Riverside Theatres Thank You Writer's Note Cast Creative
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I have spoken. To have this truth spoken CAST WRITER’S NOTE aloud on a stage so close to where their ordeal took place can certainly only be CORAL Since I began consulting with more than Riverside Productions understood by those who have been through CHRISTINE ANU thirty former inmates of Girls Training School ALANA it, but is a significant historical and cultural MAREE (GTS), Parramatta to write Parramatta Girls, achievement for Riverside Theatres, an act VALENTINE HOLLY AUSTIN the Parliament of Australia has undertaken Playwright of community reconciliation and retribution the 2004 Senate Committee ‘Report on JUDI which is at the heart of all works of art, and I Forgotten Australians’, the 2009 report In 2013 her play Grounded won three Australian ANNIE BYRON acknowledge Camilla Rountree, Robert Love ‘Lost Innocents and Forgotten Australians Writer’s Guild Awards – in Youth and Community LYNETTE and this dedicated cast and creative team VANESSA DOWNING Revisited’ and, on Monday 16th November, PARRAMATTA Theatre, the David Williamson Award for for their commitment to it. Excellence in Theatre Writing, and the Major 2009, a National apology by then Prime MELANIE Minister Kevin Rudd and then leader of the I would like to warmly acknowledge the AWGIE for 2013. Her play Ear to the Edge ANNI FINSTERER Opposition Malcolm Turnbull, acknowledged ongoing support and my inestimable of Time won the International STAGE Script GAYLE esteem for former inmate Bonney Djuric By Alana Valentine Competition for best new play about science the often destructive treatment of children in SANDY GORE who I continue to work with as part of the and technology in 2012, judged by an esteemed institutional care in Australian history. Most Directed By Tanya Goldberg KERRY recently, the experience of women at the Parramatta Female Factory Precinct Memory GIRLS panel of judges that included Nobel and Pulitzer SHARNI MCDERMOTT GTS, Parramatta formed part of the testimony Project, a team striving to preserve and Prize winning authors. Parramatta Girls was interpret the GTS and other sites of historical nominated for two Helpmann Awards and has MARLENE being heard by the Royal Commission into TESSA ROSE significance nearby as sites of conscience been on the HSC Drama syllabus since 2010 Child Sexual Abuse in 2014. for all future Australians. Most of all I thank and Shafana and Aunt Sarrinah will go onto Since the play was produced in 2007 at the women who trusted me with their stories the HSC English syllabus in 2015. For more Belvoir in Sydney, I have been humbled by the for the play’s creation, you lived this story information including availability for workshops CREATIVE many ex-inmates of childhood institutions, with your time and your bodies and I never and school visits go to alanavalentine.com most especially GTS, Parramatta, who have DIRECTOR forget it for a moment. TANYA GOLDBERG told me or written to me of their gratitude in PRODUCTION DESIGNER seeing this story told publicly. Many of them, Alana Valentine TOBHIYAH STONE FELLER who have either not been able to tell their May 2014 families about their ordeal or who have told LIGHTING DESIGNER VERITY HAMPSON them only the barest details, have related TANYA their relief at being able to bring their families SOUND DESIGNER GOLDBERG JEREMY SILVER to see the play and use it as a way to begin Director to speak their pain aloud. It is these women RIVERSIDE THEATRES STAGE MANAGER and men, the ones who are still struggling to ALISON HEPBURN-BROWN Tanya is the co-founder and co-artistic even bring their dark horrors into the light of DIRECTOR ROBERT LOVE director of independent theatre company Ride PRODUCER day and own them as their own experience, On Theatre. CAMILLA ROUNTREE who I think about when I watch the play. For BUSINESS MANAGER PAMELA THORNTON For Ride On, Tanya’s directing includes: The TECHNICAL MANAGER the still silent, still suffering women and men SEAN CLARKE Blind Date Project (3 Clubs Los Angeles, Sydney who keep their own vulnerable selves hidden MARKETING MANAGER JONATHAN LLEWELLYN Festival and Brisbane Powerhouse), The Story PRODUCTION STILLS inside them, frightened that if they open up to of Mary MacLane: By Herself (Griffin Theatre, HEIDRUN LÖHR their pain they may never find their way out TECHNICAL COORDINATOR again. They will. They can. With support and SEAN CLARKE Malthouse Theatre & Merrigong Theatre MAKEUP Company), Way To Heaven (Griffin),An Oak Tree, PEGGY CARTER acknowledgement they must. This is the hope PRODUCER, RIVERSIDE PRODUCTIONS that Parramatta Girls speaks aloud. CAMILLA ROUNTREE Merchant of Venice & Loveplay (all BSharp), and COSTUME ASSISTANT Debris (Tamarama Rock Surfers). CATHERINE CAPOLUPO This play is not a documentary. It is not Other directing: Clybourne Park (Ensemble SCENIC ART legal evidence. It is not biography or Theatre), Dreams In White (Griffin Theatre SARAH HARVEY autobiography. It is a play about the nature ASSISTED BY EMMA PRESSMAN of memory and the triumph of community. I Company), Lovely Ugly (Griffin Theatre AND ELI FAEN THANK YOU Company Studio), Der Gelbe Stern (Adelaide am proud of the fact that it has been given & Melbourne Cabaret Festivals, Seymour SINGING TUITION amateur productions all over Australia, that BONNEY DJURIC AND THE PFF MEMORY CHRISTINE DOUGLAS Centre), The Crucible (Sydney Theatre it is studied by HSC students in NSW, and I PROJECT AND THE PARRA GIRLS Company), Macbeth (WAAPA), Sparkleshark VOCAL COACH am burdened by my ongoing responsibility to ALANA VALENTINE (NIDA), The Girl on the Sofa (New Theatre). JANE HARDERS try and bring this story, which happened all SPORT FOR JOVE Assistant directing includes: The Steward of MOVEMENT DIRECTOR over this country, to mainstages elsewhere Christendom (Mark Taper Forum, LA), Above SCOTT WITT in Australia. That it is happening this year in SOPHIA KOUYOUMDJIAN AND PARRAMATTA ARTISTS’ STUDIO The Fold (Pasadena Playhosue), Stockholm Parramatta is of immeasurable significance SET BUILD (Frantic Assembly and STC), American THOMAS CREATIVE to me and to many ex-inmates to whom CHEF’S WAREHOUSE Document (SITI Company & Martha Graham Dance Co, NYC), War of the Roses (STC), Gate ADDITIONAL PROPS BELVOIR CREATIVE Theatre Dublin’s Sydney Festival Beckett season of First Love, Eh Joe and I’ll Go On; and L’Orfeo (Pinchgut Opera). Jesus Hopped the A Train and Benedict Miracles in Brisbane (2009); A Midsummer Andrews’ The Threepenny Opera for Belvoir Night’s Dreamtime (2008); Reflections (2008); Street; Othello for the Bell Shakespeare I’m Only 40 Years Old (2007) and Equus (2006). ALISON Company; The World’s Wife and Macbeth for Sharni sang the National Anthem for opening of CHRISTINE ANNIE the Melbourne Theatre Company; Rabbit for the 2011 Indigenous All Stars’ Football Match, as VERITY HEPBURN- ANU BYRON the Griffin Theatre Company; andKimberly well as being a lead singer at the National HAMPSON BROWN Coral Judi Akimbo for Ensemble Theatre. NAIDOC Ball 2009. She performed at both the Lighting Designer Stage Manager Deadly Awards, and the Opening Ceremony of Anni received an AFI Award for Best Christine Anu has made appearances in Baz Recent theatre credits include the first play the Brisbane Festival in 2008. Verity is a NIDA graduate with over 10 years’ Alison worked as a stage manager for the Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge, The Matrix Reloaded Annie has written - a one woman show called Supporting Actress in a Television Drama for experience as a lighting and projection designer. Ensemble Theatre: Last Of The Red Hot Lovers, and Dating the Enemy; on television in Wildside, RU4Me, which opened at Riverside last year her performance in Rowan Woods’ telemovie, Verity has designed for over 70 theatre Brooklyn Boy, The Sunset Limited, And The Cow The Alice, East West 101, Play School, Outland, and toured NSW. She appeared in Australia- 3 Acts of Murder. Other television credits productions working with some of Australia’s Jumped Over The Moon, Tuesdays With Morrie, Dance Academy and was a judge in Channel wide tours of Biddies and Calendar Girls, and include Underbelly: Badness, 3 Acts Of Murder, most talented directors and choreographers The Thank You Dinner, Death Of A Salesman, 7’s Popstars. Stage includes Bad Boy Johnny an international tour with Force Majeure City Homicide, All Saints, Love My Way, Home including Sam Strong, Lee Lewis, Julian Meyrick Derrida In Love, Are You There, I Get The Music and the Prophets of Doom, Little Shop of in The Age I’m In. She was part of the STC and Away, Stingers, Blue Heelers and Halifax f.p. TESSA and Meryl Tankyard. For television Verity has In You – An Evening With Jan Van De Stool, End Of The Rainbow, The Violet Hour and Kimberly Horrors, Kissing Frogs, Rent, Rainbow’s End, production of Hedda Gabler which followed a Films include Johnny Ghost, David Caesar’s ROSE been a lighting director for the ABC’s Live at the Akimbo. For Griffin:Wicked Sisters, Presence, South Pacific and The Sapphires for which she successful season in Sydney with a sell-out Prime Mover, Queen of the Damned, Touch, Marlene Basement & The Roast. Verity was awarded the Black And Tran and Rabbit. For Company B: received the Judith Johnson Award for Best run in New York. Strange Fits Of Passion, Julia Leigh’s Sleeping Tessa received a Diploma in Dance from the Mike Walsh Fellowship in 2012 which took her Svetlana In Sling Backs, Conversations With Performance by an Actress in a Musical at the There have been many other productions with Beauty, The Clinic, and Scott Hicks’ The Boys National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development to Broadway New York to work with projection The Dead, Our Lady Of Sligo. Richard III - Siren Sydney Theatre Awards. STC, Griffin, Nimrod and Belvoir, including the Are Back.