BY ReBecca Gilman - Black Swan State Theatre Company

A stalker
thriller that
will get under
your skin.
Black Swan State Theatre Company
gets
from
BY
Rebecca Gilman
...
e
r
i
s
de
suspenSe!
suspense!
oGreed,
betrayal and
bssess
e
ssio
survival in the fight
forn !
unTi l
15 30
SEP
pearling fortunes
SEP
Duration Approx. 2 hours 15 minutes [incl. interval]
Warning Boy Gets Girl contains coarse language, adult themes and explicit sexual references.
Originally produced by the Goodman Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, on March 13, 2000, Robert Falls, Artistic Director, Roche Schulfer, Executive Director.
Originally produced in New York City by the Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director, Barry Grove, Executive Producer, in
association with the Goodman Theatre on February 20, 2001.
www.bsstc.com.au
H e at h l e d g e r t h e at r e , S tat e Th e at r e C e n t r e o f WA
print media Partner
cast Partner
associate Partner
Principal Partner
James Hagan Les Kennkat
Ben O'Toole Mercer Stevens Myles Pollard Tony
Whitney Richards Harriet
Helen Searle Madeleine Beck
Steve Turner Howard Siegel Alison van Reeken Theresa Bedell
Adam Mitchell Director Fiona Bruce Set & Costume Designer
Trent Suidgeest Lighting Designer
Ben Collins Sound Designer/Composer
Jennifer Poh Stage Manager
Natasha Deacon Assistant Stage Manager
Rohin Best Head Mechanist
Artsworkshop Set Construction
If you would like to find out more about Black Swan State Theatre Company, visit
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@BlackSwanSTC.
A free version of this programme is also available to download from our website at
www.bsstc.com.au/the-2012-season/boy-gets-girl/behind-the-scenes/
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Synopsis
Theresa loves her job as a journalist at The World, a magazine on culture, politics and
arts but she's less successful in other areas of her life, particularly relationships. When
her friend and former colleague Linda suggests a blind date, Theresa gives in and
meets computer consultant Tony for a drink after work one night.
living nightmare. As Tony’s actions grow
increasingly more threatening and violent,
Theresa, at her colleagues urging, calls the
police. Officer Madeline Beck is a specialist
in the field of stalking and having worked
on many cases, is sympathetic but there is
little that she can do to help.
Theresa and Tony meet and as blind dates
go, this one could have been worse. Theresa
agrees to a second date but, despite having a
few things in common with Tony, something
is not quite right. She realises Tony isn’t the
man of her dreams and quickly extricates
herself from their second rendezvous
tactfully but as firmly as possible.
Officer Beck suggests Theresa moves out of
her apartment, never to take the same route
twice and if necessary, to change her name.
In search of help, a distressed Theresa finds
support in her boss Howard and colleague
Mercer and finds an improbable ally in
aged pornographer Les Kennkat, who she is
interviewing for her latest story.
That should have been the end of the story
but Tony doesn’t give up. What follows are
unsettling phone messages at her work,
numerous bunches of flowers sent and
even an unexpected visit to her office.
When unsettling phone messages are left
at her home, Theresa starts to worry as she
realises Tony knows where she lives.
Despite all their efforts to help Theresa to
regain normality, Theresa is a shadow of
the woman she once was, her life spiralling
out of her control.
She senses things are starting to turn
more sinister. The two dates she had
with him starts to turn her life into a
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REBECCA GILMAN Playwright
Rebecca Gilman’s plays include The Crowd You’re In With, Dollhouse,
Spinning Into Butter, Boy Gets Girl, Blue Surge, The Heart is a Lonely
Hunter and The Glory of Living. Her plays have been produced at the
Goodman Theatre, the Royal Court Theatre, Lincoln Center Theatre,
Joseph Papp’s Public Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club and Manhattan
Class Company. She is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, The
Prince Prize for Commissioning New Work, The Roger L. Stevens Award
from the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays, The Evening
Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright and The George Devine Award. Ms Gilman was
named a finalist for the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for her play, The Glory of Living. Ms Gilman is an
associate professor of playwriting and screenwriting in the MFA in Writing for the Screen and
Stage program at Northwestern University.
ADAM MITCHELL Director
Black Swan: When The Rain Stops Falling. The HotBed Ensemble:
Yellow Moon: The Ballad Of Leila and Lee, The Shape of Things, pool (no
water), The Dark Room, Portraits of Modern Evil, The Caucasian Chalk
Circle, The Laramie Project, Falling Petals. Be Active BSX Theatre: Heart’s
Desire. Other Theatre: WAAPA: The 25th Annual Putnam County
Spelling Bee, The Comedy of Errors, Beauty and the Beast. Damage
Theatre: The Brick and the Rose, Kitchen, A Change in the Weather.
Artrage: Loving the Alien. Lyons Productions: The Messenger. The Cabaret
Soiree Series Downstairs at the Maj: Damaged and Ramblings of a Random Redhead. The
Hayman Theatre: Beyond the Neck, Away, Attempts on her Life. As Assistant Director:
Black Swan: Uncle Vanya. Other Theatre: Sydney Theatre Company: True West. Melbourne
Theatre Company: The Pillowman. As Performer: You Oughta Know. Edinburgh Festival:
From Sondheim to Sinatra. Chaplins: Dick Whittington (UK national tour). Artrage: Lost Hellfire.
Entrophy/Deckchair Theatre: Under Milk Wood. Positions: Adam was Black Swan’s Associate
Director from 2007-2010 and the Director of The HotBed Ensemble from 2008-2010. He is a
member of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab (New York). Awards: 2010 Equity Guild
Award for Best Direction and Best Production for The Shape of Things, 2008 Equity Guild
Award for Best Director for The Caucasian Chalk Circle and the 2003 Blue Room Award for Best
Independent Production for The Brick and the Rose.
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Inside The Mind
Of A Stalker
A Word from the
Director
We had an absolute ball rehearsing Boy Gets Girl. From the sharing of
our personal stalking experiences (both as stalker and stalked), to
the outrageous sexploitation films by Russ Meyer of the 1960s
and the endless arrangement and rearrangement of the
many bouquets of flowers.
The lead up to rehearsals gave me a great excuse to watch all
the film noir classics, from Hitchcock’s Vertigo to The Maltese
Falcon. This was the jumping off point for the stylings that
have settled upon our version of Boy Gets Girl.
It seemed only fitting to draw on this classic Hollywood
genre in a play that is a contemporary thriller. It
was as much the atmosphere as it was the ideas
of the play that attracted me to the piece, in
particular the premise that popular culture
might actually be encouraging men to
behave badly.
When the play premiered in the US,
our playwright Rebecca Gilman was
overwhelmed by the number of people who
approached her with their own stalking
experiences. It was certainly surprising to
discover just how many of our acting company
had at one stage been followed or had
aggressive unwelcomed advances, usually by
men, though this is not always the case.
Written by Nick Maclaine
Stalking is a shockingly endemic crime and it is altering with advances in technology.
Stalking can shatter its victims’ emotional and psychological wellbeing and in
extreme cases, can be a prelude to assault and murder.
What goes on inside a person’s mind to
make them stalk a fellow human being?
entirely and they may become emotional
terrorists who seek to control every aspect of
their partner’s lives. Physical abuse may also
take place.
Dark Stars
There is no one psychological profile for
stalkers. Stalkers, however, are far more
likely to be male than female, and victims
of stalking are more likely to be female.
Stalkers who fixate on strangers or
acquaintances are more likely to be isolated,
socially maladjusted individuals. Behaviours
associated with this type of stalker include
poor social skills, ‘data mining’ (asking
personal questions such as where someone
works or whether they live alone) and
bombarding their targets with texts, phone
calls or emails after meeting them.
Stalking is commonly understood as a
constellation of behaviours, where each
behaviour is part of a broader campaign
of intimidation and intrusion. A behaviour
might seem innocent on its own – for
example, sending flowers but in context
lends it a threatening significance.
Multiple Motivations
Stalkers have different motivations for
stalking their victims and their reasons may
change over time. Someone who stalks a
stranger or acquaintance may be seeking
an intimate relationship with him or her. A
‘rejected stalker’ on the other hand, is driven
by the desire to reverse the victim’s rejection
of them. ‘Resentful stalkers’ seek to instil fear
in their victim as payback for a perceived
wrong or slight; a darker version of this is
‘vengeance stalking’. Stalkers are at their
most dangerous however, when they become
‘predatory’ – that is, when their immediate
motivation is to prepare a violent attack.
In a similar way, people can be thought of
as a constellation of traits, behaviours and
motivations. A single dark star may not be
cause for alarm, but a constellation could
indicate a potential stalker.
I would again like to thank everyone at
Black Swan for their tireless effort in making
Boy Gets Girl a reality. Thanks also to my
wonderful cast and crew and enjoy the show.
Traits and Behaviours
Broadly speaking, there are two types of
stalkers: stalkers who pursue former partners
who have rejected them; and stalkers who
fixate on strangers or acquaintances.
Adam Mitchell
Director
Many stalkers are highly adept at hiding
behind a ‘mask of charm’. This mask may
conceal low self-esteem, excessive selfregard, feelings of powerlessness, emotional
immaturity and a lack of empathy.
Cyberstalking
A popular tool of the 21st century stalker
is cyberstalking – the use of computers,
smartphones, email or social media to
pursue a victim.
Stalkers are usually experts at denying,
minimising and projecting blame. Once in a
relationship, the mask of charm may drop
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them to know and the practice is more or
less considered socially acceptable.
Interconnectivity and the ubiquity
of smartphones have created new
opportunities for stalkers to inflict damage.
Great numbers of men and women are
reporting feeling distressed, anxious or
fearful as the result of cybertstalking. A
cyberstalker is more likely to be a stranger or
casual acquaintance of the victim and the
anonymity of the internet can intensify the
creativity and brutality of their campaigns.
The oversharing of personal information
posted on Facebook makes it an obvious
starting point for any genuine stalker.
Researchers have found that when expartners are involved, ‘Facebook stalkers’
are six times more likely to turn into a
genuine stalker
References:
Finally, where does Facebook fit into
cyberstalking? Most users freely admit
to having ‘Facebook stalked’ someone by
trawling through their recent posts and
status updates. This is usually a victimless
crime: a person cannot know they are being
‘Facebook stalked’ unless the stalker wants
Australian Institute of Criminology, Trends & Issues in Crime and
Criminal Justice, “No. 166 Cyberstalking”
Lyndon et al, Cyberpsychology, behaviour and social networking,
“Facebook stalking of ex-partners”
Meloy and Fisher, The Journal of Forensic Science, “Some
thoughts on neurobiology and stalking”
University of Bedshire National Centre for Cyberstalking
Research, Cyberstalking in the United Kingdom
What’s In A Name?
Written by Jordan Nix
In 1884 Samuel Clemens wrote one of the greatest American novels of all time, depicting
a colourful look at the people and places along the Mississippi River. You won’t find his
name on the spine of any book in your library though, nor would you consider his place in
the world of literary greats. You could almost say that the man known as Samuel Clemens
was never a writer – except when he went by the name Mark Twain.
Some of the biggest names in the literary
world have used pen names, or a nonde-plume, for their work. Both male and
female writers have made the choice, either
for creative, personal or social reasons.
Samuel Clemens used a number of pen
names besides Mark Twain, including
Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass or simply
Josh. Although it is debated amongst
historians, it is widely considered that
Clemens decided on Mark Twain from
his time on Mississippi river boats,
the name being a reference to the
measurement of the river depth.
While the circumstances surrounding the
pen name Mark Twain seem quite trivial,
issues of personal security or gender equality
give much more weight to the adoption
of the name. In other cases, the writer is
simply unable to publish under their name.
In the 1940s it was prohibited for Irish civil
servants to write without permission from
their departments, forcing Brian O’Nolan to
use the pen name Flann O’Brien.
name to Zane Grey to appeal to readers of his
Western genre.
Some pen names are developed in response
to the career objectives of the author. C.S.
Lewis published work under Clive Hamilton
and N.W. Clerk to avoid harming his
reputation as a scholar. While Eric Blair felt
he didn’t have enough experience to publish
under his real name and was instead known
as George Orwell. Ironically, comic book
creator Stan Lee intended to use his real
name Stanley Liber for non-comic works, but
found so much success in the field that he
legally changed his name to Stan Lee.
O’Nolan was forced to write under a
different name to distance himself from his
true identity. Other writers have sought to
create different identities to distinguish
their work. Lewis Caroll, author of Alice
in Wonderland, was in fact a celebrated
mathematician called Charles Dodgson who
wanted to avoid the confusion of publishing
a non-fiction story under his real name.
Stephen King used the pen name Richard
Bachman, despite still writing in the same
genre, because his publisher thought readers
would be unlikely to buy multiple novels by
the same author in a single year. Genre can
also play a part in creating pen names, such
as the novelist Pearl Gray who changed his
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In Boy Gets Girl, Theresa is a literary
journalist for The World magazine, forced
to consider what she values most between
her career and her personal safety. Many
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writers have adopted pen names to
protect themselves from the responses of
controversial work. Chuck Bravedy is the
pen name of a Navy Seal who released the
book, Iraq In My Eye: Memoirs of a Navy Seal.
Bravedy was concerned his book would
anger certain readers and put his family’s
safety at risk.
Other writers have used their pen name
to hide their past. Before Asa Earl Carter’s
career as an author he was a politically
active opponent to the civil rights moments,
working as a speechwriter and founding
an independent Ku Klux Klan group. Quite
remarkably, he also published a best-selling,
award-winning memoir as Forrest Carter, a
Native American Cherokee.
Although a pen name can be used to project
a writer’s identity, there are instances where
writers have created false identities and
attempted to sell them as the truth. Between
1999 and 2005, JT Leroy rose to prominence
and captured the attention of readers who
were also drawn to his history as a male
prostitute and homeless drug addict whose
life was turned around with the help of
Laura Albert and Geoffrey Knoop, a couple
who took him in. Three novels were written
by JT Leroy, who was reported to have
battled extreme shyness and would appear
in public beneath a wig and sunglasses. It
was eventually discovered that JT Leroy
was a completely fictional creation by Laura
Albert who wrote the stories. Savannah
Knoop, half-sister of Geoffrey would play
JT in public. Albert was sued for fraud by a
film company that had signed a contract to
produce a feature film of the novel Sarah.
She was forced to pay more than $110,000.
It is quite remarkable to think that Charlotte,
Emily and Anne Bronte, all acclaimed writers
whose works such as Wuthering Heights
and Jane Eye have become literary classics,
wrote under the names of Currer, Ellis and
Acton Bell. Female authors and journalists
often wrote under male pen names to
avoid criticism based on their gender. For
Alice Bradley Sheldon, writing under the
pen name James Tiptree Jr seemed like the
easier choice for a bi-sexual woman trying
to break into the male-dominated science-
fiction genre and who had a career as an
intelligence officer in the Army Air Corps
and the CIA. It was a general consensus that
audiences of certain genres would not relate
to female writers. Similarly, Susan Eloise
Hinton’s publishers suggested she use S.E
Hinton for her book The Outsiders so that
reviewers would not dismiss the novel based
on her gender. Hinton discovered she liked
the privacy that her pen name gave her and
subsequently kept it.
Even more recently, the author of the Harry
Potter series, Joanne Rowling adopted the
pen name J.K. Rowling to ensure the target
audience of young boys would not be put off
reading a book written by a woman. Despite
these initial concerns, the series went on to
become the biggest selling book series of all
time and Rowling is now a household name.
Mary Ann Evans, one of the most respected
novelists from the Victorian era, used the
pen name George Eliot as a way to distance
herself from the female romance novelists of
the time and ensure her works were judged
by their merit alone. She had previously
raised eyebrows with her essay Silly Novels
by Lady Novelists which criticised the work
being published by female writers at the
time. After the success of her first novel she
revealed her identity, the reveal having little
impact on her career, but she continued to
write as George Eliot for the rest of her life.
On the contrary, not all female writers who
adopt a pen name do so in order to conceal
their gender. It was considered general
custom in the 18th and 19th Century that
females writing for newspapers would use a
pen name, even if it was still a female name.
Winifred Bonfils wrote under the name
Winifred Black and Annie Laurie, but was
still criticised for her human interest stories
which saw her labelled a “sob sister.” 19th
Century American writer and newspaper
columnist Sara Payson Willis Parton used
the satirical name Fanny Fern. More recently,
romance writer Julie Woodcock adopted the
pen name Angela Knight to avoid the double
entendre associated with her last name and
the romance genre.
Whilst not as common, there are a few
examples of male writers taking on female
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pen names. Scottish poet William Sharp
adopted the name Fiona Macleod for his
writing, struggling mentally with this dualidentity for most of his life. Former British
SAS soldier Chris Ryan rose to prominence
with a book detailing his horrific experiences
in the Gulf War and his Alpha Force series
aimed at teenagers and male audiences.
In order to avoid the confusion with his
foray into a different genre, Ryan adopted
the female pen name Molly Jackson for his
romantic novel The Fisherman’s Daughter.
References:
www.webdesignschoolsguide.com/library/10-famous-femaleswho-used-male-pen names.html
www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/womenwithdeadlines/wwd5.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._Traven
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._K._Rowling
www.nytimes.com/2006/01/09/books/09book.
html?pagewanted=all
www.westwindcos.com/releases/Pen_Names_To_Hide_or_
Reveal.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forrest_Carter
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pen_name
www.usfca.edu/jco/pseudonyms/
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3376286/War-writer-ChrisRyan-adopts-female-pen name.htmlen.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Nellie_Bly
www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/70608/Nellie-Bly
In most cases the true identity of these
writers are eventually discovered or
announced to the public. There are some
cases, however, where the identity of a
writer is never uncovered. To this day, the
identity of B. Traven remains unsolved.
Traven is perhaps best known for The
Treasure of the Sierra Madre, which was
adapted for the Academy Award winning
film of the same name in 1948. Many consider
Traven to be Ret Marut, a German actor
and anarchist, although theories include
him being the President of Mexico and the
illegitimate son of the German Emperor.
For the character Theresa in Boy Gets Girl,
her gender has no impact on her reputation
as a writer, even when she writes in the male
dominated sports genre. The breakdown of
these gender barriers is a major reason why
the use of pen names has declined, however
there is still progress to be made in the
sporting genre. In Australia, Rebecca Wilson
has blazed a trail for female sports reporters.
Female journalists like Theresa have
pioneering figures like Nellie Bly to thank
for paving the way for gender equality in
journalism. Nellie Bly was the pen name
of Elizabeth Cochran, who defied the
labels placed on female journalists in
the 19th Century and became known for
faking insanity to investigate the inner
workings of a mental institution. Cochran
took her pen name from a character in a
Stephen Foster song. When she died, several
newspapers heralded her as ‘the best
reporter in America’. She remains an iconic
figurehead in the journalism world, pen
name or no pen name.
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Sonatas In Black
The World Of Film Noir
Written by Nick Maclaine
Hardboiled heroes. Femme fatales. A murky metropolis, where it’s always dark and it
always rains … These are the iconic elements of ‘film noir’ (black film): a term covering
the muscular, stylish crime dramas that swept American cinema in the 1940s and 1950s.
Boy Gets Girl has much in common with this cynical genre and noir has enjoyed many
comebacks and reincarnations over the years.
A bitter little world
The 1940s and 1950s produced a slew of
brilliant film noirs, including: Key Largo,
Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard. But
where did they come from and what makes
them ‘noir’?
A certain mood, style and worldview are
ultimately what define something ‘noir’. The
genre arose from the ‘pulp fiction’ of the
Depression era crime writers. Typically, the
heroes were flawed, unsentimental types
who found themselves battling corruption
in an alienating metropolis such as Los
Angeles, Chicago or New York City. Sex was
as powerful a motivation as justice and a
tragic ending was as likely as a happy or
ambivalent one.
Film noir drew on this steamy source
material, depicting it cinematically with
a striking visual code. Borrowing from
German expressionism, noir directors used
stark light/dark contrasts and allowed
shadows to fall across the actors’ faces
– a visual metaphor for black and white
morality and its compromised practitioners.
John Huston’s The Maltese Falcon was the film
that definitively combined these narrative
and stylistic elements to create a morally
murky world that was thrilling and erotic.
No terror in the bang
The noir-thriller however, was brought to
perfection not by an American, but by an
Englishman – the legendary Alfred Hitchcock.
Arriving in Hollywood in time for the birth
of noir in the early 1940s, Hitchcock crafted
some of the genre’s finest entries – Shadow of
a Doubt, Strangers on a Train, Rear Window,
The Wrong Man and Vertigo, which was
recently voted the greatest film of all time by
a poll conducted by the British Film Institute.
Hitchcock took the ingredients of noir and
blended them with a deadpan sense of
humour, psychological thrills and above all,
suspense. He was a master of notching up
tension to almost unbearable levels: “There
is no terror in the bang” he declared, “only
in the anticipation of it.” A customs official
once inspected his passport and asked what
it was that Hitchcock was a ‘producer’ of –
motion pictures? Hitchcock is said to have
replied, “Gooseflesh”.
Murder). Jazz and noir were a perfect match:
both were powerful, elicit and haunting.
Black is the new black
Bernard Herrmann had realised the truth
of this before he died. His final score was
brilliant jazz noir: a brooding, saxophonedriven soundtrack to a film he very nearly
passed on. (“I don’t know anything about
taxi drivers” he had snapped at its director.)
The best film noirs address the fight against
the blackness in our societies and in our
souls. As long as someone can say, “it’s a
bitter little world” – and as long as we enjoy
a good thrill, or seeing people like us fighting
the good fight – our love for film noir is likely
to continue.
Taxi Driver, together with Chinatown,
heralded film noir’s rebirth. These ‘neonoirs’ still featured damaged protagonists
waging doomed wars against corruption,
but directors from the 1970s onwards began
to reimagine the genre’s motifs. Blade
References:
Foster Hirsch, Film noir: The dark side of the screen
Don Michael Randel, The Harvard dictionary of music
Bernard Schopen, The film noir net (http://bernardschopen.
tripod.com/noir.html)
Hitchcock loved to turn his audiences into
accomplices – and specifically, into voyeurs.
In Rear Window, the camera mimics Jimmy
Stewart’s gaze, repeatedly wandering over
to spy on his neighbour. When the neighbour
realises what is happening, he looks
straight into the camera to accuse him –
and to accuse us.
Unmask
the cast
Anatomy of a murder
Hitchcock, like all the great noir directors,
understood the power of music to evoke an
atmosphere and heighten the storytelling.
Most of his noir-thrillers were scored by
Bernard Herrmann, who, together with Max
Steiner, David Raksin, Miklós Rózsa and Franz
Waxman, pioneered noir’s iconic sound.
Proud Cast Partner
of Black Swan State
Theatre Company
It was Elmer Bernstein however, who gave
audiences the first noir soundtrack built on
jazz. His score for The Man With the Golden
Arm paved the way for Henry Mancini (A
Touch of Evil), Miles Davis (Elevator to the
Gallows) and Duke Ellington (Anatomy of a
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Runner, Pulp Fiction, Fargo, Kiss Kiss Bang
Bang and even Christopher Nolan’s Batman
trilogy - all recycle or reinvent noir elements
brilliantly.
13
The Cast
of Boy gets girl
James Hagan Les Kennkat
Black Swan: The Crucible, Twelfth Night (1991 production). Other
Theatre: Onward Production: Red. Perth Theatre Company:
Amadeus, Charitable Intent. Sydney Opera House: Lovers at Versailles.
Bell Shakespeare Company: Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew. Belvoir
St Theatre: Edmond. Sydney Theatre Company: Miss Julie. Hole in the
Wall: The Recruiting Officer, Sweeney Todd. Film: The Adventures of
Chipman & Biscuit Boy, Needle, Little Sparrows. TV: The Great Mint
Swindle, All Saints, Head Start, Stark, Artful Dodger, Backburner, G.P.,
Police Rescue II. Radio: James has worked extensively for ABC Radio. Awards: The Glugs
(Ex Sydney Drama Critics Awards) Best Actor NSW (2005) for Lovers at Versailles, New York
Radio Festival Second Prize 1989, First Prize 1987.
Ben O'Toole Mercer Stevens
Black Swan: Boy Gets Girl marks Ben’s debut with the Company.
Film: Options, In View, Great Expectations, Daniel. Voice Over:
Cannabis Smoker in Cannabis Awareness advertisement. Awards:
2011 Leslie Anderson Award for Acting. Training: 2011 WAAPA
graduate.
Myles Pollard Tony
Black Swan: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Glass Menagerie.
Other Theatre: Brisbane Powerhouse: The True Story Of Butterfish.
Belvoir St Theatre, B Sharp: Mistero Buffo. Ensemble Theatre: End of
the Rainbow. Bell Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet. TV: Packed To The
Rafters, Sea Patrol (Series V), Underbelly – A Tale of Two Cities, Rescue:
Special Ops (Series II), McLeod’s Daughters, Double Trouble, Water Rats,
Wildside, Home and Away, East West 101. Film: Thirst, X-Men Origins:
Wolverine. Other: Myles co-produced and starred in the feature film
Drift, opposite Sam Worthington. Training: 1998 NIDA graduate.
Whitney Richards Harriet
Black Swan: Arcadia. Other Theatre: Fringeworld 2012: Pollyanna.
Performing Lines: They Ran Til’ They Stopped. Jedda Productions:
Anytown. His Majesty's Theatre: Maj Monologues. Aleela Creatives:
Mummy Loves You Betty Ann Jewel. Fish in a Vortex: House of Fun. Kay
& McClean Productions: The Graduate. Hold Your Horses: Heart of Gold.
Bare Naked: Hamlet. Class Act/Bare Naked: The Importance of Being
Earnest. Film: Little Sparrows, By Shank’s Pony, Basement on a Hill.
As Assistant Stage Manager: Black Swan: The Damned, Ninety.
Black Swan/Melbourne Theatre Company: National Interest. Other: Whitney is a proud
member of Equity. Training: Media and Information at Curtin University.
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Helen Searle Madeleine Beck
Black Swan: Boy Gets Girl marks Helen’s debut with the Company.
Other Theatre: Brainbox Project: Some Kind of Beautiful. Agelink
Theatre: As Ships Pass By. Homemade Musicals: Vincent. Action
Theatre: Chang & Eng. Monkey Baa Theatre Company: The Bugalugs
Bum Thief. Rattling Tongues Theatre: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The
Overcoat. Effie Crump: Middle Age Spread. Perth Theatre Company:
Cargo. Opera: WA Opera: Carmen, Alcina, Elixir of Love, The Magic
Flute, Falstaff. Singapore Lyric Opera: Die Fledermaus. TV: Street
Smartz, Something In The Air, Children's Hospital, Ship To Shore, Wormwood. Training: 1991
WAAPA graduate with a Diploma of Performing Arts/Theatre. Other: Self-Devised Cabaret
for Brainbox: Sharing’s not for Everyone, Who Threw that Jaffa?. Side-On Sydney: Helen
Searle's Survival Package. Helen has also performed in ABC Radio plays Inexorable Dog Star
and Crush. Awards: 1991 WAAPA Nigel Rideout Outstanding Achievement Award.
Steve Turner Howard Siegel
Black Swan: Arcadia, When The Rain Stops Falling, Twelfth Night,
Much Ado About Nothing, The Glass Menagerie, The Crucible, The
Carnivores, On Our Selection. Black Swan/Happy Dagger Theatre:
Cyrano de Bergerac. Other Theatre: Bunuba Films: Jandamarra.
Kay & McLean Productions: The Graduate. Perth Theatre Company:
The Turning, Speed-the-Plow, Tango, Talk About The Passion, Weekend
Break. Effie Crump: Below, Relatively Speaking. WA Theatre Company:
Italian American Reconciliation. SWY Theatre: Teechers, Under Milk
Wood. Deckchair Theatre: The Fremantle Candidate, Modern International Dead, Grace,
Much Ado About Nothing, The Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night, Bell in the Storm. kompany M:
The Gun, Luv Struk, Bone Dry, Road Train, Jeepers Creepers. The Blue Room: October, Killer
Joe. Performing Arts: Lady Chatterly's Lover. Hole In The Wall: Rusty Bugles. Other: Proud
member of Equity since 1987. Awards: 2007 WA Equity Guild Award Members Choice for The
Crucible, 2002 WA Equity Guild Award for Best Actor for Below and the 2001 WA Equity Guild
Award for Best Actor for To Whom It May Concern.
Alison van Reeken Theresa Bedell
Black Swan: When The Rain Stops Falling, A Midsummer Night’s
Dream, The Female of the Species, Life x 3, The Crucible, Woyzeck,
The Carnivores, A Man with Five Children. Other Theatre: Onward
Production: The Deep Blue Sea, 7 Deadly Sins, 4 Deadly Sinners. Kay &
McLean Productions: The Graduate. Perth Theatre Company: An Oak
Tree, The Turning, Charitable Intent. Red Ryder Productions: Dying
City, A Moment on the Lips. Class Act: Twelfth Night. Renstar: She
Told Me So. Darlinghurst Theatre: Five Stories High, The Treatment,
Etta Jenks. Old Fitzroy Theatre: Dogs Barking, Paradise. Belvoir St Theatre Downstairs:
Chambres, An Idiot Amongst Us, Edmund. TV: Three Acts of Murder, The Sleepover Club,
Murder Call, All Saints, Water Rats. Film: Middle Children, All the Way. As Producer:
Dealer’s Choice, The Mozart Faction, Loveplay, Looming the Memory, Dying City. Other:
Alison has been a proud member of Equity since 1996. Awards: Alison won Best Actor
(Female) 2011 Equity Guild Award for The Deep Blue Sea and Best Supporting Actor (Female)
2006 Equity Guild Award for The Carnivores. Training: Diploma of Performance Studies
(Theatre) from WAAPA and Curtin University.
15
The Creatives
of Boy gets girl
Fiona Bruce Set & Costume Designer
Black Swan: The HotBed Ensemble: Yellow Moon: The Ballad of
Leila and Lee, The Shape of Things. BSX Theatre: Falling Petals. As
Assistant Designer: Black Swan: Rising Water, A Midsummer
Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing. Other Theatre: Deckchair
Theatre: The Fremantle Candidate, Grace, The Danger Age, Modern
International Dead. Steps Youth Dance Company: Moonwebs and
Scorched Thongs. ThinIce: Antigone. As Designer: Performing
Lines/STRUT: Breakings. STRUT/Steamworks: Standing Bird. As Set
Designer: Deckchair Theatre: Ruby Moon. Awards: 2010 Equity
Guild Award Best Design and the 2009 David Hough Award for Stage Design. Training:
2009 WAAPA Performing Arts B.A and 2006 Curtin University B.A.
Trent Suidgeest Lighting Designer
Black Swan: Arcadia, The White Divers of Broome, When The Rain
Stops Falling, Ninety, A Midsummer Night's Dream (with Graham
Walne). The HotBed Ensemble: pool (no water), The Dark Room.
Black Swan/Melbourne Theatre Company: National Interest. Black
Swan/Belvoir St Theatre: The Sapphires. Other Theatre: Sydney
Festival: I Am Eora. Yirra Yaakin: Waltzing The Wilarra. The Production
Company: Kismet, The King and I. Barking Gecko: This Girl Laughs...,
The Amber Amulet, Fatty Wombat. Steps Youth Dance Company: Try
Hard, Compact Dance, Moonwebs & Scorched Thongs. Perth Theatre Company: An Oak Tree.
Buzz Dance: Genie(us). Strut Dance: Tiny Little Tragedies. Aimee Smith: The Wintering. Crow
Crow Productions: Flightfall. Secondments: Billy Elliot The Musical (Broadway), High School
Musical (Australian Tour), Wicked (Australia). Installations: PIAF: Festival Gardens 2012.
Workshops: A conversation about Light with Rick Fisher. Positions: WA Department of
Culture and the Arts Young People and the Arts Funding Panelist 2009-2011, YCulture Metro
Funding Panelist 2009, WAAPA Board 2007-2008. Training: 2008 WAAPA graduate.
Ben Collins Sound Designer/Composer
Black Swan: The White Divers of Broome, When The Rain Stops
Falling, Ninety, Madagascar. The HotBed Ensemble: pool (no water),
The Dark Room. Black Swan/Sydney Theatre Company: Signs of
Life. Black Swan/Melbourne Theatre Company: National Interest.
Black Swan/Queensland Theatre Company: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
Black Swan/Onward Production: Seven Deadly Sins, Four Deadly
Sinners. Other Theatre: The Hayman Theatre: Attempts on Her
Life. As Sound Editor: Black Swan: The Swimming Club. Film: The
Expert, Happy Haven, Eternus, Dox, Miss Coolbaroo, Time Enough, The Adjuster. Other:
Ben has composed for the West Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra, Mace Francis Orchestra
and St Hilda’s Concert Orchestra and played Saxophone in Black Swan’s production, The
Sapphires. Mixed Media Dance Project: Reality In a Box. Buzz Dance: Behind the Veneer. Ben
has performed with many artists including James Morrison, Don Burrows, Tommy Tycho, Ben
Folds, Peter Farnan, Rob Guest, Anthony Warlow, Lesley Garrett, Grace Knight, Pete Murray,
Christine Anu and Casey Donovan. Awards: 2008 WA Screen Award for Best Original Score
for Dox, 2004 WA Youth Jazz Orchestra Award for Scholarship for Contribution, 2004 Jaxter
Artist Award in the Jazz Category for Big Mama Nelson. Training: 2003 WAAPA graduate.
Jennifer Poh Stage Manager
Black Swan: Ninety, Much Ado About Nothing. Black Swan/
Onward Production: Seven Deadly Sins, Four Deadly Sinners. Other
Theatre: Deckchair Theatre: The Magic Hour, Krakouer (Perth
season and regional tour), The Danger Age, Grace, Memmie Le Blanc,
(Fremantle season and Adelaide Fringe Festival), Not Like Beckett,
Wonderlands. Perth Theatre Company: Bombshells (Perth season
and national tour), Baby Boomer Blues, Glorious, Soulmates (Perth
season and national tour), Amadeus, Charitable Intent, Skin Tight
(Perth season and national tour), Welcome to Dullsville, Tango, The Chatroom, Bench. Albany
Entertainment Centre Gala Opening. Onward Production: LoveBites. Effie Crump: Glenn,
The Glass Menagerie, Below, Irish Stew, Noel and Gertie (Perth season and regional tour),
Educating Rita (Perth season, regional and schools tour), Redemption (Perth season and tour
to Sao Polo, Brazil for Cultura Englesi Festival 2002). Hole in the Wall Theatre: Someone To
Watch Over Me, Music From The Whirlwind, Sweeney Todd, Wallflowering, Shirley Valentine
(Perth seasons and national tour), A View From The Bridge, Too Young For Ghosts. Shirley
Valentine (national tour 1992-1993). Dance: Buzz Dance: Fragile, Restless, Thrill Double
Bill, Postcards Home. Steps Youth Dance Company: Phoenix (regional tour). As Assistant
Stage Manager: Onward Production: Private Lives. Deckchair Theatre: Shakespeare in
the Park (2003-2008). Opera: WA Opera: Carmina Burana. La Traviata 1997 & 2005 (props),
Awards: 2002 Equity Award for Best Stage Manager. Training: 1987 WAAPA graduate with
a Diploma in Performing Arts (Stage Management).
Natasha Deacon Assistant Stage Manager
Black Swan: Secondments: When The Rain Stops Falling. Other
Theatre: As Assistant Stage Manager: Shakespeare WA: Romeo
& Juliet, The Comedy Of Errors, The Tempest, The Complete Works Of
William Shakespeare (Abridged). As Stage Manager: Strut Dance:
In This. Studio Inc: Spaghetti & Graceland. Training: 2011 WAAPA
graduate.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Black Swan State Theatre Company would like to acknowledge the Wadjuk people from the
Noongar nation who are the traditional owners and custodians of this land. We pay respect
to the Elders; for they hold the history, the cultural practice and traditions of their people. It
is a privilege to be together on Noongar country.
Black Swan State Theatre Company would like to thank Artsworkshop, Brian Heller and The
Arts Angels, Nick Maclaine, Cathy Penglis, Jess Russell and Krystina Triscari. Black Swan
greatly appreciates the help of Dawn Jones, Joondalup Health Campus in supplying medical
props and The Chrysie Place for providing flowers.
Black Swan would also like to thank Brendon Ellmer, Alice Jorgensen and all staff at the
State Theatre Centre of Western Australia for their support and assistance throughout 2012.
17
Black Swan’s
About
Emerging
Artist�
Black Swan State
Theatre Company
Program
Black Swan State Theatre Company is Western Australia’s Flagship Theatre
Company and one of Australia’s foremost theatre companies.
Since its inception in 1991, Black Swan has
earned both critical and popular acclaim
for its world premiere productions and
highly distinctive (re)interpretations of
international theatre classics – all of
which are infused with the unique culture
of Western Australia. These have included
such landmark productions as Bran Nue
Dae, Sistergirl, Tourmaline, Corrugation
Road (winner of the prestigious The Age
Critics’ Award), The Merry-Go-Round in the
Sea, Cloudstreet (Perth, Sydney, London
and Dublin seasons) The Odyssey, and more
recently, The Sapphires (Perth, Canberra,
London and Korea seasons).
Under the leadership of Artistic Director
Kate Cherry, Black Swan has also created
the Rio Tinto Black Swan Commissions,
a new commissioning program investing
into WA’s creative future and showcasing
Western Australian stories. The Company
also runs a professional development
program for emerging Western Australian
artists who become Associate Artists of
Black Swan for a calendar year. Black
Swan State Theatre Company is a Resident
Company in the new State Theatre Centre
of Western Australia which opened in
January 2011. In its first year of performing
in the State Theatre Centre, Black Swan
was the first Australian theatre company
to broadcast a live stage performance,
when Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s
Dream, directed by Kate Cherry, was
broadcast in real time to audiences across
regional Western Australia. In the same
year, Black Swan presented the world
premiere of Rising Water, the first piece
written by Tim Winton specifically for the
stage. Overall, the year was an outstanding
success for Black Swan, with over 52,000
people attending a Black Swan production
and box office income increasing by 95%
compared to 2010.
In 2012 we celebrate our coming of age with
our 21st Birthday and open your gateway
to new worlds. The season began with
the world premiere of The White Divers of
Broome by Hilary Bell. In March, we brought
you Tom Stoppard’s contemporary English
masterpiece Arcadia. National Interest by
Aidan Fennessy was the third play in our
2012 season and Tim Winton’s second work
written for the stage, Signs of Life followed.
Now is the darkly comic stalker thriller that
will get under your skin, Boy Gets Girl by
Rebecca Gilman. We finish the year with
another world premiere, Managing Carmen,
a hilarious new comedy by the master of
oneliners, David Williamson.
Over the past years, Black Swan’s emerging artist development program has been
highly successful in presenting cutting-edge extant work and attracting younger
audiences to the studio space at PICA.
Signs of Life and now Boy gets Girl.
The program has also been highly successful
in identifying talented designers that have
subsequently made the leap to work on
Black Swan’s mainstage productions.
Trent Suidgeest has worked on our first
three productions as the Lighting Designer
and you will see his unique lighting designs
again in Boy Gets Girl.
In 2012, we have tailored our Emerging
Artist Program to focus on the Company
working closely with three chosen young
WA creative talents. These creatives will
be Resident Artists with the Company for a
calendar year and play integral roles in all
2012 productions and associated activities.
Workshops run by established creatives,
performers or visiting artists will be offered
to Resident Artists several times throughout
the year and Black Swan will assist in
establishing mentoring relationships. The
Company will also assist Resident Artists
by locating and offering international work
experience and courses in their specialised
field, exposing them to theatre talents on an
international scale.
To date, our three Resident Artists have
worked across all four productions staged
in 2012. Alicia Clements was the Costume
Designer behind the period costumes in The
White Divers of Broome and the Set and
Costume Designer for Arcadia. Ben Collins
was the Sound Designer/Audio Operator for
The White Divers of Broome and the Sound
Designer/Composer for National Interest,
Supported in part by the McCusker
Charitable Foundation. The Emerging Artist
program also receives support in memory of
Bern Ranford.
We look forward to sharing new and exciting
theatre with you for the remainder of 2012!
Alicia Clements
Set & Costume Designer
Ben Collins
Sound Designer/Composer
Trent Suidgeest
Lighting Designer
For more information, visit www.bsstc.com.au
19
Rio Tinto Black Swan Commissions
Part of Black Swan State Theatre Company’s role as Western Australia’s Flagship Theatre
company is to engage audiences on a profound level by celebrating and promoting
Western Australia’s cultural identity.
Black Swan aspires to create beautifully crafted
stories that matter to Western Australians
and are seen throughout Australia. Our brand
of dynamic contemporary theatre aspires to
promote Western Australian theatre artists as
an integral part of the national cultural agenda
through co-productions, tours, live broadcasts
and the creation of new work and new ways of
presenting theatre. Our commissioning program
enables us to contribute to the national canon
through plays we have developed and produced
at Black Swan State Theatre Company.
The Rio Tinto Black Swan Commissions are
unique in Australia. Through collaboration with
our Principal Partner, Black Swan has created
a research and development wing of the
company that offers commissions, dramaturgy
and workshops for new work. The new work
that is created through the commissioning
program takes various forms.
Occasionally, Black Swan offers a substantial
commission to a writer of national stature to
deliver a script that we are convinced, based
on the writer’s track record, will go straight
to the mainstage. Other writers are offered a
commission because we would like to see how
they intend to develop an idea that intrigues us
or because we would like to foster an ongoing
relationship and we want the playwright to
continue writing.
To date the Rio Tinto Black Swan Commissions
have produced four mainstage works, Aidan
Fennessy’s National Interest (2012), Hilary Bell’s
The White Divers of Broome (2012), Hannie
Rayson’s The Swimming Club (2010) and Kate
Mulvany’s The Web (2009), with a fifth play, The
Damned (2011) by Reg Cribb, receiving its world
premiere in the Studio Underground. Writers
currently under commission include Brendan
Hanson and Tim Cunniffe.
In 2011 Black Swan also hosted ‘Plays in
Progress’, a series of script development
sessions and readings. Three scripts at different
development stages by Aidan Fennessy, Matt
Dyktynski and Reg Cribb received public
readings after intensive workshopping sessions.
The Rio Tinto Black Swan Commissions are
a central element in Artistic Director Kate
Cherry’s creative agenda: “Thanks to Rio
Tinto, we have been able to bring Australian
stories to life on stage for several years. This
year, we are presenting two very different
plays that are part of the Rio Tinto Black Swan
Commissions – The White Divers of Broome, set
in the fascinating multicultural hotbed that was
Broome in 1912, and National Interest, about the
impact that the coronial inquest into the murder
of playwright Aidan Fennessy’s cousin, one of
the Balibo Five, had on the members of his own
family. I look forward to announcing several
new commissions in the course of this year.”
Giving to Black Swan in 2012
Founding Patron, Janet
Holmes à Court AC
has played a significant
role in assisting young
Western Australians
by giving annually to
support Black Swan’s
commissioning program
which helps promote its educational
activities. Her generosity and support
over many years is highly appreciated
and has provided a platform for the future
development of Black Swan and the overall
theatre experience.
The generous contribution of Andrew
and Nicola Forrest to Black Swan is
assisting our future development and
security as Western Australia’s State
Flagship Theatre Company. Their support
will underpin the future growth and
development of Black Swan’s core artistic
program and help retain our local artists in
Western Australia. Nicola Forrest has also
been honoured as Black Swan’s Number 1
Subscriber for 2012 and 2013.
Black Swan’s Board
Black Swan wishes to thank the
following Board members, who have
generously committed to donating and
shown outstanding leadership in their
commitment to private giving to the
performing arts.
Alan Cransberg
Andrew Drayton & Alecia Benzie
◆◆ Rob McKenzie
◆◆ Kate O’Hara
◆◆ Vicki Robinson
◆◆ Sam & Leanne Walsh
◆◆ Craig Yaxley
◆◆
Black Swan’s Young Writers' Program
Launched in 2009, Black Swan’s Young Writers’ Program was created to encourage and
develop young playwrights from Western Australia.
The Young Writers’ Program is a rigorous
meeting of intellect and creativity, with
nine playwrights in their first five years
of professional practice accepted into the
group in 2010. In 2012, eleven playwrights
are participating. Adam Mitchell, Director
of the Young Writers’ Program works with
the playwrights on building skills and play
development, and the playwrights contribute
to our literary department by reading and
analysing work for the Company.
The Young Writers have completed workshops
with industry professional such as Hilary Bell
and Peter Matheson. Sandi Buckley and Demelza
Rogers attended the Playwright Festival in
Melbourne earlier this year and a number
of members had works produced and were
involved in the 2012 Perth FringeWorld Festival.
We look forward to sharing more fruits of
the playwrights’ work with you over the
coming years!
Supported in part by the Copyright Agency
Cultural Fund.
◆◆
Foundations
McCusker Charitable Foundation
Black Swan is extremely grateful to the
McCusker Charitable Foundation for their
generous gift towards the Emerging Artist
program in 2012, providing the opportunity for
emerging artists to develop their careers in WA.
McCusker Charitable Foundation
Copyright Agency Cultural Fund
The Cultural Fund
has provided much
needed funding to
Black Swan’s Young
Writers' Program, to assist playwrights
in Western Australia and in turn provide
national and international access to more
inspiring and innovative Western Australia
playwrights and scripts.
Local Larrikins
Local Larrikins is an initiative founded
by Janet Holmes à Court AC supporting a
Western Australian focused production
each year. The group also aims to engage
young Western Australians with the
theatre. In 2011, Local Larrikins contributed
towards Tim Winton’s debut play, Rising
Water and this year supported his second
play, Signs of Life. We would like to thank
the following donors for their support:
Janet Holmes à Court AC
Geoff & Allison Barr
◆◆ Peter & Sue Blackmore
◆◆ Doug & Dallas Buckley
◆◆ Bill Bloking & Debbie Cozart
◆◆ Tim & Ella Dachs
◆◆ Maggie Down & David Cruse
◆◆ Bernie Eastman
◆◆ Paul Hanrahan &
Mariella Harvey-Hanrahan
◆◆ Stephen & Kelly Maloney
◆◆ John McGlue & Sharon Dawson
◆◆ Kate O’Hara
◆◆ Tim & Chris Ungar
◆◆ Cally Unsworth & Rolly Hill
◆◆ Terri-ann White
◆◆ Tony Wilkie
◆◆
◆◆
White Swans
The White Swans is a donor group for
Black Swan and was originally created by
Linda Savage and Michela Fini to support
the set for The Clean House. Following
this production, the group was further
developed with additional help from Sandy
Honey and Sallie-Anne Manford. The current
focus is to support a well known artist
to visit and perform in Western Australia
each season. This year the White Swans
supported Helen Morse to be involved in
Signs of Life. White Swans have the chance
to enrich Perth’s growing enthusiasm for
the arts by highlighting the great level of
talent, excitement and potential of Western
Australia theatre. We would like to thank the
following donors for their support:
Katrina & Craig Burton
Mary & John Caporale
◆◆ Debbie & Peter Chappell
◆◆ Linda & Warren Coli
◆◆ Joanne & Camillo Della Maddalena
◆◆ Ash & Clive Donner
◆◆ Marco D'Orsogna
◆◆ Sally & Giles Everist
◆◆ Michela & Adrian Fini
◆◆ Annie & Brett Fogarty
◆◆ Nicola & Andrew Forrest
◆◆ Janine & Richard Goyder
◆◆ Christine & John Hedges
◆◆ Sandy & Peter Honey
◆◆ Stephanie & Peter James
◆◆ Peter Lee & Shareen Traub
◆◆ Heather Lyons & Marijana Ravlich
◆◆ Sandy & Michelle Mackellar
◆◆ Sallie-Anne & Michael Manford
◆◆ Dr Toby and Tony Manford
◆◆ Sue McDonald & Mark Westbrook
◆◆ Chris & Bruce McLeod
◆◆ Rose & Tim Moore
◆◆ Mimi & Willy Packer
◆◆ Phillipa & Ron Packer
◆◆ Ingrid & Mark Puzey
◆◆ Veronique & Kim Ramen
◆◆ Wiggy Saunders & Mark English
◆◆ Linda Savage
◆◆ Dee & Gary Seabrooke
◆◆ Natasha & Ross Taylor
◆◆ Debbie & Joe Throsby
◆◆ Julie & Eddie Van Beem
◆◆
◆◆
Encore !
Encore! is Black Swan’s general giving
program. Encore! gives you the opportunity
to help Black Swan deliver high quality
productions in 2012.
$50 to $499
Bruna Angi
◆◆ Donna McCrory
David Ambrose
◆◆ Margaret Medcalf
◆◆ Robin Beech
◆◆ Terence Middleton
◆◆ Sue Boyd
◆◆ Frances Moon
◆◆ Doug & Dallas Buckley ◆◆ Roger Mullen
◆◆ Katherine Cheng
◆◆ James Pearson
◆◆ Andy Copland
◆◆ Carol Shannon
◆◆ Stephen Dennis
◆◆ Lindsay Silbert
◆◆ Kenneth Evans
◆◆ Jeffrey Skates
◆◆ Ruth Greble
◆◆ Maureen &
Anthony Slater
◆◆ Des Gurry
◆◆ N. Hansen
◆◆ Flora Smith
◆◆ Lee Hartz
◆◆ Patricia Sugars
◆◆ Patsy Hodgkinson
◆◆ Ross Symonds
◆◆ Jennie Kennedy
◆◆ Robyn Tamke
◆◆ Jan Knight
◆◆ Challis Tilbrook
◆◆ Kaye Lake
◆◆ Joy Wearne
◆◆ Louis Landau
◆◆ Denise Watson
◆◆ Amanda Luke
◆◆ Charlotte Welton
◆◆ Deborah Luke
◆◆ Lauren &
Pamela Ziatus
◆◆ Joan McIntyre
◆◆ Ross McKennan
◆◆ Anonymous (16)
◆◆
◆◆
Thank you to the following people who
have kindly donated to Black Swan’s giving
program Encore! to support the 2012 season.
Encore! $10,000 and above
◆◆ Copyright Agency Cultural Fund
◆◆ Janet Holmes à Court AC
◆◆ McCusker Charitable Foundation
◆◆ NRW
◆◆ The Stan Perron Charitable Trust
◆◆ Sam & Leanne Walsh
◆◆ Seven West Media
◆◆ In memory of Bern Ranford
Opening Act $2,500
◆◆ Rick Crabb
◆◆ Andrew Crocker & Dianne Sunderman
◆◆ Paul Mar
◆◆ Walter Millsteed
◆◆ Anonymous (3)
First Call $1,000 to $2,499
◆◆ Shane Colquhoun & Leigh Cathcart
◆◆ Trevor & Judy Eastwood
◆◆ Judy Evans
◆◆ Mary Ellen MacDonald
◆◆ Kevin Mattaboni & John Foster
◆◆ Michael Murphy & Craig Merrey
◆◆ Andrée McIntyre
◆◆ Delys Newman
◆◆ Alan Robson
◆◆ Thurston Saulsman
◆◆ Linda Savage
◆◆ Elizabeth Townsend
◆◆ Anonymous (3)
Behind The Scenes $500 to $999
◆◆ Keith & Frauke Chambers
◆◆ Peter & Lesley Davies
◆◆ Peter & Benita Dowding
◆◆ Kaye Dransfield
◆◆ Eugene Guidry
◆◆ Nancy Hackett
◆◆ Tania Hudson
◆◆ Nicola Iffla
◆◆ Gordon & Nena Johnston
◆◆ Francis Landels
◆◆ Fred & Berryl Lawrence
◆◆ Gary Marsh
◆◆ Linda Matthews
◆◆ Graeme Murphy
◆◆ Bradley Van Luxemborg
◆◆ Peter Watson
◆◆ Anonymous (2)
To become part of Encore! please visit
our website at www.bsstc.com.au
T
A
I
VE
E
R
C
CO CONUTS
Private Giving 2012
Bequests
Leaving a bequest marks your
meaningful bond with the theatre, and
your belief in the future of Western
Australian art and culture. Your bequest
is a truly enduring way to ensure
that younger generations are able to
experience and enjoy the thrill of stage
performance.
Playing your part
If you are interested in supporting Black
Swan, please contact our Philanthropy
Manager, Andree McIntyre on
[email protected] or (08) 6212 9300.
Donations are tax deductible and you
can remain anonymous and/or keep
your gift amount undisclosed.
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cockta
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n
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r
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...A
Getting To Know
Your State Theatre Centre!
Start Exploring Your State Theatre Centre!
The State Theatre Centre of Western Australia is an architectural delight located in
the heart of Perth. It’s a fairly new complex so we thought we’d provide you with some
information to become better acquainted with the venue.
Box Office
The State Theatre Centre is also a ticketing outlet. The box office is located on the
ground floor and is open from 10am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday and closed on Saturday
and Sunday, except on performance days. The box office is also open one hour prior to
performances for collection of pre-purchased tickets.
Eating and Drinking at the State Theatre Centre
The Centre features a number of licensed bar and function facilities. The Heath Ledger
Theatre has two bars, the Heath Ledger Theatre Main Bar and the smaller D-Bar. The
Studio Underground features one bar. Bars open one hour before, during interval and
after each major performance.
To save time and skip the queues, you can pre-order your interval drinks before the
show so you can relax and enjoy the whole interval. If you’re feeling a little peckish, you
can also pre-order a wine and cheese plate package at just $18 to enjoy at interval or
post-show. To pre-order interval drinks or a wine and cheese plate package, ask any of
the Centre’s bar staff prior to the performance for that evening’s performance.
Accessibility
Black Swan and the State Theatre
Centre welcome disabled patrons.
We offer:
◆an infrared hearing system
for deaf and hearing
impaired patrons
◆an Audio Description Service for blind or vision impaired patrons
◆Captioned Performances for patrons with hearing impairments
Please inform box office staff
at the time of booking if you
require any assistance or have
special requirements.
Getting To and From the Venue
Taxis
Pick up and set down only points are available outside the State Theatre Centre on William Street.
This area is also classed as a Taxi Zone when not being used for parking.
If you would like to have a taxi pre-ordered for you, please contact the Front of House Manager
before or after the performance.
Parking
Venues with a difference
There are three City of Perth parking locations in close proximity to The Centre.
◆State Library Car Park, 15 Francis Street (7 ACROD bays)
◆The Cultural Centre Car Park, 2 Roe Street ( 4 ACROD bays)
◆Roe Street Car Park, 68 Roe Street (5 ACROD bays)
Rail and Bus
The Centre is directly opposite the Perth train station and Transperth's Blue CAT buses travel
frequently from the CBD to Northbridge.
For the most up to date information on the State Theatre Centre, go to:
www.statetheatrecentrewa.com.au or www.bsstc.com.au.
HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE PERTH CONCERT HALL
STATE THEATRE CENTRE OF WA SUBIACO ARTS CENTRE
ALBANY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE
24
Functions & Catering (08) 9231 9941 | creatingevents.com.au ...Creating events with style
25
A cracking comedy
about football
and designer
dresses
Black Swan State Theatre Company and
queensland Theatre Company present
david
williamson
BY
from
unTi l
NOV
DEC
Greed, betrayal and
survival in the fight for
pearling fortunes
10 02
2013 is
Coming!
State Theatre Centre of WA
Featuring
John Batchelor, Timothy Dashwood, Claire Lovering, Anna McGahan, Greg McNeill
Director
Wesley Enoch
Set & Costume
Designer
Lighting
Designer
Sound
Designer
Richard Roberts
Trent Suidgeest
Tony Brumpton
Subscriptions open Tuesday 25th September!
Request a brochure by phone on (08) 6212 9300,
online at www.bsstc.com.au or pick one up in the
State Theatre Centre box office and foyers.
AV Designer
Declan
McMonagle
www.bsstc.com.au
Book @ BOCS 9484 1133 or www.bocsticketing.com.au
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print media Partner
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are
tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
cast Partner
associate Partner
production Partner
Principal Partner
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Wardrobe Manager
Trustee/Director General
Lynn Ferguson
Department of Culture
and the Arts
Allanah Lucas
Head Cutter
Mandy Elmitt
General Manager
Alan Ferris
Finance Manager
Amanda Luke
PO Box 337
Northbridge WA 6865
Telephone
(08) 6212 9300
Fax
(08) 6212 9318
Email
Finance & Administration Officer
AEG Ogden (Perth) Pty Ltd
Kelly Slater
Chief Executive
Ticketing & Administration Officer
Rodney M Phillips
Sandi Buckley
Education & Community
Access Manager
Alena Tompkins
State Theatre Centre of
Western Australia
[email protected]
Project Coordinator
Web
www.bsstc.com.au
Facebook
Black Swan State
Theatre Company
twitter
Lisa McCready
Philanthropy Manager
Andree McIntyre
General Manager
Philanthropy Coordinator
Jordan Nix
Deputy General Manager
@BlackSwanSTC
Marketing & Sponsorship Manager
Founding Patron
Nancy Hackett
Janet Holmes à Court AC
Patron
Sally Burton
Chair
Brendon Ellmer
Alice Jorgensen
Technical Manager
Marketing Coordinator
Kerry Miller
Graham Piper
Operations Manager
Marketing & Sponsorship
Lorraine Rice
Coordinator
Venue Technician
Sam Walsh AO
Shona Saxton
Chris Hastie
Deputy Chairs
Photographer
Head Flyman
Andrew Drayton & Kate O’Hara
Treasurer
Craig Yaxley
Directors
Alan Cransberg, Rob McKenzie,
Vicki Robinson, Linda Savage
Artistic Director
Kate Cherry
Boyd Midgely
Gary Marsh
Head of Audio
Cover Image
Tim Collins
Robert Frith
Overseas Representatives:
London Diana Franklin
and Yolande Bird,
New York Stuart Thompson
General Manager
Shane Colquhoun
Production Manager
Garry Ferguson
The State Theatre Centre of WA is
Production Assistant
Eugene Hallen
Assistant Stage Manager
managed by AEG Ogden (Perth) Pty Ltd
Venue Manager for the Perth Theatre
Trust Venues
Head Mechanist
Matt Norman
ipads, ipods, cameras and other
recording devices are strictly forbidden.
During programmed captioned
performances the use of handheld
captioning devices supplied by the
STCWA are permitted. Patrons are
requested to switch off mobile phones
and watches with digital alarms prior
to commencement of the performance.
Latecomers may not be given access to
the auditorium until there is a convenient
break in the program. Smoking is not
permitted.
Erin Coubrough
Artistic Coordinator
Chantelle Iemma
Artistic Associate
Damon Lockwood
Literary Adviser
Polly Low
Perth Theatre Trust
Chairman
Dr Saliba Sassine
Trustees
Jim Adamos, Rob Butler, Helen
Cook, Janet Davidson, Max Kay AM
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Change of Artist
Black Swan reserves the right to
withdraw or substitute artists as
necessary.
Privacy Policy
Black Swan respects the privacy of
individuals in accordance with the
Privacy Act.
In 2012 the Artistic Company includes:
The White Divers
of Broome
Featuring
Caitlin Beresford-Ord,
Nick Candy, Adriane Daff,
Kylie Farmer [Kaarljilba
Kaardn], Michelle
Fornasier, Stuart Halusz,
Sean Hawkins, Yutaka
Izumihara, Miyuki Lotz,
Kenneth Moraleda, Jo
Morris, Greg McNeill, Tom
O’Sullivan, Ian Toyne Arcadia
Featuring
Benj D'Addario, Adriane
Daff, Rebecca Davis,
Brendan Hanson, Kirsty
Hillhouse, Nick Maclaine,
Andrew McFarlane,
William McNeill, Edgar
Metcalfe AM CitWA,
Whitney Richards, Scott
Sheridan, Steve Turner.
Director
Kate Cherry
Director
Kate Cherry
Set & Costume
Designer
Alicia Clements
Assistant Director
Damon Lockwood
Lighting Designer
Trent Suidgeest
Set Designer
Bruce McKinven
Composer
Ash Gibson Greig
Costume Designer
Alicia Clements
Movement Director
Lisa Scott-Murphy
Lighting Designer
Trent Suidgeest
Andy Fraser
Fight Director
Sound Designer/
Audio Operator
Ben Collins
Accent Coach
Jenny Davis
Movement Director
Claudia Alessi
Fight Director
Andy Fraser
Accent Coach
Jenny Davis
Stage Manager
Jodie Roche
Assistant Stage
Manager
Erin Coubrough
Rehearsal Stage
Manager
Anna Dymitr Hawkes
Production Stage
Manager
Erin Coubrough
Cutter/Maker
Allan Brown
Tailor
Cathryn Ashton
Wardrobe Assistant
& Dresser
Gail Reading
Sound Designer/
Composer
Ben Collins
Sound Designer/
Composer
Ben Collins
Stage Manager
Anna Dymitr Hawkes
Stage Manager
Jennifer Poh
Assistant Stage
Managers
Erin Coubrough &
Whitney Richards
Assistant Stage
Manager
Natasha Deacon
Wardrobe
Maintenance
Kristy Armstrong
Set Construction
Artsworkshop
Signs of Life
Featuring
Tom E. Lewis, Helen
Morse, George Shevtsov,
Pauline Whyman
Director
Kate Cherry
Set & Costume
Designer
Zoe Atkinson
Lighting Designer
Jon Buswell
SoundDesigner/
Composer
Ben Collins
Director
Wesley Enoch
Set & Costume
Designer
Richard Roberts
Lighting Designer
Trent Suidgeest
Sound Designer
Tony Brumpton
AV Designer
Declan McMonagle
Stage Manager
Jodie Roche
Company Tour
Manager
Jenna Boston
Tour Mechanist/Audio
Rohan Best
Dresser
Sofie Mather
Tour Mechanist/
Driver
Kim Westbrook
Wardrobe Assistant
Gail Reading
Mechanists
Rohin Best &
Emma Flavell
Wardrobe Assistant
Kristy Armstrong
DRESSER
Sofie Mather
Set Construction
Artsworkshop
Set Construction
Artsworkshop
Boy Gets Girl
Featuring
James Bell, Julia Blake,
Grant Cartwright,
Michelle Fornasier, Stuart
Halusz, Polly Low
Featuring
James Hagan, Ben
O'Toole, Myles Pollard,
Whitney Richards, Helen
Searle, Steve Turner,
Alison van Reeken
Director
Aidan Fennessy
Director
Adam Mitchell
STAGE MANAGEMENT
SECONDMENT (WAAPA)
Jaymii Knierum
Set & Costume
Designer
Christina Smith
Set & Costume
Designer
Fiona Bruce
Set Construction
Artsworkshop
Lighting Designer
Trent Suidgeest
Lighting Designer
Trent Suidgeest
SET DESIGN
SECONDMENT
Ruth Levi
Featuring
John Batchelor, Timothy
Dashwood, Claire
Lovering, Anna McGahan,
Greg McNeill
Rehearsal Assistant
Stage Manager
Louise Wardle
Wardrobe Assistant
& Dresser
Danielle Miller
Rigger
Paul Rigby
Managing Carmen
Assistant AV Designer
Tim Roane
Wardrobe Assistant
Kristy Armstrong
National Interest
Set Construction
Artsworkshop
Stage Manager
Erin Coubrough
Cutter/Maker
Allan Brown
Mechanists
Rohin Best, Alon Jones,
Warwick Doddrell &
Emma Flavell
Head Mechanist
Rohin Best
Assistant Stage
Manager
Genevieve Jones
Design Assistant
Isobel Hutton
Young Writers'
Program
Adam Mitchell (Director)
Gita Bezard
Sandi Buckley
Nate Doherty
Alexander Fisher
Chris Isaacs
Steve McCall
Jess Messenger
Nathanial Moncrief
Jordan Nix
Jane Rait
Demelza Rogers
Production
Kim Westbrook (Driver)
Artsworkshop
Ian Parsons (Director)
Rod Jones (Director)
Les Hickford
Alison Little
Marek Szyler
Black Swan State Theatre Company gratefully
acknowledges the support of our partners:
Principal Partner
Government PartnersRegional Partners
Black Swan State Theatre Company is
assisted by the Australian Government
through the Australia Council, its arts
funding and advisory body.
Staging PartnerCast PartnerProduction Partners
the white divers of broome
Arcadia
signs of life
managing carmen
Associate PartnersAssociate and Regional Partner Associate Partners
the white divers of broome
Arcadia
national interest
signs of life
boy gets girl
managing carmen
Season Partners
See the
energy.
Education PartnerResearch PartnerMedia PartnerPrint Media PartnerTechnology Partner
Foundation Partners
McCusker Charitable Foundation
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Hospitality Partner
48 nearly 7,700 hours
actors will rehearse
COSTU ME FITTINGS
W I L L B E R EQ U I R E D
1,500
OVER
STAGE LIGHTS
WILL DAZZLE
THE AUDIENCE
113
T H E C U R TA I N W I L L R I S E
136 126
TIMES TO MORE THAN
50,000
PATRO NS
COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTRES ACROSS
WESTERN AUSTRALIA WILL RECEIVE A
BROADCAST
LIVE
FROM THE STATE THEATRE CENTRE
365 DAYS
ALL THIS IN LESS THAN
MADE POSSIBLE WITH
THE SUPPORT OF
1
PRINCIPAL
PARTNER
RIO TINTO
PRIN C IPAL
PART N ER