PROGRAM & EDUCATION PACK
PROGRAM | EDUCATION PACK
SYNOPSIS Life, Death and Love….to be or not to be? A twisted tale of two hapless characters who dare to question. Suspended in a rotting dystopian landscape, forgotten by the world, these two are comforted by blissful ignorance, turning a blind eye to the impending Armageddon. Rising from the detritus comes the voracious, clever and manipulative ‘worm’ set to divide the slavish trust of our heroic duo. This witty, insightful and poignant play will seduce you into a collapsing world where you will bear witness to the final showdown between truth and delusion…to be or not to be?
SETTING THE DYSTOPIAN LANDSCAPE Here We All Are. Assembled. is set in a "sterile promontory". Imagine a wilderness of urban decay or a smouldering poisoned forest or a scarred broil of nothing. Haze. Heat. This is the light and air of the end of days as darks clouds conspire and wait.
Design drawings by Simone Tesorieri from the 2016 creative development.
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CHARACTER NOTES jabber Jabber is to be played by an actor in a wheelchair. He has a degenerative disease that is slowly sneaking up on him, and will eventually cause his death. He is fearfully clinging to the idea of keeping things in a status quo--neither bad nor good, in a state of limbo, a scenario where a decision will soon be made, but never is. He needs Poker, and fears Poker will "leave". He has an interest in the idea of suffering- of seeing death coming, and how one should react to it. (To be or not to be- dignity or denial)
poker Poker is enthusiastic, child-like in logic, and cheerfully exuberant. The character has an androgynous nature, being referred to randomly as he, she, or occasionally, it. Poker wants to see the best of things, to understand and be useful. He/she is however confused and forgetful. And delusional. His/her exuberance may come across as a bullying nature, but she is very loyal and unassuming.
fucker (THE WORM) Fucker is a worm, but only a metaphoric one. He is not intended to be costumed to appear as a worm. He has arms and legs, which he's going to need in the action of the play. The closest feeling is that he is a cross between Uriah Heap and Charles Manson. Voracious, clever, compulsive, manipulative, an overtly sexual being. He has something of the psychopath in him, ever watchful. He is a liar, so watch out what you believe. On the positive, he has a very good logic for his business on stage. His job is regeneration of that which has been laid to waste and rotting. His position is one of saviour to these stranded hopeless creatures who are on the brink.
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PLAYWRIGHT NOTES kathryn ash The writing of Here We Are. All Assembled. was a strange and complex rush for me as a writer, and so it’s difficult to indicate its original springing point. It seems to me it came from so many different directions at once to form a single expression. But how? I cannot be precise. What can I say?—it just sprang. I feel curiously in awe of it as if it were a energetic child who simply somersaulted into view. Within the writing is a love of Shakespearean tomfoolery, my shudder at the late-night sleepless fog in which you're suddenly caught imagining the moment of your death, a flinch of the nervous feeling when you try peering into a dark hole, a murmuring back burner of feeling overwhelmed by the weight of inevitable loss, and a sparkle of the need to express vaulting gratitude (to whom or what, I’m just not sure) at the exquisiteness of actually living. This is as much a play about life as it is about death, because one is meaningless without the other. Just saying. My gratitude to all those artists who are involved in the production of the work—Matt, Suellen, the Italians, Nat, Barb and Doug, Sophie, Jason, Optikal Bloc, Mick, Marcia, Peter, Tim, Peta, Karen, Milly and Amanda. What wonderful inspirational collaborators you are! There have been others who have contributed to the creative flow in all sorts of ways. But I wish to acknowledge in particular, with gratitude, the creative energy spilt on this work by two extraordinary actors who also worked on the project in development - Tia Garnett and Joel Spreadborough.
Playwright, Kathryn Ash in the rehearsal room 2017
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DIRECTOR NOTES MATT SCHOLTEN I love language. As a director, it’s the first thing that grabs my attention when I read a play. It’s the thing that gets me past page 3. Sure, I’m interested in the plot, the characters, the setting, the politics, if there’s an interval etc. but it’s the sound, style and sensory impact of the playwright’s words that really turn me on. As a child, I used to read the dictionary. Whilst my friends were outside playing cricket I was genuinely happiest somewhere holed up with the Shorter Oxford and a notebook. Turning those huge, flimsy pages over and over revealed new worlds of meaning to me, filling up my brain and making my tongue twist and roll with delight. Reading Kathryn Ash’s stunning play for the first time was just like that for me. It was so delicious, so packed with beauty and terror, comedy and tragedy, fart jokes and existential crises, profound and naïve questions that I couldn’t quite believe my luck. A play like this is a rare bird and such a gift to a director. And it truly says something new and profound about big, difficult stuff: life, death, love in a way that I have not had the pleasure of experiencing since, quite frankly, first reading both Shakespeare and Beckett as an undergraduate. I have been fortunate in my career to work on some magnificent plays and with some (mostly) magnificent writers, dead and alive. Here We All Are. Assembled was like a delicious, sweet, moreish treat from the moment I began to read it almost a year ago. I lapped it up and would have probably licked the bowl if I could. Like all excellent work, it became even more tasty in the rehearsal room with a team of kind, generous, talented and hardworking folks helping me bake it. Works like this are extraordinary. They require the lightest of touch, the gently barracking and encouragement from the sidelines by me, and allow for the actors, designers, production and technical team, who are a simply marvellous group of humans by the way, to bravely work at the top of their game serving a work of intelligence, sensitivity and true artistry. What an absolute pleasure it has been to be so warmly welcomed to JUTE and Cairns and to helm a project I am immensely proud of and that I will truly never forget. Thanks, and much love to all.
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ARTISTIC DIRECTOR NOTES suellen maunder In my role of Artistic Director of JUTE Theatre Company I have the privilege and also the happy burden of seeking, uncovering and driving the development of a wonderfully diverse array of new Australian works that excite our artists and our audiences and bring a new understanding to our society. JUTE’s vision is to change the world through theatre and we consistently strive to achieve this vision.
Artistic Director, Suellen Maunder in the 2016 creative development
A great idea is only ever that, an idea. It is the creativity of the team of artists that play and toil and agonise and delve deep to make great pieces of work that challenge, ignite curiosity, entertain and reflect the concerns of our society. I am proud that this work normalises difference and reflects the diversity in our society. But this in itself doesn’t make a great piece of theatre, it is the pure creative genius of the theatre makers, starting with the extraordinary text by Kathryn Ash, the gently wrought direction of Matt Scholten, the stunning design by Simona Cosentini and Simone Tesorieri, complimented by the lighting design by Jason Glenwright, sound design by Guy Webster and video design by optikal bloc. On stage we have beautiful performances from Doug Robins, Natalie Taylor and Barb Lowing and behind the scenes we have Stage Manager Sophie McKeown, Production Manager Sam Gibb and the JUTE team. It does indeed take a village of artists to create a work worthy of our audience.
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CREATIVES actor (jabber) - doug robins Doug returns to the JUTE stage once again in this absurd piece. You may remember him from the JUTE production, Propelled (2014), or perhaps his appearances in Shakespeare at the Tanks productions (2011-2016). He has since written and cowritten one act plays, two of which Doug performed at the Regional One Act Festival – Pussy With a Side of Nuts (2015) and Coffee 4 Two (2016). Always in the process of of writing several more, Doug won the Inaugural Access Arts Achievement Award in 2015. Meanwhile he has dabbled in writing short stories, which have been published by a local Cairns based writers group he co-founded called, YAAWIN (Young Adventurous Writers in the North). The collection of stories and essays is entitled, Fact & Fiction – Historical Cairns Anthology (2017).
actor (poker) - natalie taylor Natalie grew up in Cairns and studied acting at James Cook University in Townsville. In 2002 she performed in her first JUTE Theatre Company production - a one woman show called, Junk Rooms. Playing heroin addicted Jenny in Junk Rooms was a very rewarding and challenging experience that Natalie relishes to this day. She has performed in a variety of theatre productions, short film, commercials, feature films, and TV shows in Cairns, Sydney, New Zealand and London. Some highlights include; Property Search TV, Underbelly, At Sea Staring Up and Hate Ate It. Natalie performed most recently in Darwin and Cairns as Sister Conceptua in Mr.Takahashi and Other Falling Secrets. When she is not performing Natalie is running her business, Taylor Made Confidence, teaching confidence and life skills through theatre.
actor (fucker) - barbara lowing Barbara has performed with the Queensland Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Hole in the Wall Theatre Company, the State Theatre Company of South Australia, Griffin Theatre Company, St John’s Cathedral, Restaged Histories Project, La Boite, The Empire Theatre, Queensland Arts Council, Dead Puppet Society, shake & stir theatre company, Ellen Balloo Productions, and Performers Independent Theatre Company, and has been affiliated with Sydney Theatre Company. Barbara performed in Cairns last year with shake & stir’s critically acclaimed production, Tequila Mockingbird, and more recently, Joh for P.M. a co-production between JUTE Theatre Company and Brisbane Powerhouse. Barbara won the Gold Matilda Award in 2013 for her body of work. She was also awarded Outstanding Contribution by a Female Actress at the Groundling Awards for her body of work in 2013.
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playwright - kathryn ash Kathryn Ash is a playwright, dramaturg and actor, working from Cairns. She is a cofounder of JUTE Theatre Company, and has worked with the company on a project by project basis for over 25 years. She was one of the driving forces behind JUTE’s award-winning new works program, Enter Stage Write. As a playwright she won the New York Dramatists Award in 2002 with her script Bag O’ Marbles. Her works have had over twenty productions to date with JUTE, and with Queensland Theatre Company, and she was nationally recognised for her script Thieves in the Play Writing Australia’s 2014 National Play Festival . This year Kathryn has developed an online writing course for performance for JUTE, Write Out Loud, as well as being JUTE’s resident dramaturge for 11 regional playwrights, developing their work toward the stage in JUTE’s Write Sparks program. Later this year Kathryn will travel to Brisbane to continue her dramaturgical work with a Queensland Theatre, JUTE Theatre Company and Debase script development, The Longest Minute about the FNQ Cowboys 2015 Premiership win. She is currently working on a script for the Commonwealth Games Arts and Cultural Festival and Cairns Regional Council toward a spectacular theatrical celebration of Cairns due in April, 2018.
DIRECTOR - MAtt Scholten A graduate of the University of Melbourne and the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), Matt has directed mainstage, touring, education and independent theatre productions in regional and metropolitan locations across Australia. Matt is the Artistic Director & Creative Producer for award-winning, prolific independent theatre company If Theatre, and has directed for Melbourne Theatre Company, La Mama Theatre, Regional Arts Victoria, TheatreWorks, Union House Theatre and many others. Since 2008, If Theatre has been staging the work of playwright Daniel Keene and has presented eleven productions written by him. A twelfth production, Mother recently toured extensively around Australia featuring actor Noni Hazlehurst and will return in January 2018 at Belvoir Street. Matt taught at the VCA from 2007-2014. From 2010-2014 Matt was also Head of Theatre Arts at GOTAFE and from 2013-2015 was the Artistic Director at Benalla PAC. He is currently a Senior Lecturer in Acting at USQ and recently worked as the Acting Coach on a NITV/ABC television series, Grace Beside Me. He maintains an active freelance directing, producing and writing practice and is currently developing a series of projects for theatre, film and television.
Dramaturg - peter matheson Since becoming freelance in 2002, Peter has assessed scripts and worked dramaturgically with most of the major mainstage (and many more smaller) theatre companies and all the assessment agencies in Australia. He has taught playwrighting, handled residencies, contributed to development programs and tutored in organisations from tertiary institutions through to enthusiastic amateurs. Peter's latest credit is The AWG’s 2014 Hector Crawford Award for an Outstanding Contribution to the Craft via a Body of Script Editing Work. His latest dramaturgical work has been with TasPerforms on Nathan Maynard’s, The Season, which previewed at the Sydney Opera House. Peter has also worked with White Rabbit, The Street Theatre, Serious Theatre, Bee Group, and Playwriting Australia in developing dramaturgy in Western Australia.
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set design - simona cosentini Simona Cosentini is a Neapolitan scenographer, graduating in stage design in 2007 at the Fine Art Academy in Bologna. She started out as a stage painter in 2003, working both as charge artist and in props. Simona then joined the dressmaking staff and the costume design department to the Chief of Stage Design in opera plays and dramas both with regional and independent theatre companies. Her costume design credits include Paolo & Francesca (TCB, 2006), La Serva Padrona and Il Barbiere Di Siviglia (Operaovunque, 20072009). She started her independent production and creative development in opera plays and dramas mainly for Operaovunque and Teatro Colli. Simona's JUTE Theatre Company credits include, Half & Half, Propelled, Sentinel Chickens, Proppa Solid (touring), Delirium, Stewed, Is My Lipstick On Straight?, Paradise is Singing, Mr Takahashi and Other Falling Secrets (co-produced with Corrugated Iron - Darwin) and Here We All Are. Assembled. Her Queensland Theatre credits include, My Name Is Jimi by J.Kleinwein and Jimi Bani, which presented at CIAF 2017, Billie Brown Studio (Brisbane), Gab Titui and will also showcase at Belvoir Theatre- Sydney Festival in 2018.
set design - simonE tesoieri Simone Tesorieri is an Italian scenographer, graduating with honours in scenography in his hometown, Alma Mater, The Fine Art Academy-ABABO (2005). His early career started in the late 90’s, as a fine art sculptor and decorator, skills that lead him to mastercraft arts for local opera theatre. Starting as stage and prop designer in lyric opera and musical plays for the regional and Civic Theatre and independent theatre companies in Italy, he then became a producer in professional design. His stage design credits include, Madama Butterfly, Traviata, DonPasquale, Boheme, Cavalleria Rusticana with the Bonci Theatre. From 2005-2011, Simone was a professional prop designer for the TCB Theatre in Bologna, while also working on independent productions and creative development for operas and dramas with Operaovunque and Teatro Colli. Simone's JUTE Theatre Company credits include, Half & Half, Propelled, Sentinel Chickens, Proppa Solid (touring), Delirium, Stewed, Is My Lipstick On Straight?, Paradise is Singing, Mr Takahashi and Other Falling Secrets (co-produced with Corrugated Iron - Darwin) and Here We All Are. Assembled. Simone's Queensland Theatre credits include, My name is Jimi by J.Kleinwein and Jimi Bani, which presented at CIAF 2017, Billie Brown Studio, Gab Titui and will also showcase at Belvoir TheatreSydney Festival in 2018.
lighting design - Jason glenwright Jason has designed over 200 productions specialising in theatre, music theatre, opera, orchestral concerts, cabaret, dance and puppetry, with many touring nationally and internationally. He is one of Queensland’s most highly awarded designers of the last 10 years having won a Matilda Award for best lighting design in 2015 and 2016, a Gold Matilda Award in 2013 as well as further nominations in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2016, plus three Groundling Awards and nine Del Arte Chart awards. Recent highlights as lighting designer include, Joh for P.M. (JUTE/Brisbane Powerhouse), Paradise Is Singing, The Salt Remains, Is My Lipstick On Straight?, Stewed, Delirium, Soph & The Real World, At Sea Staring Up; Laser Beak Man (Dead Puppet Society/La Boite); Lady Beatle (Little Red/La Boite); The Tragedy Of King Richard III, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Pale Blue Dot, Ruben Guthrie, The Kursk (La Boite); Rice (Griffin Theatre Company/QT); Kiss Me Kate (Opera Queensland); Classique (QLD Camerata Orchestra); Argus PAGE 9 Here We All Are. Assembled. A JUTE Theatre Company Production
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(Dead Puppet Society/QT), I Want To Know What Love Is (The Good Room/QT) ); I Just Came To Say Goodbye, I Should Have Drunk More Champagne (The Good Room); A Tribute Of Sorts (Metro Arts/QTC); Faustus (Bell Shakespeare/QT); Country Song, The Removalist, Water Falling Down, The Little Dog Laughed, Thom Pain (Queensland Theatre); A Hoax (Griffin Theatre Company/La Boite); Endgame, George's Marvellous Medicine, Dracula, Wuthering Heights, Revolting Rhymes & Dirty Beasts, Tequila Mockingbird, Out Dam Snot, 1984, Animal Farm (shake & stir theatre co); Cats The Arena Spectacular, Guys & Dolls, Blood Brothers, Oklahoma!, (Harvest Rain); Wrecking Ball, Rumour Has It (Little Red).
sound design - guy webster Guy is a composer, sound designer, sound artist and music producer working across the mediums of theatre, dance, circus, sound art, installation and new media. His broad body of work has featured in theatres, festivals and galleries throughout Australia, Japan, Europe, UK, USA and China and his live performances have seen him share the stage with the likes of Beth Orton, Ed Harcourt, Powderfinger, The Cruel Sea, Mad Professor and Sarah Blasko. Guy trained and worked as a dancer and choreographer early in his professional career while developing his practice as a composer and musician. He has since worked on many theatre and dance productions with companies and independent artists including, Queensland Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company, Bleach Festival, La Boite Theatre Company, shake & stir theatre co, The Brisbane Festival, Dance North, Backbone Youth Arts, State Library of Queensland, Shock Therapy Productions, JUTE Theatre Company, Out of the Box Festival, Lisa O’Neill, Goat Track Theatre, Stella Electrika, Wilde Applause and Red Shoes. He is also a core and founding member of the new media performance and installation group, The Transmute Collective (1998-2009), whose work, Intimate Transactions received an honorary mention in the 2005 Prix Ars Electronica, and featured in numerous galleries including ICA (London), National Art Museum of China (Beijing), The Performance Space (Sydney) and ACMI (Melbourne) & BIOS (Athens).
AV design - craig wilkinson + Stephen Brodie (optikal bloc) OPTIKAL BLOC is an award-winning video projects that delivers video design, technology and services to the arts and entertainment industry. Previous credits as Video Designers include: shake & stir theatre co / QPAC: Green Day’s American Idiot, Wuthering Heights, 1984; Ocean Park Hong Kong / Aerial Angels: Cyber Illusion Spectacular; Queensland Government: Creative Generation – State Schools Onstage; Queensland Theatre: Country Song, Gasp!, The Mountaintop; La Boite Theatre Company: Prize Fighter, Pale Blue Dot; Arts Centre Gold Coast: Miss Saigon, Jesus Christ Superstar; Opera Queensland: Hansel & Gretel, Candide, La Bohème (realisation), FiZZ!, Dirty Apple; Harvest Rain: Hairspray The Big Fat Arena Spectacular; Queensland Musical Festival: One Hundred and One Years; HHO Events for the Canberra Centenary: Seven Sisters Songline; Empire Theatre: Wicked, Singin’ In the Rain, Cabaret, April’s Fool; Leah Shelton: Terror Australis. Television credits include: Endemol Australia / Nine Network: Big Brother.
stage manager - sophie mckeown Sophie began her career after graduating; working with The Entertainment Store before launching into musical theatre in 2015. She worked as production manager on the creative development of Megan Shorey’s musical Spark! and took her first stage management role on the Australian premiere of 35mm: A Musical Exhibition (HRTC, PAGE 10 Here We All Are. Assembled. A JUTE Theatre Company Production
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2015). This was followed by the new Australian work, MetalHead (UQ’s UndergroundProductions, 2015) and Kaitlyn Rogers’ one-woman show V.D. for Anywhere Theatre Festival. Sophie simultaneously started her journey with Beaded Zeus Productions as stage manager on Blithe’ Spirit (2015), The Liar (2016) and Boeing Boeing (2017). Returning to musical theatre, her stage management credit continued on Edges (Understudy Productions, 2016), Boy & Girl #3 (Oscar Theatre Company & The Brisbane Powerhouse, 2016), the 20th Anniversary of Rent: The Musical (Matt Ward Entertainment & The Brisbane Powerhouse, 2017) and combining both production roles for the world premier of Joh for P.M. (JUTE Theatre Company, Brisbane Powerhouse and Queensland Music Festival, 2017). Sophie is thrilled to be back in Cairns working with JUTE Theatre Company on this incredibly moving premiere written by Kathryn Ash, Here We All Are. Assembled.
production manager - sam gibb Sam’s passion and expertise within the theatre and live events industry, combined with his excellence in the execution of what he does, makes him a sought-after individual. With a professional career exceeding over 17 years, Sam has managed countless national and international events, festivals, productions in a variety of roles. Extremely hands on, Sam has worked with national and international companies and artists as production manager, event operations manager, technical manager, technical designer, stage manager, tour manager, technical operator, lighting designer, FOH audio engineer, monitor engineer, technical consultant and theme designer. Sam has worked in a variety of dynamic and challenging roles and venues around Australia – from the Rainforest to Rural Outback Australia to the Sydney Opera House - sometimes working around the clock to ensure nothing but the best outcome is realised. He has toured extensively throughout Australia and overseas in a variety of technical roles. Sam is excited to support the creative team technically during the process of this production.
MORE INFO SHOW RUN TIME The play runs for approximately 80 minutes with no interval.
rating Rated MA15+ (contains coarse and crude language + realistic violence ).
other This new Australian production has been under creative development as part of JUTE's Theatre Making Factory since 2015.It is a commissioned work.
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THRU THE LENS inside the theatre making factory Photos are from the 2016 creative development and 2017 rehearsal room.
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SPECIAL THANKS JUTE would like to acknowledge and thank our amazing volunteers, who have taken time out of their busy schedules to work with us on Here We All Are. Assembled. Special Acknowledgment is also given to our generous supporters in the form of audience and sponsors. JUTE is in awe of each and every one of you who have invested your time, energy and hearts in our company. Your support enables us to continue to produce new Australian work and change the world through theatre.
FUNDING BODIES JUTE Theatre Company acknowledges the support of the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and the Australian Government through the department of Communication and the Arts' Catalyst - Australian Arts and Culture Fund
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