Minorities and Majorities in Australian Theatre (THEA318)
2009

Texts

y separately published work icon The Forty Lounge Cafe Tes Lyssiotis , Sydney Melbourne : Currency Press Playbox Theatre , 1990 Z490342 1990 single work drama (taught in 2 units)

Play with music

Set initially in Greece and then Australia (the family shop and home), Greek dialogue is used throughout the play. The production calls for an on-stage musician to provide both a live soundtrack to various parts of the production and to support the singing and dancing. Much of the music is Greek in origin, and includes a Byzantine Hymn. The script further suggests, if possible, the inclusion of a bouzouki musician.

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y separately published work icon Toy Symphony Michael Gow , 2007 Strawberry Hills : Currency Press , 2008 Z1440999 2007 single work drama (taught in 4 units)

'Roland Henning has writer's block. When he tries to explain the situation to a therapist, his story begins to tumble back and forth between his childhood in The Shire and his work as a playwright. At the root of it all is that extraordinary day in primary school which shattered his boyhood and plunged him headlong into the dizzy circus of life and art.'

Source: Belvoir Street website, http://www.belvoir.com.au
Sighted: 05/11/2007

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Aftershocks : A Project of the Newcastle Workers' Cultural Action Committee Paul Brown , 1991 single work drama (taught in 2 units)
— Appears in: Oral History Association of Australia Journal , no. 13 1991; (p. 49-55)
Based on the 1989 Newcastle earthquake.
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y separately published work icon Plays of the 70s [Volume 2] Katharine Brisbane (editor), Sydney : Currency Press , 1998 Z184553 1998 anthology drama (taught in 3 units)
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y separately published work icon The Seven Stages of Grieving Wesley Enoch , Deborah Mailman , Hilary Beaton , 1995 Brisbane : Playlab , 1996 Z355402 1995 single work drama (taught in 14 units)
— Appears in: アボリジニ戯曲選 : ストールン; 嘆きの七段階 2001;

'This is a proud milestone in Australian theatre history; a contemporary Indigenous performance text from the highly acclaimed Kooemba Jdarra. Appropriating western forms whilst using traditional storytelling, it gives emotional insight into Murri life. This one-woman show follows the journey of an Aboriginal ‘Everywoman’ as she tells poignant and humorous stories of grief and reconciliation. A powerful, demanding and culturally profound text, The 7 Stages of Grieving is a celebration of Indigenous survival, an invitation to grieve publicly, a time to exorcize pain. It has a universal theme told through the personal experiences of one incredible character.'

Source: Publisher's blurb (Playlab).

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Historia Noëlle Janaczewska , 1996 single work drama (taught in 3 units)
— Appears in: Australian Women's Drama : Texts and Feminisms 1997; (p. 254-284)
'Historia' is a fusion of poetry, Polish, and electronic notation that examines love and the social forces with which it struggles to co-exist, and explores the patterns of both personal and cultural histories that determine self-identity.' (Source: Metro Arts mid-May update).
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y separately published work icon Running Up a Dress : A Mother and Daughter Dialogue Suzanne Spunner , Fitzroy : McPhee Gribble , 1988 Z451743 1988 single work drama (taught in 2 units)
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y separately published work icon Mongrels Nick Enright , Paddington : Currency Press , 1994 Z295382 1994 single work drama (taught in 2 units)

'Mongrels addresses the difficulties and complexities faced by the creative artist in life and art.'

Source : publisher's blurb

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Conversations with the Dead Richard Frankland , 2002 single work drama (taught in 2 units)
— Appears in: Blak Inside : 6 Indigenous Plays from Victoria 2002; (p. 215-287)

'Jack, a young, ambitious Koorie is juggling the contradictions of working in both black and white worlds. How does he stay true to his cultural responsibilities whilst the justice system he works for fails to understand the pain and rage of his people?

'Conversations with the Dead is Richard Frankland’s response to being an investigator during the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (1987-1991).'

Source: Arts Centre Melbourne (2019 production).

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Chinese Take Away Anna Yen , 2000 single work drama (taught in 2 units)
— Appears in: Three Plays by Asian Australians 2000; (p. 32-71)

'An adaptation of a physical theatre show that tells the story of performer/writer Anna Yen's grandmother, mother and herself. Blending storytelling, performance, archival footage, and poetic cinematography, Chinese Take Away reveals the story of three generations. The stories are anchored by Anna's desire to understand her mother's life and death.' 

Source: Documentary Australia Foundation.

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Description

This unit explores issues of power and identity (including gender, race, class and sexuality) within the context of recent Australian Theatre. Some of the topics to be covered are: women's theatre; multicultural theatre; Aboriginal theatre; and gay and lesbian theatre. On average there are one hour of lectures and two hours of tutorials/workshops/rehearsals per week. There is one mandatory intensive school for off-campus students in this unit.

Other Details

Levels: Undergraduate
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