Rebecca Howarth James Stibilj Tanne Patterson Gaia Stein Serena Pollock Amy Norton *Guest artist **NIDA staff
Thank you to Paige Rattray and Polly Rowe from Sydney Theatre Company and Paul Kelly for his generosity in allowing us to use his songs Peace Reprisal and Clouds. My Boomerang Won’t Come Back , written by: Charlie Drake/Max Diamond Published by Campbell Connelly (Australia) Pty Ltd, by kind permission of Wise Music Group Kassner Edward Music Co. Ltd., administered by: Universal Music Publishing Pty Ltd.
2019 The Necklace
Inheritance, money, and class are all thrown into the mix when a group of friends goes out to lunch in an expensive burger restaurant. I’ve always been curious about inheritance, how it works, who gets what, and what cultural specifications come with it. Who misses out and why? This then leads me to the common thread of what pushes us to steal something of value. I wanted to explore these notions in a somewhat comedic way, so here we are. I present to you, Necklace.
– James Elazzi, Writer
Eat Me has been a wild ride! This whole project has been very exciting because not only did we get to create a new Australian work, but we got to devise a new process to create that new work. This feels very pertinent particularly as we find ourselves at somewhat of a crossroads in the industry where pre-existing processes and practices are having to evolve and shift. The craft, dedication and energy from everyone involved can be felt through every beat of this piece, and we can’t wait to share it.
– Courtney Stewart, Director
1969 Blowback
The 1960’s: era of the mini-skirt, Twiggy, hippies, psychedelic drugs and the height of anti-Vietnam War protests. It was a time for revolutionary change and young people were in the driver’s seat. Some say this era was the blueprint for what we call today ‘woke culture’. So when a group of young friends sneak away to go camping in the bush, what could possibly go wrong?... Blowback aims to explore western ideologies of possession and enlightenment.
– Wendy Mocke, Writer
Cusp. The characters, carrying their hopes and doubts, are about to enter society as adults. The world around them is on the edge of revolution and change. The land is at the brink of destruction and regeneration as nature is wont to do. When forces internal and external shift and challenge a group of young peoples’ place in the world – how do they navigate to survive? This has been a great collaborative process with the cast, creatives and crew to build and give life to the vivid, vibrant text and imagery our playwright has gifted us with. I am thankful and constantly inspired by the creativity and drive of my collaborators on this unique work. – Kenneth Moraleda, Director
1919 -.-
It’s such a horrible curse being wanted. Especially when all you’re doing is trying to survive. Digital dating can feel like an elaborate Ponzi scheme, and if you’re Queer it’s basically being asked to join a polyamorous relationship (triggered). So all I’m asking is to suspend disbelief and lean into the idea that the love of your life is a catfish – well at least emotionally. – Enoch Mailangi, Writer
In -.-, our writer Enoch Mailangi, has used the time period as a provocation and a launchpad to explore the many worldchanging events that were happening then and the many modern-day parallels now. In 1919, the world had just come out of war, race riots were taking place in both the US and UK, and a terrifying pandemic was killing millions. And yet, young people were still looking to get lucky and grappling with age-old questions about love, and that’s what we’ve been exploring in -.through a dream world that’s bigger and stranger than we might imagine. – Tasnim Hossain, Director
2069 The End of Everything from the Perspective of Lawn Chairs
This little piece was full of new discoveries for me, and I learnt a lot about myself in the process of writing it. In the midst of a global stand-still and being well aware of what the coming years may hold, I expected to feel afraid of what 2069 would feel like. Instead, I was confronted with peace. As human beings, we are temporary blips in a universe constantly on the verge of a temper tantrum, and though it is deeply unfair that we aren’t more important, the time we have here can be all we need. This piece confronts that head on, and it was a great joy letting these characters earn those moments before their end.
– Jordyn Fulcher, Writer
Humans are great at fighting but we’re not so great at letting go. In our quest to own, control and be everything we seem to forget that acceptance is very rarely resignation. Acceptance can be active. It can bring a shift and that shift can make space for hope. Jordy captures this with uniqueness and brevity as her young characters stumble over meaning and morality, forcing them to consider the radical act of acceptance well before they ought to, as they wait to witness the end of a world and of a life that will no longer be theirs. So when it’s your turn, will you rage against the dying of the light or will you accept, radically and softly, your finite existence and the end of everything? Radical Acceptance. It’s a thing, look it up. – Jennifer Rani, Director
Graduating students 2021 Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting)
G abriel A lvarado
H annah Julii A nder s on
Fly nn B arnard
Julie B et tens
O liv ia B ourne
S haw C ameron
R yan Ennis s
A my Joyce
Libby Kay
A lfre d Kouris
A shan Kum ar
A ri Ma za Long
Charlot te L uc a s
Philip Ly nch
Wern M ak
B raydon May
Riley McNam ara
A lyona Pop ova
Harrison Q ua s t
C onnor Reilly
Mem a Munro
Chris t y Tran
Eb ony Tucker
Adolphus Wayle e
L ucy Jauris to
S am antha Manning
S iobhan Nealon
A ngelina Meany
H ayden Relf
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Costume)
Elsb eth C ameron
B ethany Hew it t
O ri His er
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Design for Performance)
S oham A pte
B lake He dley
Hannah Tayler
H annah Yardley
A my Jack s on
Pho eni x Mckay
Is ab ella S altearn
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Properties and Objects)
Hunter D epalo
Danielle G uyot
Rachel Hallet t
Is ab ell de L aurentis
Zo e M anning
Rhyanna M ar tinus s en
Z achar y Por telli
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Scenic Construction and Technologies)
C atherine Imer
M at thew Hinton
Z achar y W hite
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Technical Theatre and Stage Management)
Elif A kgul
Is a ac B arron
K aitly n Cro cker
S ophie Jone s
Leia Lois a
Alex Makaronopoulos
Jo el M allet t
K r ys telle Q uar term ain
Jame s Rawlings
S aint Clair
Nathan Sandy
Z achar y S aric
Mellit a Ver tigan
Trillian V ieira
Sy billa Wajon
S ophia Wallace
Rik iah L izarraga
A my S ole
A lexei Ymer-Welsby
Master of Fine Arts (Directing)
Eve B e ck
Madeleine D iggins
S amuel Jing
STUDENT PRODUCTIONS JUNE 2021
NIDA employs a wide range of industry professionals on both a part-time and casual basis who teach students across all the courses. NIDA would like to acknowledge and thank all members of staff who have shared their expertise with the 2021 students.
NIDA is grateful for the support of our corporate partners, trusts and foundations, supporters and donors.
Principal Partner for Property Services
Major Partners
Corporate Partner
Legal Services
Supporters
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