FESTIVAL OF EMERGING ARTISTS 2020
9–12 DECEMBER NIDA THEATRES
nida.edu.au/productions
WELCOME I would like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands on which we learn and tell stories, the Bidjigal and Gadigal people, and pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past, present and emerging. Welcome to the Festival of Emerging Artists. This season presents some of the emerging voices who are already co-creating the future of performing arts. Each of these works has been chosen independently by NIDA’s Master of Fine Arts (Directing) students, which is part of what gives this season such a joyous, artist-led energy. The Festival of Emerging Artists is the culmination of practical training for NIDA’s Directing and Bachelor of Fine Arts (Design for Performance) students. For each production, a director and designer work in collaboration with creative leaders from every discipline at NIDA, to bring the wonder and awe of these productions to life. These works bring you the artistry of NIDA’s current cohort of lighting designers, sound designers, video designers, costume supervisors, props makers, stage managers, make-up artists, production coordinators, props supervisors, voice coaches, construction managers, costume assistants, head electricians, technical assistants, video systems managers, design assistants, and of course, our graduating directors and designers. These roles come from the practice-based, industry-ready training of NIDA’s Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees: Technical Theatre and Stage Management, Properties and Objects, Costume, Scenic Construction and Technologies, Acting, Design for Performance; NIDA’s Master of Fine Arts degrees: Design for Performance, Voice, Writing for Performance, Directing; and NIDA’s diplomas: Specialist Make-up Services, Live Production and Technical Services, Stage and Screen Performance. The festive spirit of this season is also fueled by external collaborations. It is an opportunity that many of our Acting graduates take to return to work with their NIDA peers and friends. The Directing students draw upon their extended networks to bring in actors, writers and other collaborators from the wider community. This community collaboration shows just how much NIDA is a rich and potent, industry-connected training ground in which emerging artists can create truly meaningful, exciting new work. Enjoy!
Liz Hughes Chief Executive Officer 2
CONTENTS MFA Directing – Welcome by Dr Benjamin Schostakowski
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BFA Design for Performance – Welcome by Dr Julie Lynch
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REG GRUNDY STUDIO 6 And a Happy New Year... so/lo
SPACE 8 ANTIGONICK And Tell Sad Stories of the Deaths of Queens... The Cat
STUDIO THEATRE 10 Icarus DRRRM Play Dracula
GRADUATING DIRECTORS
GRADUATING DESIGNERS
Merette Boutros 21 Sophie Benassi 14 T.A Burg 22 Mark Bolotin 15 Olivia Hutley 23 Amelia Burke 16 Jordan Leah 24 Zoë Hollyoak 17 Iz Sperling 25 Matthew Latham 18 Sidney Tulau 26 Liam McIlwain 19 Ruru Zhu 27 Ruby Rees 20 3
DIRECTING Master of Fine Arts (Directing) In their training, the Master of Fine Arts (Directing) students work closely with artists across all courses and disciplines in the school. Many of their practice-led learning experiences also connect with external colleagues such as the Actors Centre Australia, Contemporary Asian Australian Performance (CAAP) and triple j Unearthed/rage. Through multiple live performance and multimedia projects, the directors spend the year honing their craft, creativity, and collaboration skills. This festival stands as the culmination of the practical component of training for the directors, a place to connect with contemporary audiences and express their unique directorial potential. In the Festival of Emerging Artists 2020, we are thrilled to showcase eight live performances across three venues. The Space houses Anne Carson’s ANTIGONICK, a fresh and frenetic translation of Sophocles’ Antigone, directed by Zoë Hollyoak. Liam McIlwain directs the posthumously discovered Tennessee Williams’ tragedy And Tell Sad Stories of the Deaths of Queens… and the venue closes with Lally Katz’s delightfully absurd rom-com The Cat, directed by Amelia Burke. In the Studio Theatre, Mark Bolotin writes and directs Icarus, a strange and visually striking adaptation of the Greek myth, followed by DRRRM Play, a punk-inspired response (revolt?) to Strindberg’s epic A Dream Play, adapted by Jordyn Fulcher and directed by Matthew Latham. Guest artist Samuel Lucas Allen (MFA Directing 2019) ends the night with Dracula, a fever-dream of gothic mayhem inspired by the haunting Bram Stoker novel. And finally, the Reg Grundy Studio is home to two new works, And a Happy New Year… written by Sophie Davis (MFA Writing for Performance), a holiday season ghost story for 2020, directed by Sophie Benassi and so/lo, a mesmeric memory play inspired by the parable The Judgment of King Solomon, directed and devised by Ruby Rees with the ensemble. These productions stand as a testament to the ambitious creative artists moving into a radically changing and evolving Arts climate. We’re thrilled to welcome you to the festival and for you to play a most crucial role: the audience! Enjoy.
Dr Benjamin Schostakowski Head of Directing, Course Leader 4
DESIGN Bachelor of Fine Arts (Design for Performance) This year’s ambitious designs present diverse visions by BFA Design graduates across all three NIDA venues. In the Space, for ANTIGONICK, T.A Burg designs a giant white table that focuses as both a symbol of democracy and of power, of togetherness and of tyranny, of access granted and denied. The assembly of the audience calls to mind a rally, but a rally for what? This world is technical, cold and skewed, allowing for the non-masculine performers to set it alight with comedy as a critique of power. For And Tell Sad Stories of the Deaths of Queens..., Liv Hutley creates a space that tightropes between the world of realism and metaphor, blending Japanese and mid-century Modern styles. The set and costume design explore the cyclical nature of abuse to create a world where past aesthetics and present issues collide. Lastly, come sit on a park bench and watch The Cat – a quirky whimsical rom-com that follows two main characters as they navigate divorce, dating other people and sharing custody of their cat. Iz Sperling’s design transports the audience from indooroutdoor-picnic to suburban landscape to the blinding Las Vegas lights, with costumes inspired by Nicki Minaj and a colour palette that will have you asking ‘why?’ In the Reg Grundy Studio, Merette Boutros designs a space that transforms through magic and ghosts for And A Happy New Year… Guest artist Ella Butler (BFA Design for Performance 2017) follows by traversing both domestic and liminal space for so/lo, as the audience accesses both the private interior and exterior space through layered apertures, to capture infinite perspectives – those of sky, to those of our lives and the confines of a theatre. In the Studio Theatre, Ruru Zhu creates a never-ending labyrinth that traps the world of Icarus. This modern adaption explores myth through new multimedia within a minimalist reality. Icarus breaks out of a sheltered prison into a new world of colours, textures and experiences. To follow, Jordan Leah creates a minimalist, mechanical world of the institute for DRRRM Play that is governed by rules, regulations and staying in your place. Juxtaposing this with the revolutionary, anarchist flare of the punk movement, DRRRM Play explodes into colour and chaos. In a bloody finale Sidney Tulau and guest artist Nick Fry (MFA Design for Performance 2018) build Dracula’s world through technology across a black canvas, exploring monstrosity and subverting symbolism to question the validity of puritan ideology through a contemporary lens. We hope you are both challenged and entertained!
Dr Julie Lynch Director Centre for Design Practices 5
REG GRUNDY STUDIO And A Happy New Year...
9–12 Dec, 6.30pm 12 Dec, 12.00pm
Concept by Sophie Benassi and Sophie Davis Directed by Sophie Benassi Set and costume design by Merette Boutros A contemporary Christmas Ghost story with a female lead grappling with the grief of losing her brother at a young age and the journey back to herself.
Cast
Artistic and Production Team Director
Sophie Benassi (She/Her)
Writer
Sophie Davis (She/Her)
Set/Costume Designer
Merette Boutros
Assistant Director
Poppy Zanderigo* (She/Her)
Lighting Designer
Jesse Greig
Video Designer
Rose Mulcare (She/Her)
Sound Desginer
Mellita Vertigan
Production Stage Manager
Sophia Wallace (She/Her)
Frankie Parker
Caitlin Burley* (She/Her)
Production Coordinator
Scott Cleggett (He/Him)
Young Tim Puppeteer
Isabell De Laurentis (She/Her)
Stage Manager
Chloe Langdon (She/Her)
Head Electrician
Tim McNaught (He/Him)
Video Systems
Ethan Hamill (He/Him)
Movement Coach
Troy Honeysett*
Voice Coach
Raechyl French (She/Her)
Contruction Manager
Catherine Imer
Costume Supervisor
Christine Seo
Props Supervisor/ Maker
Rhyanna Martinussen
Puppeter
Isabell De Laurentis (She/Her)
Hair/Make-up Artists
Julia Chapman Siobhan Kennedy
Costume Assistant
Lily Mateljan (She/Her) Esther Zhong
Technical Assistants
Thomas Coy Carolyn Nance (She/Her)
Beth
Jessica Spies** (She/Her)
Ghost one/Nanny
Jordan Stam* (She/Her)
Jean/Ghost two
Iyrah Tzanis* (She/Her)
Young Tim Puppeteer/ Older Tim
Luke Visentin** (He/Him)
* Guest artist ** Graduate of 2020 BFA Acting
SONG Stare by romĂŚo @romaeobeats
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so/lo
9–12 Dec, 7.45pm 12 Dec, 1.15pm
a parable of twins after The Judgement of King Solomon adapted by ruby rees & the 2020 original ensemble Set and costume design by Ella Butler What can an unborn child expect from their mother? What happens if a mother cannot meet these expectations? Who is held accountable? so/lo is a story about falling through the cracks; a dissection of expectations versus reality and being let down by a system much larger than ourselves. It asks what happens when a life that was meant to be shared, is lived solo‌
Cast
Artistic and Production Team Director
Ruby Rees
Set/Costume Designer
Ella Butler*
Dramaturg
Emma Fawcett*
Lighting Designer
Jesse Greig
Video Designer
Rose Mulcare (She/Her)
Sound Designer
Jordan Jeckells
Production Stage Manager
Sophia Wallace (She/Her)
Production Coordinator
Scott Cleggett (He/Him)
Stage Manager
Alexis Worthing
Head Electrician
Tim McNaught (He/Him)
Video Systems
Ethan Hamill (He/Him)
Voice and Performance Coach
Jack Starkey-Gill
Intimacy Director
Lucia Mastrantone*
Construction Manager
Catherine Imer
Costume Supervisor
Daniela Viola***
Props Supervisor
Isabell De Laurentis (She/Her)
(D)aniella
Raechyl French (She/Her)
(H)arriette
Ayla Beaufils**
(L)ou
Olga Tamara*
JULIETTA
Iolanthe Francis
Props Maker
Marcelo Zavala-Baeza***
KYN
Leinad Walker**
Hair/Make-up Artist
Romany Fairall
Costume Assistants
Lily Mateljan (She/Her) Christine Seo
Technical Assistants
Thomas Coy Samuel Hatton Carolyn Nance (She/Her)
* Guest artist ** Graduate of 2020 BFA Acting ***NIDA staff
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SPACE ANTIGONICK
9–12 Dec, 6.30pm 12 Dec, 12.00pm
By Sophokles, in a new translation by Anne Carson Directed by Zoë Hollyoak Set and costume design by T.A Burg ANTIGONICK is a meta-theatrical and irreverent take on Sophocles’ Antigone, exploring a woman’s strategic resistance against a tyrannical state. Adapted by Anne Carson, this contemporary exploration asks what it means to stand up against archaic laws and challenge positions of power. It’s a protest, a call to arms and a power-critiquing ballad.
Cast
Artistic and Production Team Director
Zoë Hollyoak
Set/Costume Designer
T. A Burg
Lighting/Video Designer
Morgan Moroney
Sound Designer
Zachary Saric
Composer/Music Coach
Gareth Isaac
Dramaturg
Jackson Used*
Movement Coach
Troy Honeysett*
Voice Coach
Rudy Hendrikx
Costume Supervisor
Samantha Manning
Construction Manager
Zachary White
Head Electrician
Mia Barnes
Kreon
Eleanor Stankiewicz
Production Manager
Saint Clair
Antigone
Ruby Maishman*
Isaac Barron
Chorus
Chemon Theys*
Guard/Boy/Messenger
Emma O’Sullivan*
Stage Manager/ Associate Sound Designer
Ismene/Eurydike
Libby Kay
Production Coordinator
Bella Thompson
Haimon/Teiresias
Violette Ayad*
Props Makers
Hunter Depalo (He/Him) Isabell De Laurentis (She/Her) Zoe Manning Zachary Portelli Marcelo Zavala-Baeza**
Hair/Make-up Artists
Vanessa Love
Technical Assistants
Owen Davis Ochre Pastro Noah Stott Luka Tsalis
* Guest artist ** NIDA staff
Thanks to Jimi Rawlings, Nathan Sandy, Nikita Jones, Madelaine Osborne and Riley Spadaro
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And Tell Sad Stories of the Deaths of Queens...
9–12 Dec, 7.45pm 12 Dec, 1.15pm
By Tennessee Williams Directed by Liam McIlwain Set and costume design by Liv Hutley Set during Mardi Gras in late 1950’s New Orleans, Candy Delaney is an elegant and feisty ‘queen’ approaching her 35th birthday. Recently abandoned by her longtime lover, she desperately pursues a relationship with the hyper-masculine, Karl, attempting recklessly to build a new life.
Cast Candy Delaney
Jonny Hawkins*
Karl
Ryan Panizza**
Alvin Krenning
Michael C. Howlett*
Jerry Johnson
Edward O'Leary*
Artistic and Production Team Director
Liam McIlwain
Set/Props/Costume Designer
Liv Hutley
Sound Designer
Fiona Lloyd Harding
Lighting Designer
Morgan Moroney
Props Supervisor
Danielle Guyot
Costume Supervisor
Elsbeth Cameron
Set/Construction Supervisor
Zachary White
Movement Coach
Troy Honeysett*
Voice Coach
Gareth Isaac
Head Electrician
Mia Barnes
Production Manager
Saint Clair
Stage Manager
Sybilla Wajon
Prooduction Coordinator
Bella Thompson
Hair/Make Up Artist
Diana Jalo Parker Dent-McClean
Technical Assistants
Owen Davis Ochre Pastro Noah Stott Luka Tsalis
* Guest artist ** Graduate of 2020 BFA Acting
The Cat
9–12 Dec, 9pm 12 Dec, 2.30pm
By Lally Katz Directed by Amelia Burke Set and costume design by Iz Sperling With music composed by Ben Provest and Daniel Herten The Cat is a rom-com about two ordinary people and their shared cat. It comes from the wonderfully whimsical mind of Lally Katz, one of Australia’s most loved contemporary playwrights. This production is immersive and laugh-out-loud funny, begging the question, what would happen if your life was a rom-com?
Cast The Cat Alex/Sophie Albert/Jeff Backing Dancer 1 Backing Dancer 2 Backing Dancer 3 Backing Dancer 4
Stephanie Somerville* Anna Clark** Adolphus Waylee Charlotte Grimmer** Rebecca Attanasio** Christy Chan Grace Driscoll*
Artistic and Production Team Director Set/Costume Designer Choreographer Lighting Designer Composer/Sound Designer Composer Movement Coach Voice Coach Intimacy Director Head Electrician Construction Manager Costume Supervisor Props Supervisor Production Manager Stage Manager Production Coordinator Costume Maker Hair/Make-up Artists
Amelia Burke Iz Sperling David Green* Morgan Moroney Daniel Herten
Design Assistants
Amy Jackson Hannah Yardley Owen Davis Ochre Pastro Noah Stott Luka Tsalis
Technical Assistants * Guest artist ** Graduate of 2020 BFA Acting
Ben Provest* Troy Honeysett* Lea Baker Lucia Mastrantone* Mia Barnes Zachary White Siobhan Nealon Rachel Hallett Saint Clair Joel Mallett Bella Thompson Esther Zhong Darcy Voce Cassie Hart
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STUDIO THEATRE Icarus
9–12 Dec, 6.30pm 12 Dec, 12.00pm
Artistic and Production Team Writer/Director
Mark Bolotin
Written and directed by Mark Bolotin Set and costume design by Ruru Zhu
Set/Costume Designer
Ruru Zhu
Assistant Director
Zachary Bush*
Icarus is a bold, modern, multimedia adaptation of the Ancient Greek myth. A young introverted man, raised in a labyrinth by his inventor father, dreams to see the world outside.
Lighting Designer
Thomas Bensley
Sound Designer
Trillian Vieira
Video Designer
Cameron Smith
Construction Manager
Matthew Hinton
Props Supervisor/ Maker
Zoe Manning
Costume Supervisor
Lucy Jauristo
Movement Coach
Troy Honeysett*
Set in a world of shadows, minotaurs and strange contraptions, Icarus explores the myths we tell each other to keep us safe... or set us free.
Cast Icarus
Adam Marks* (He/Him)
Voice Coach
Jack Starkey-Gill
Daedalus Langworthy
Nathaniel Langworthy** (He/Him)
Production Stage Manager
Kaitlyn Crocker
Helena
Eleni Cassimatis* (She/Her)
Production Coordinator
McLane Catterall
Stage Manager
Jessie McGuigan
Video Systems
Pip Morey (She/Her)
Head Electrician
Alex Makaronopoulos
Hair/Make-up Artist
Ashleigh Grimshaw
Design Assistant
Lachlan Odgers
Technical Assistants
Oliver Becroft Michael Berkley Kaylan Koks Lily McHugh
* Guest artist ** Graduate of 2020 BFA Acting
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Dracula
DRRRM Play
9–12 Dec, 7.45pm 12 Dec, 1.15pm
9–12 Dec, 9pm 12 Dec, 2.30pm
By August Strindberg Jordyn Fulcher Directed by Matthew Latham Set and costume design by Jordan Leah
Written and directed by Samuel Lucas Allen Inspired by the Bram Stoker novel Set design by Nick Fry, Costume design by Sidney Tulau
Liberate those tight strings and join our sonic revolt. DRRRM Play is a post-dramatic reimagining of Ol’ Strindy’s most complex works, with a generous helping of punk to help push it along. This classic text/live gig hybrid will leave you asking, ‘Perhaps existing is not worth all the trouble?’
A 21st century take on Bram Stoker’s horror classic Dracula, asking: who is the real monster of this story? This provocative show declares that monstrosity is a matter of perspective. It jumps, shifts, and shimmies through the points of view of three human characters as they encounter a supernatural and seemingly monstrous outsider.
Cast
Cast Ahunim Abebe (She/Her)
Dracula
Heidi May*/ Alex Stamell** (8 Dec)
Jay Gardener* (They/Them)
Mina
Deborah Faye Lee* (She/Her)
The Lawyer
Micaela Ellis** (She/Her)
Lucy
The Poet
Janet Anderson (She/Her)
Essie Randles* (They/Them She/Her)
The Institute
Zoe Resnick** (She/Her)
Jonathan
Jake Fryer-Hornsby* (He/Him)
Guitarist/Vocalist
Rosie Baker* (She/Her)
Bassist
Lu Bradshaw* (They/Them)
Agnes The Officer
Artistic and Production Team
Artistic and Production Team Writer/Director
Samuel Lucas Allen* (He/Him They/Them)
Set Designer
Nick Fry*
Costume/Props Designer
Sidney Tulau (She/Her)
Lighting Designer
Thomas Bensley
Video Designer
Cameron Smith
Sound Designer
Ella Van Dam (She/Her)
Movement Coach
Troy Honeysett*
Voice Coach
Eleanor Stankiewicz
Intimacy Director
Lucia Mastrantone*
Director
Matthew Latham (She/Her)
Set/Costume Designer
Jordan Leah (She/Her)
Writer
Jordyn Fulcher*
Assistant Director
Jason Jefferies** (He/Him)
Lighting Designer
Thomas Bensley
Sound Designer/ Composer
Jessica Pizzinga (She/Her)
Lyricist
Bernie Van Tiel*
Production Stage Manager
Kaitlyn Crocker
Video Designer
Zoe Davis (She/Her)
Production Coordinator
McLane Catterall
Movement Coach
Troy Honeysett*
Stage Manager
Jodi Rabinowitz (She/Her)
Voice Coach
Rudy Hendrikx
Costume Supervisor
Lucy Jauristo
Construction Manager
Matthew Hinton
Props Supervisor/Maker
Zoe Manning
Costume Supervisor
Bethany Hewitt (She/Her)
Props Maker
Isabell De Launentis (She/Her)
Props Supervisor
Hunter Depalo (He/Him)
Construction Manager
Matthew Hinton
Production Stage Manager
Kaitlyn Crocker
Head Electrician
Alex Makaronopoulos
Production Coordinator
McLane Catterall
Video Systems
Pip Morey (She/Her)
Stage Manager
Krystelle Quartermain (She/Her)
Hair/Make-up Artists
William Green Bella Hodson
Video Systems
Pip Morey (She/Her)
Design Assistant
Lachlan Odgers
Head Electrician
Alex Makaronopoulos
Technical Assistants
Hair/Make-up Artists
Tara Hillier Alicia Whelan
Design Assistant
Hailley Hunt
Oliver Becroft Michael Berkley Kaylan Koks Lily McHugh
Scenic Assistant
Phoenix McKay
Technical Assistants
Oliver Becroft Michael Berkley Kaylan Koks Lily McHugh
SONGS XXXTENTACION X DEATH GRIPS TYPE BEAT ‘BOTTOMLESS PIT’ Credit: Prod. Abnormal [AFOURTEEN & LIL DARKIE] TYPE BEAT Credit: Prod. ALETHEO Aknowledgement of Country: Alex Stamell**
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A truly collaborative project, The Festival of Emerging Artists showcases the work of MFA Directing and BFA Design for Performance students in collaboration with students from BFA Costume, Properties and Objects, Technical Theatre and Stage Management, Scenic Construction and Technologies, MFA Design for Performance, Voice, Writing for Performance, Diploma of Live Productions and Technical Services, Diploma of Screen and Media (Specialist Make-up Services), working with casts of students and guest performers.
TEAM
REG GRUNDY STUDIO
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T
SPA
EAM
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TEAM
STUDIO THEATRE
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DIRECTOR
SOPHIE BENASSI
Sophie Benassi is a theatre director. She has completed a Bachelor of Arts in Acting for Stage and Screen at Charles Sturt University and has a Diploma of Education specialising in Drama at the University of Canberra. Sophie has trained with 16th Street Actors Studio in workshops with Larry Moss, Ivana Chubbuck and Ellen Burstyn as an actor and director. Sophie has a passion for verbatim and political theatre. While at NIDA Sophie has directed a music video for The Regime’s Deuzy Vibe, in collaboration with rage and triple j Unearthed, and has worked as Assistant Director to Kate Gaul on NIDA’s production of Orlando. Other directing credits include Revolutionary Road in collaboration with the Actors Centre Australia (ACA). Sophie is collaborating with MFA writer Sophie Davis on a new work for the Festival of Emerging Artists and she has been appointed Co-Artistic Director of Mockingbird Acting Studio and Theatre Company in 2021. Instagram @ s.o.p.h.b
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DIRECTOR
MARK BOLOTIN
Mark is an award-winning multimedia artist, director and technologist with a passion for exploring issues of human identity in the 21st century through theatre, film and music. Under his organisation Synarcade Audio-Visuals, Mark wrote and directed the large-scale multimedia work Emergence: Build Your Own Being which premiered at the Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Art House and Canberra Street Theatre. His subsequent work The Lumiphonic Creature Choir – a multimedia rock opera and installation – has been shown across the world including at the New York Hall of Science, Burning Man, MCA Sydney, SXSW, the Museum of Modern Art Zagreb and TEDxSydney 2018. Mark co-founded the leading New York art-technology organisation Hyphen Hub and was appointed as Arts Co-Director for New York’s inaugural Creative Tech Week. He has also shown work at the National Centre for the Arts (Beijing), Stadstheater Holland, Vivid Sydney, Flux Factory New York, Sydney Festival and more. In 2018, Mark was an invited delegate to the Future Innovators Summit at Ars Electronica. This year Mark directed Beckett’s Catastrophe (Actors Centre Australia), the triple j Unearthed music video Blood and assistant directed Bovell’s When the Rain Stops Falling. He is writing and directing a modern multimedia interpretation of the Icarus myth for the Festival of Emerging Artists. synarcade.com.au
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DIRECTOR
AMELIA BURKE
Amelia is a director and deviser with an eclectic mix of interests: comedy, feminism and climate change. Whilst based in Perth, Amelia co-created and directed Cookies and Cream, a coming-of-age romp that delved into the inadequacies of sexual education in Australia and was awarded the Adelaide Tour Ready Award. She also cocreated and produced Miss Westralia, an original musical about the first Miss Australia, which had a sell-out independent season and is touring regional WA in 2021. Whilst at NIDA, Amelia’s highlights are directing Kill Climate Deniers on Zoom and in real life with Actors Centre Australia, directing Super Single by GENES in collaboration with triple j Unearthed and assistant directing Darren Gilshenan’s production of The Government Inspector. Amelia directs Lally Katz’s The Cat for the Festival of Emerging Artists and is eager to have the audience in hysterics. Amelia also loves fusing her love of performance with her passion for making work with and for young people. She has had the pleasure of working with DADAA (Disability in the Arts Disadvantage in the Arts), Western Australian Youth Theatre Co, Black Swan State Theatre Company and Filmbites Screen Academy in this capacity. Finally, she holds a BPA in Performance Making from the Western Australian Academy of Arts and a BA in Theatre Studies and Psychology from the University of Melbourne. ameliajburke.com
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DIRECTOR
ZOE HOLLYOAK
Zoë is a director and creative producer based in Sydney. Zoë received a Bachelor of Performing Arts majoring in Performance Making from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). Her most recent works include Cotton Wool Kid and Slutdrop (multiple Fringe World award winner: Weekly Award, Theatre Award and Tour Ready Award). She is the founder and Artistic Director of Perth based indie theatre company The Cutting Room Floor (TCRF). Over five years of operating, TCRF created 34 projects, worked with 422 artists and was best known for Home Open – a series of performances in strangers’ homes. Before beginning her Masters of Directing at NIDA, Zoë worked as the Associate Producer for Black Swan State Theatre Company of WA (2019–20) and the Public Programs Coordinator for The Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (2018). zoehollyoak.com
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DIRECTOR
MATTHEW LATHAM
Matthew has an extensive background in several areas. Starting her theatrical career as an actor, Matthew featured on a variety of Australian series and TVCs, including Backyard Science and Wicked Love: The Maria Korp Story. After training under Fiona Finley at The Drama Studio, Matthew found work in administration at Merrigong Theatre Company, working as Front of House Manager, Education Coordinator, Artistic Associate and Program Coordinator. Matthew also worked for Fiona as a teacher, assistant director and stage manager. During this time, Matthew was also completing her bachelor’s degree with majors in science, technology studies and Mandarin. After completing this degree Matthew went to study at Wuhan University in China, and teach Shakespeare to primary school students within the city. Upon her return, Matthew teamed up with Wollongong artist Sam Lovell and codirected her first show, Slacktivism, for the Sydney Fringe Festival. sadgoldfish.com
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DIRECTOR
LIAM MCILWAIN
Liam is a theatre director currently based in Sydney. Highlights while at NIDA include Assistant Directing Next to Normal, Directing the music video Moving On by Telescreen and Co-Directing Weimar Kabarett. Previous creative credits include Director and Choreographer for Catch Me If You Can (CQU), Assistant Choreographer for Shakespeare in Love (Melbourne Theatre Company), Co-Producer for Out From Under (Her Majesty’s Theatre/Seymour Centre), Director and Producer for The Brolly Follies (Judith Wright Centre), Choreographer for the short film Blueberry Lane and Director for the Les Misérables 30th Anniversary Gala in Tokyo in 2017, which featured over 100 performers from Broadway, the West End and Japanese productions. His long involvement with Cameron Mackintosh’s new production of Les Misérables began as a cast member in the Australian tour in 2014. He has since been a Resident Director, Deputy Associate Director and Choreographer for its international productions touring the USA, UK, UAE, Philippines, Singapore, Brazil and Japan. Liam was a professional actor for 15 years, appearing in many stage productions in Australia and internationally. An advocate for better mental health practices in the industry, Liam helped found the Equity Wellness Committee at MEAA in 2016 while sitting on the Federal Council, where he served as co-chair for four years.
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DIRECTOR
RUBY REES
Ruby is a female-identifying multi-disciplinary artist currently based in Sydney. She undertook intensive acting, playwrighting and directing training at the world-renowned Herbert Berghof Studio in New York City. She earned her professional writing and editing degree at RMIT University, Melbourne. Ruby was the youngest recipient of the National St Martin’s Playwriting Award in 2010 for her first play Serpents. She completed a residency at the Manhattan Repertory Theatre Company in 2016. She was commissioned by the company to write and direct an original work for their 10th Anniversary Season. Upon her return to Australia, Ruby directed a series of plays for independent Melbourne companies including Simon Stephens’ Punk Rock at renowned Melbourne theatre fortyfivedownstairs, which saw a sold-out season and rave reviews. While at NIDA, Ruby has expanded her practice to include theatre-making, devising, and the adaptation of new works. Ruby is currently in development with her debut feature film, that will be the first to come out of Australia employing only femaleidentifying cast, crew and creatives. Instagram @rubes_rees
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DESIGNER
MERETTE BOUTROS
Merette exists within the field of design without limiting herself to the theatre stage. She loves combining mediums, whether it be visual art, photography, costume design and stage design for the screen and for the theatre. After completing her high-school learning in Perth, Merette studied a Bachelor of Architecture for two years, before deciding to take her education to NIDA. Merette’s main focus is to collaborate with good people who are eager to be part of a working environment where they feel happy, healthy and strong. She has an innate predisposition towards nostalgia within her work and a focus on detail is paramount to the way she characterizes people and space. This can be seen in her work for triple j Unearthed winner Jack R. Reilly in his music video for the song Blood and her collaboration on installation designs for the Prague Quadrennial in 2019. She does not believe her education is over and is excited to learn more about visual storytelling from what the industry has to provide. Merette Boutros is currently based in Sydney, Australia, but has aspirations to travel the world and learn from different cultures about theatre and film making. meretteboutros.com
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DESIGNER
T.A BURG
Tess is a multidisciplinary creative; she practices set and costume design, fashion art direction and styling, and graphic design. Her approach involves developing highly collaborative working relationships with all artists, contributing strong conceptual and meaning-making skills. Tess is deeply passionate about collaborating on works featuring striking new voices and perspectives in Australian and international theatre, film and television. Her design process is driven strongly by feeling, subversion and contemporary imagery, always striving for diversity and representation wherever possible within her work. Highlights while at NIDA include assisting the team in developing the design and realisation of NIDA’s first ever Mardi Gras float, collaborating with the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) and the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) students to create Australia’s student entry in the Prague Quadrennial (2019) and working with Zoë Hollyoak (MFA Directing) to create triple j Unearthed winner Dugong Jr.’s music video On My Own. taburg.com
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DESIGNER
OLIVIA HUTLEY
Liv is a Sydney and Brisbane-based production and costume designer. She has a strong passion for film design and period costuming. Prior to her studies she was a member of the Queensland Theatre Company’s Youth Ensemble where she discovered a deep love for the arts. During her time at NIDA she expanded her knowledge and skill set in designing for film and theatre. In her second year she completed a secondment with designer Ross Wallace on the feature film Swimming for Gold, which she gained skills in graphic design and a greater understanding of the pre-production process. She then went on to be the Costume Designer for the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) Short Film December 1940 as her third-year secondment. Establishing Liv Hutley Designs to launch her career, she hopes to share her skills and passion for her work. She looks forward to finding new adventures as a designer for screen and live performance in the film and theatre industries. livhutleydesigns.com
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DESIGNER
JORDAN LEAH
Multidisciplinary designer Jordan Leah strives to create work that goes against the grain, while implementing a bold and impactful approach. Her interests gravitate towards the worlds of screen and live production design. Creating a highly collaborative environment, having a distinct point of view and evoking an emotional audience response highly resonates with her design process. Often having a dark twist to her work, she is influenced by the weird and unconventional, setting herself apart as a designer. Highlights while studying at NIDA include conceptualising and designing a music video for triple j Unearthed winner Telescreen for their song Moving On. This project combined her passions of music, design and screen, which she has a strong interest to explore in future collaborations. She also had the opportunity to attend and exhibit at The Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space in 2019. As part of the Festival of Emerging Artist, Jordan has realised set and costume designs for DRRRM Play, a devised piece based on Strindberg’s A Dream Play through the lens of a punk gig, directed by Matthew Latham. Jordan is currently based in Sydney, Australia. jordanwednesdayleah.com
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DESIGNER
IZ SPERLING
Iz is a Sydney-based multidisciplinary designer. Iz is passionate about collaboratively creating safe spaces for people to laugh, immerse themselves and share their stories. Inspired by people’s nature to laugh through the hard times in life, Iz explores the impact that bright, bold and colourful design can have on the way people listen to stories. Iz is passionate about telling new and exciting stories that speak to experiences not often told. Iz studied at the Design Centre Enmore TAFE for three years and completed an Advanced Diploma in Live Production Design and Management Services. In 2017 their proposed set design for the End of Year TAFE show was picked to be constructed for the Enmore Theatre in Newtown. At NIDA Iz has had the opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills, including travelling to Prague as part of the internationally renowned Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space in 2019, as a co-creator of Swag in the student section. After travelling to Europe for the first time, Iz has an invested interest in expanding their career into the international creative landscape. izsperling.com
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DESIGNER
SIDNEY TULAU
Sidney is a Sydney-based multidisciplinary designer with a passion for artistic and emotive expression through design. She has studied design with a prior extensive visual arts background specialising in illustration. Through her years of design exploration she has developed an interest in incorporating visual art techniques into her design practice as well as drawing inspiration from nature and its beautiful shapes, textures and colours. She often develops patterns, textures, fabrics and makeup designs to bring to life visually expressive design work. Sidney also specialises in costume illustration and rendering through a variety of mediums from digital to watercolour. Sidney’s passion for emotive design stems from her belief that design work heavily creates mood, atmosphere and the deep impact it can have on emotion. Her love of colour and pattern reflects her passion for collaborations that thrive on happiness and enjoyment of the work and process which leads to the best work as people are at their most creative when they feel free to express themselves. At NIDA, Sidney has had the opportunity to further explore her design practice by implementing new techniques and skills into theoretical designs and realised design work. Through her set design training, Sidney has discovered a passion for spatial design in function and events. Creating meaningful experiences through an awareness of an impactful space is of particular interest to her. She believes that the emotions memories bring back are shaped by the space the memory was created in. She has recently directed a music video Hot Lovin in which her design work exhibited her interest in composition, costume design and painterly technique. sidneytulaudesign.com
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DESIGNER
RURU ZHU
Ruru is a Sydney based multidisciplinary designer with a passion for exploring the complexities of character and world-building. Prior to NIDA, Ruru studied at UNSW Art & Design and received a Bachelor of Design (Honours) majoring in Graphic Design and Jewellery. Wanting to expand upon the physical and performative element of design, Ruru began studying Design at NIDA and was thrown into the complexities of performance design. Though she initially was primarily interested in costume design, she has evolved into a multidisciplinary designer in both production and costume, which have opened a barrage of opportunities. This included the internationally renowned Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space in 2019. Alongside with her fellow Designers, Ruru represented the Australian student pavilion through a model art installation, Swag. Ruru has most recently designed works for New Ghost Theatre Company’s Good People (2019) and Shandy’s Corner (2019) with Lucy Clements, NIDA’s A Pox on Both your Houses (2020) with Deborah Pollard and triple j/ rage’s music video competition Deuzy Vibe by The Regime (2020). She has conceptualised and designed Icarus for the Festival of Emerging Artists. ruruzhu.com
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We acknowledge the Bidjigal and Gadigal people on whose traditional land we present these productions.
STUDENTS’ MENTORS Thank you to the following artists who acted as mentors for the students on these productions: Directing: Jessica Arthur, Elsie Edgerton-Till, Harriet Gillies, Sarah Goodes, Gideon Obarzanek, Imara Savage, Paige Rattray. Design: Jeremy Allen, Ella Butler, Stephen Curtis, Nick Fry, Julie Lynch. Technical Theatre and Stage and Management: Sean Bacon, Daniel Barber, Ben Brockman, Madison Burkett, Stephanie Kamasz, Martin Kinnane, Kingsley Reeve, Khym Scott, Colin Telfer, Michael Toisuta. The National Institute of Dramatic Art is supported by the Australian Government
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