DIGITAL THEATRE FESTIVAL AUGUST 2020 nida.edu.au/digital-theatre-festival
WELCOME DIGITAL THEATRE FESTIVAL AUGUST 2020
I would like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the many lands on which we perform and present these projects. Here at NIDA, in Kensington NSW, we learn and tell stories on Bidjigal and Gadigal land and pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past, present and emerging. I am very excited to welcome you to NIDA’s Digital Theatre Festival. Neither streamed theatre, nor film, this festival is unlike any other: the six projects have been created entirely from the ground up, specifically for audiences in the digital space, resulting in uniquely immersive, interactive and unusual experiences. Collaborating with an exciting line up of directors, NIDA’s actors, designers, stage managers, theatre technicians, costumiers, props-makers and scenery-makers – among some of Australia’s brightest young imaginations – have applied incredible innovation and out-of-thebox thinking at every moment to create six rich and complex shows. They have bravely pushed the boundaries of storytelling and learnt to make the most of the whole gamut of online platforms to engage audiences. Along the way, they have further developed their creative and agile thinking; attributes that I know our industry will be hungry for once they graduate from NIDA. Thank you for joining us on this ambitious journey. Together we might just be witnessing the invention of another future for the performing arts. I would like to thank David Berthold, NIDA’s Director Centre for Creative Practices and Curator of the Digital Theatre Festival, for all his work and creative inspiration. To finish, allow me to take this opportunity to wholeheartedly thank all our sponsors and donors, as well as the Australian Government via the Office for the Arts, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, for their continuing support of NIDA and excellence in performing arts education. Happy Digital Theatre Festival to all!
– Liz Hughes, CEO
Written by Henrik Ibsen, Luigi Pirandello, Stephen Sewell, William Shakespeare Concept and directed by Katy Alexander 6, 8, 9 August, 7.30pm AEST Trailer 8, 9 August,11am AEST Indicative running time 45–60min When the world went into shutdown in early 2020, all the theatres closed. An old theatrical tradition was widely revived, of leaving a single naked bulb on a stand, the ghost light – to ensure that an empty theatre is never left in total darkness. It keeps the spirit of the theatre alive and ensures that the theatre’s ghosts can see to perform upon the stage when left alone. In this time of darkness, where then have all the characters gone? Untethered from their plots and from each other, they have broken out. They roam the empty theatres of Sydney, searching for each other and for the audiences that enable them to exist. They are searching for purpose. We encounter these characters through their great monologues. We find them backstage and in unnervingly empty theatres, trying to connect once again. But being lost, they are also free, so these characters appear to us in guises that might surprise, and speak out with words that are their own. This transmedia production includes short online films, audience responses, and a live production that is also livestreamed. We have rehearsed and met on Zoom and in the real world. We have followed new COVID protocols, experimented with technologies and found frustrations, opportunities and sheer magic, as we reimagine theatrical storytelling in this strange new world. Every member of our team has worked tirelessly and with boundless imagination to make this world come to life. Dr Stephen Sewell has given voice to these characters as they find themselves in this strange predicament. We have had the opportunity to film our characters in some amazing locations in Sydney, including the Capitol Theatre and the Eternity Playhouse, while those theatres are dark. Our characters have roamed through those empty theatres, giving them life again amongst the echoes and appealing to the absent audience who will return in time. The empty theatres are alive with the memories of the characters and players who have inhabited them.
– Katy Alexander, Director
Presented by NIDA BFA Costume, BFA Properties and Objects, BFA Scenic Construction and Technologies, BFA Technical Theatre and Stage Management, BFA and MFA Design for Performance, MFA Writing and final year BFA Acting students.
Company Hamlet The Manager Puck Nora
Albert Mwangi MICRO FILMS Nathaniel Langworthy Director Katy Alexander* Lachlan Kent Creative Producers Lachlan Steel Ayla Beaufils Morgan Moroney Mali Tauro-Cesca Director Katy Alexander* Cinematographer Brycen Horne* Writers Henrik Ibsen Costume Designer Claudia Kryszkiewicz Luigi Pirandello Technical Designer Lachlan Steel Stephen Sewell First Assistant Director Elif Akgul William Shakespeare Second Assistant Director Jessie McGuigan Assistant Writers Laura McDonald Costume Supervisor Emily Pires Jake Zuccolotto Technical Systems Supervisor Sophia Wallace Costume Designer Claudia Kryszkiewicz Set Dresser Alexandra Allanson Technical Designer Lachlan Steel Costume Assistant Jasmin Gray Set Designer/ Alexandra Allanson Assembly Editor Ethan Hamill Props Supervisor Sound Designer Jordan Jeckells Voice Coach Jennifer White* Voice Support Raechyl French SOCIAL MEDIA Construction Manager Nicholas Day** Social Media Strategy Lachlan Steel Costume Supervisor Emily Pires Social Media Managers Jordan Jeckells Project Managers Morgan Moroney Jessie McGuigan Mali Tauro-Cesca Stage Manager Elif Akgul Assistant Stage Manager Jessie McGuigan Technical Systems Sophia Wallace Supervisor Video Assistant Ethan Hamill Sound Assistant Jordan Jeckells Costume Assistant Jasmin Gray Props Assistant Ally Vyner Design Assistant Benedict Janeczko-Taylor *Guest artist Construction Assistant Joshua Abbott **NIDA staff Special thanks to: Jimi Rawlings and Eve Norris. NIDA would like to thank the following organisations for their support in the making of Ghost Lights: Heckler, Darlinghurst Theatre Company, Capitol Theatre and Foundation Theatres.
Graduating students 2020 Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting)
Reb e cc a At t ana sio
Ayla B eaufils
A nna Clark
Leinad C oulthur s t
Philip D’A mbrosio
Mic aela Ellis
Charlot te G rimmer
T hom a s Hughe s
Ja s on Jef ferie s
L achlan Kent
Nathaniel L angwor thy
T hom a s Loveluck
Patrick Mandziy
Brodie Ma sini
A lb er t Mwangi
R yan Paniz za
Zo e Re snick
B randon S c ane
A lexandra St amell
A lana Stewar t
L uke V is entin
A lan Zhu
Je s sic a S pie s
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Costume)
G e orgia At tewell-Mo ore
Av ril B radbur yHoath
A llo quois C allaway
Te s s Healy
S arah Murdo ch
Emily Pire s
Iz Sperling
S idney Tulau
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Design for Performance)
Meret te B ou tros
Te s s B urg
O liv ia Hu tley
Jordan Leah
Ruru Zhu
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Properties and Objects)
A lexandra A llans on
Daniel D ruer y
L uc a s G uillemin
A m anda Torrisi
Bachelor of Fine Arts ( Technical Theatre and Stage Management)
T hom a s B ensley
T hom a s Houghton
Mali Tauro Cesca
A mellia B ruderlin
K hyam C ox
Je s s e G reig
L ucia Haddad
Fiona Harding
Daniel Her ten
Jennifer Jackson
Morgan Moroney
A na s t a sia Mowen
Ros e Mulc are
C ameron S mith
L achlan Ste el
Monique L angford
Rit a Naidu
Ella Van Dam
Mellit a Ver tigan
Master of Fine Arts (Design for Performance)
Adrienne A ndrews
S om a G arner
A ngus Kons ti
Claudia K r ys zk iew ic z
LEADERSHIP TEAM Chief Executive Officer Liz Hughes General Manager Alistair Graham Chief Financial Officer Sujeet Jena Executive Director Pathways and Partnerships Mark Gaal Head of Business Transformation Priscilla Hunt Director Student Engagement, Learning and Quality Assurance Kylie Black Director Centre for Acting John Bashford Director Centre for Technology, Production and Management Graham Henstock Director Centre for Creative Practices David Berthold Director Centre for Design Practices Dr Julie Lynch Director Public Programs Tricia Ryan Director NIDA Corporate Vanessa White Head of Development and Alumni Lisa Hamilton Head of Marketing and Communications Laetitia Shepherd Company Secretary Julia Mant ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL STAFF Producer Diane Misirdjieff Operations Manager Charlene Griffiths → CENTRE FOR ACTING Head of Movement, Senior Lecturer Gavin Robins
Property Services Principal Partner
Head of Music, Senior Lecturer Andrew Ross Head of Voice, Course Leader (MFA Voice) Katerina Moraitis Project and Administration Coordinator Mahsa Foroughi → CENTRE FOR CREATIVE PRACTICES Senior Lecturer and Course Leader Common Subjects Dr Suzanne Osmond Lecturer Common Subjects Priscilla Jackman Lecturer Common Subjects Pierce Wilcox Lecturer Design and Common Subjects Tobhiyah Stone-Feller Course Leader Cultural Leadership Karilyn Brown Head of Directing, Course Leader Dr Benjamin Schostakowski Head of Writing for Performance, Course Leader Dr Stephen Sewell Project and Administration Coordinator Elizabeth Shearer → CENTRE FOR DESIGN PRACTICES Costume Head of Costume, Course Leader Annette Ribbons Lecturer Costume Marcia Lidden Associate Lecturer Costume Daniela Viola Costume and Props Store Manager Costume and Props Store Robin Monkhouse
Major Partners
Design Senior Lecturer Design Stephen Curtis Lecturer Design Jeremy Allen Lecturer Design Isabel Hudson Lecturer Design and Common Subjects Tobhiyah Stone-Feller Lecturer Scenic Art and Art Finishing Karen Scribbins Production and Administration Coordinator Rebecca Paling
Head of Sound Design, Lecturer Paul Prestipino Head of Stage Management, Senior Lecturer Melanie Dyer Technical Manager Chris Dickey AV Support Technician Benjamin Nicholson PATHWAYS AND PARTNERSHIPS
Manager Vocational Studies Marnie Campbell Librarian Ross Bruzzese Assistant Librarian Properties and Objects Liana Piccoli Head of Properties and Objects, Administration Coordinator Course Leader Hannah McBride Marcelo Zavala-Baeza Associate Lecturer Properties OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR and Objects/Workshop STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, Coordinator LEARNING AND QUALITY Majella Beck ASSURANCE Associate Lecturer Properties E-Learning Technologist and Objects/Workshop Andrew Gates Coordinator Administration Coordinator Alexander Creecy Naomi Lennox Student Engagement Scenic Construction and Administrator Technologies Barbara Taylor Production Manager, Course Leader Scenic Construction and Technologies Nicholas Day Assistant – Scenery Workshop Ian Turland Lecturer Scenic Construction and Technologies Lynsey Brown Associate Lecturer Scenic Construction and Technologies Florian Simonin → CENTRE FOR TECHNOLOGY, PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT Senior Lecturer Technology and Production Peter Savage
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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 2020 students.
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