PPALLAS PALLAS ALLAS SISTER SISTER SISTER
BBY
BY Y GGRACE GRACE RACE
WWILSON WILSON ILSON
25-27th August
Backdock Arts
BBY
SYNOPSIS
PALLAS SISTER RISING is a raw, new work by Grace Wilson and directed by El Waddingham. Taking the myth of Pallas Athena and rocketing it into the 21st century, becoming a brutal exploration of what happens when two women of divine nature get too close, from one of Australia’s most explosive emerging playwrights. Delving deep into how abuse manifests in women, PALLAS SISTER RISING is painfully relatable and tragic to a level that only Greek mythology can reach.
CAST & CREW
Writer: Grace wilson
Director: El waddingham
Stage Manager: carys maguire
Athena: madelyne leite
Pallas: cara avenia
Athena (understudy): Madeleine wilson
Pallas (understudy): Keeley Hay
WRITER'S NOTE
What does it mean to hate? What does it mean to love? What does it mean to do both? These questions have no answer, well, at least not to me. Everything is subjective, human experience is subjective My whole life has been a weird dance between these two emotions that are simultaneously so far but so close to each other. PALLAS SISTER RISING takes these questions and explores them through a myth that recounts the ultimate loss to the point of sacrifice. To give up yourself to be someone else, to mourn someone else It's told through a story everyone has been a part of or witnessed, it's so common but never told. I'm telling that story, our story.
Thank you to El at theatrePUNK for taking this show under their wing They have been there since the first draft and have seen a vision that even I myself as the writer couldn't seem to find. To the cast and understudies, you four are total legends. You made this story your story, you each put your own spin on it and made it something unique Each time you perform, I see a new vision and it excites me every time. Another huge thank you to Kathryn Ash at JUTE Theatre company who helped me imagine this text from the start during WriteSparks. You trusted me and gave me a space to create magic.
I hope this story resonates in some capacity with anyone reading this. It's something we've all witnessed but never been handed so bluntly in theatre. Tonight, let's talk about it. Let's have a conversation and learn to be.
DIRECTOR
'S NOTE
I have a really distinct memory attached to my first experience of this play Here I am, sitting in the courtyard on lunch break from a job that was slowly killing me with boredom with a printed copy of the script in my hands. I opened that first page and was instantly transported into this ethereal, bloody and divine world The script sung to me and I leapt at the opportunity to program and direct it.
Pallas Sister Rising feels like a long exposure photograph, a ghost-like image depicting the past, present and future of a space. Memory and perspective sits at the core of my vision. Question who you find yourself rooting for and why and consider who's side of the story might be going untold Then take that inquisition out of the theatre and into your life. How does personal perspective cloud our visions of reality? Can we ever truly experience reality, or just our version of events? Big questions, folks.
If you identify with anything you see on the stage today, hear yourself or your loved ones reflected back at you, congratulations: you're human. You're beautifully flawed, complex and horrid. Like Pallas and Athena, like all of us.
Thank you to Grace for all your trust in me always. It has been a joy to bring your incredible words to life again. Thank you to my heart and soul as people, Cara and Madelyne and our understudies, Keeley and Madeleine You are going to rock the world.
And thank you to Carys for keeping my head screwed on! This is something a bit different for me, but I hope you love it nonetheless Lots of love, El.
Grace Wilson (she/her) is an 18-year-old emerging playwright living on Yuggera and Turrbal land in Meanjin. Her script ‘MY NAME IS TOMMY’ was the runner-up for the Queensland Theatre’s Young Playwrights’ Award 2021 and the following year, Grace took the prize with her play ‘GOODBYE ELI ANDERSON’ This work then went on to shortlist for the Patrick White Playwrights’ Award with Sydney Theatre Company and the Griffin Award with Griffin Theatre Company. She has also collaborated and written with other Australian theatre companies including JUTE Theatre Company, Underground Brisbane, Vena Cava Productions and Australian Theatre For Young People.
GRACE WILSON - PLAYWRIGHT EL WADDINGHAM - DIRECTOR
At the intersection of violence and camp, antiquity and presence is El Waddingham, an emerging theatre artist from Meanjin An electrifying drag performer, poet, director and dancer, They’ve worked with Queensland Theatre, QPAC, La Boite, The Farm, PIP Theatre, Australasian Dance Collective and ATYP, as a performer and creative El’s drag show, HOMILY, will complete a national tour in 2023 with Brown’s Mart, Theatre Works and Sydney Fringe A proud queer artist, they describe their work as a slap in the face with a palm full of biodegradable glitter El is currently the artistic director of theatrePUNK co, and in their second year of a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting & Dance) at QUT They want to empower a generation of artists to overthrow limiting power structures and to create the art that they want to create
CARYS MAGUIRE - STAGE MANAGER
Carys Maguire is an emerging artist from Meanjin/Brisbane who is passionate about all things creative. Currently she is in her second year of a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Drama) at QUT with the main goal of expanding their skill set in areas beyond performing She has worked as cast and crew at places such as QPAC, Metro Arts, Pip Theatre and the Brisbane Powerhouse
This is Carys’ first time working with theatrePUNK co and she is so excited for audiences to see the beautiful show that is PALLAS SISTER RISING
Madelyne Leite (she/her) is an actor and filmmaker based in Brisbane and Sydney, currently in her final year of a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting) at QUT. Most recently, Madelyne played Betty and Young Wanda in Big Hair in America (QUT), Lily in Greenlit (Exit Ghost Productions), and Lampito in LYSISTRATA (theatrePUNK co ) She's currently in production for two short films and the premiere production of Joan Must Die: I Never Liked Her Anyways directed by Wesley Enoch Madelyne is a proud queer artist, passionate about telling dynamic, diverse and new stories for the stage and screen
MADELYNE LEITE - ATHENA CARA AVENIA - PALLAS
Cara Avenia (she/her) is a Meanjin/Brisbane based actor. Currently in her second year of QUT’s BFA (Acting), while studying Cara has done numerous performances. These include, Evie “Piss on a Stick” at Brisbane Fringe, Sonja in “Speaking in Tongues” and The Muse in “The Muses.” Her prior credentials also include her work as Hadley in Daniel Evans debut of “Spontaneous Human Combustion ” She sees her creative practice as a way to bring audiences attention to social issues, with a particular focus on feminism and gender equality Cara’s thoroughly enjoyed the collaborative, imaginative and insightful work herself and the rest of the TheatrePUNKco team have done on “Pallas Sister Rising” and she hopes you enjoy the show!
EL WADDINGHAM - DIR
MADELEINE WILSON - ATHENA UNDERSTUDY
Madeleine Wilson, a passionate actor originally from Gadigal land/Sydney, has found her artistic home in Meanjin/Brisbane After obtaining a BA Arts - Media (Screen Production) from Macquarie University, Sydney in 2015, Madeleine is now in her second year of the BFA Acting program at QUT Madeleine has appeared as Tommy/Helena in 1972: The Future of Sex, Dinah in Revolt She Said Revolt Again and Jules in Card Houses Additionally, she has appeared as Ruby in Ice Cream and Hot Fudge (NIDA) directed by Anna Houston, Judy in Women of Manhattan (Darlo Drama) directed by Winston Cooper, and Clara Eynsford-Hill in Pygmalion (Riverside Lyrics Ensemble) She has also performed and devised with The Living Room Theatre Sydney on They Come For Them At Night and She Only Barks At Night Madeleine recently made her debut in feature films, with a role in David Leitch’s remake of The Fall Guy, and also appeared in the first season of Stan’s Wolf Like Me Apart from her studies, Madeleine has been working in the film and television industry for eight years, predominantly in Assistant Director and Art departments Pallas has provoked joy, surprise, disgust, laughter, anger, tears and goosebumps for Madeleine and she hopes it does the same for it’s audiences.
CARYS MAGUIRE - STAGE MA R
KEELEY HAY- PALLAS UNDERSTUDY
Previously based on Gumbaynggirr land in Coffs Harbour, Keeley Hay (she/her) has been a Meanjin-based actress since 2022, after undertaking a BFA in Acting at QUT She is an African- Australian woman who aims to invest in works that impact audiences in meaningful ways as well as works that resonate with her morals, values and passions Keeley made her debut earlier this year in theatrePUNK co ’s adaptation of LYSISTRATA by El Waddingham In April she performed at Metro Arts theatre in Vena Cava’s production of Revolt She said Revolt Again by Alice Birch Her most recent play was the QUT production of Rabbit by Nina Raine Keeley feels very connected to Pallas Sister Rising and is excited to share it with other people who feel the same
