file - Arena Theatre Company

MOTH
Prepared by Meg Upton
Education noteS
2012
Arena Theatre Company
+61 3 9329 6266
www.arenatheatre.com.au
[email protected]
cOnTenTs
2
Contents and credits
3.
About these notes
4.
Curriculum links
5.
About Arena Theatre Company
7.
Synopsis of the play
8.
Pre-show activities
14.
Post-show activities
23.
Stagecraft
25.
Themes
29.
Further activities
31.
Further resources
37.
Touring schedule
38.
Acknowledgements
Credits
Writer Declan Greene
Director Chris Kohn
Cast
2010 Dylan Young as Sebastian &
Sarah Ogden as Claryssa
2011 Thomas Conroy as Sebastian &
Sarah Ogden as Claryssa
2012 Thomas Conroy as Sebastian &
Emily Goddard as Claryssa
Remount Director (2012) Susie Dee
Designer Jonathon Oxlade
Lighting Designer Rachel Burke
Composer Jethro Woodward
Dramaturge Maryanne Lynch
Video Design 21-19 / DomenicoBartolo
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About these notes
Welcome to the third season of Moth, touring Victoria during July - September, 2012. These notes have
been developed for both students and teachers to support the study of the live theatre production of
Moth and also to extend beyond the plot to the broader themes and ideas expressed in the play. Moth
is a challenging and provocative play created for students in the later years of secondary schooling
– Years 10 to 12. The production is also quite non-naturalistic in style so Arena Theatre Company
recommends that students and teachers do some preparation before they see a performance.
Inside these notes, students and teachers will find a range of activities and questions to consider in
order to prepare to see the show, as well as post show activities and discussion questions that will
allow students and teachers to explore the theatrical form of the play.The activities can be used as
written or they can be adapted to suit the needs of a particular school or student group. It is not
anticipated that all activities will be used. Instead it is recommended that teachers read all of the
activities and then select those that they consider best suit the needs of their students at this time.
For students specifically studying Theatre Studies Unit 4, the notes include a more focused exploration
of the production in order to address the Key Knowledge and Key Skills for Outcome 3, Performance
Analysis.
About the writer
Moth Education Notes have been compiled by Meg Upton.
Meg is a drama and theatre educator who currently works as an arts consultant in education and
industry settings. She was Education Manager at Playbox/Malthouse Theatre for eight years, and
has consulted and worked with companies such as Melbourne Theatre Company, the Victorian
College of the Arts, Uncle Semolina & Friends, Kage Physical Theatre, Arena Theatre Company,
Machinations Ensemble, Geelong Performing Arts Centre, Victorian Opera, and RealTV.
Meg also lectures in drama education at Deakin University. She was a senior research assistant on
the national ARC project TheatreSpace– Accessing the Cultural Conversation (a significant project
that explored theatre and young audiences). Meg is deeply committed to mentoring young and
emerging arts and is on the Board of Platform Youth Theatre and, more recently, the national Board
of YPAA (Young People and the Arts Australia). Meg is also a member of the Executive for the
Drama Victoria Committee of Management. She works regularly with the VCAA on curriculum and
assessment and has written articles for a range of publications including Mask for Drama Victoria,
Kinesis for Ausdance, NJ (Drama Australia) and Lowdown (YPAA) and regularly presents at local
and national conferences.
Meg is currently completing a PhD at the University of Melbourne investigating the role of live theatre performance analysis.
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Curriculum Links
The following curriculum links may be considered appropriate or relevant:
VICTORIA: Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) – Level 6 STRAND
DOMAIN
DIMENSION
Physical, Personal & Social Heath Education
Health knowledge and promotion
Learning
Interpersonal Development
Building social relationships
Personal Learning
Community engagement
Discipline Based Learning The Arts – Drama
Creating and Making & Exploring
& Responding
English
Writing, speaking and listening
Interdisciplinary Based
Thinking Processes
Reasoning, processing and inquiry
Learning
Creativity
Reflection and evaluation
Designing and producing
Design, Creativity &
Listening, viewing and responding
Technology
ICT for visual thinking and creating
Communication
ICT
VICTORIA: Victorian Certificate of Education - Drama and Theatre Studies
DRAMA
AREA OF STUDY
OUTCOME
Unit 2 – Creating Australian Analysing Australian drama
Outcome 4 - written analysis
Drama
performance
Theatre Studies
Unit 2 – Theatrical styles of
the Modern Era
Unit 4 – Performance
Interpretation
Analysing a play in
performance
Performance Analysis
4
Outcome 3 - essay, analytical
exercise, oral presentation
Outcome 3 – analysis and
evaluation of acting in a production
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About Arena Theatre Company
Arena Theatre Company’s mission is to create inspiring live performances that have a genuine
dialogue with young audiences. Established in 1966, the Company is one of Australia’s longest
running producers of theatre for young people aged 5 to 25 years. Arena is based in Melbourne,
Victoria, and each year tours its work regionally and nationally. Internationally, the company has
toured to the United Kingdom, Asia, North America and New Zealand and embarked on international
collaborations with companies in Manchester and Tokyo. Arena productions are an investigation and
celebration of the reality of its young audiences: diverse, complex, self-defining and ever-changing.
Under the artistic leadership of Chris Kohn, the Company’s work fulfills the promise of live theatre,
fostering experiences that are surprising, fertile, explosive, dangerous and inspiring; generating
extraordinary spaces brimming with truth and lies, where contemporary human experiences can be
uniquely expressed, felt and reinvented.
The philosophy which drives Arena’s work is founded on respect – a vision in which theatre for young
audiences is not viewed merely as a form of education, preparation for adulthood, or an opportunity
for audience development. Arena acts on the belief that theatre for young people is first and foremost
a vital and evolving art form capable of engendering unique and transformative experiences for its
audiences in the here and now.
STAFF
Chris Kohn – Artistic Director
Erin Milne – General Manager
Christian Leavesley – Artistic Associate
Annette Vieusseux – Program Producer
Emily Hollosy – Program and Communications Coordinator
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Get involved
FEEDBACK
Arena Theatre Company would like to know how students have responded to the production of
‘Moth’ and how teachers have responded to the activities contained in these education notes.
Feel free to email Arena on [email protected]
WORK EXPERIENCE / INTERNSHIPS
Each year Arena offers several voluntary positions to secondary and tertiary students seeking work
experience in the performing arts.
Secondary school students can expect to experience the administrative aspects of arts management, as well as to observe the creative process of new work being developed in the rehearsal
room. Students are also encouraged to assist with the technical side of productions, either in rehearsal or in the theatre.
Tertiary students are expected to have a more hands on role in arts administration and/or production. Arena welcomes tertiary students wanting to use their experience at Arena for practical assignments or case studies. Arena operates at a fast pace, so we like people to be able to take initiative and think on their feet.
Arena receives over 70 applications each year for work experience and secondments. To be eligible, student must complete an application, found on our website: www.arenatheatre.com.au
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Synopsis of the play
A martyred saint. A talking moth. A mission to redeem our sins. Sebastian is a terminally
unpopular fifteen-year-old suburban kid, with an overactive imagination and an obsession with
anime and death. His only friend Claryssa is an emo Wiccan art-freak barely one rung higher than
Sebastian on the social ladder.
What starts as just another night drinking down at the cricket nets, soon gives way to an ecstatic
vision that leaves Sebastian unconscious and Claryssa missing without explanation. The next
morning, he wakes up with a mysterious moth in a jar by his bed, a burning passion to save the
souls of all humankind and a desperate need to reach Claryssa. Sebastian spirals into a breathless
ride of schizophrenic delusion and religious passion, living life at a feverish pitch that can only
lead to tragedy.
Mental illness. Religious zeal. Love. This is a highly charged, rapid-fire, funny and moving
production.
First produced in 2010, Moth is writer Declan Greene’s first commission for Arena, bringing
together his unique, incisive voice with director Chris Kohn and designer Jonathon Oxlade to
create a thrilling work for audiences aged 15 years and over.
WATCH THE INTRODUCTORY VIDEO AT: http://www.arenatheatre.com.au/show/moth
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Pre-show activities
1. WHAT DO YOU ALREADY KNOW ABOUT LIVE THEATRE?
(Texts / Drama – analysis and evaluation)
For some students this may be their first theatre experience, for others it will be one of many.
Think about what you already know about live theatre performance and what you have already
seen.
Now read the following vision statement by Arena Theatre Company:
Arena believes that the exchange that occurs between performer and audience in a live theatre
event is unique and powerful. In a world in which interpersonal relations and exchanges of meaning are increasingly mediated through electronic means, the immediacy of the performer-audience
relationship has developed an increasingly special power. Arena is dedicated to tapping the potential of this shift by creating dynamic and unforgettable live theatre experiences for young people.
• Having read the above statement about Arena Theatre Company, discuss with your peers what
you imagine they mean by - unique, powerful, dynamic and unforgettable.
• Have you ever been to an event that you feel was like this?
• In class make a list of the types of theatre performances that have been seen – musicals, comedy shows, straight dramas etc.
• Discuss what Arena Theatre Company might mean by – ‘the immediacy of the performer-audience relationship’.
2. EMO & WICCAN CULTURE
(Physical, Personal & Social Learning)
In Moth Claryssa is described by others as an EMO and identifies as a WICCAN.
DISCUSS:
• What is your understanding of what an EMO might be?
• What is your understanding of what a WICCAN is?
• Where did both cultures originate?
• What might an EMO or a WICCAN look like?
• What type of music might they listen to?
• What might be the darker side of both EMO and WICCAN culture?
• Included in these notes in the resources section at the end is some introductory information
about WICCAN culture.
3. PRODUCTION – Costume and make-up design
(NB: costume design silhouette in Further Resources)
(Theatre Studies – Unit 2, Drama – Unit 2)
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For this activity you are asked to design the costume that Claryssa would wear.
You can research Emo/Wiccan culture and clothing before you complete this task.
• Include in the design – sketches using the provided silhouette, the chosen colour palette (you
can use fabrics or shade these), accessories, makeup.
• Remember that you are designing for the stage and that the costume needs to be practical as
well as reflect the aesthetic of Emo / Wiccan culture.
• Complete the task by writing a short explanation of your interpretation and presenting it to your
peers with the costume design, rather like a designer would at the design briefing for a new
show.
OTHER SUB-GROUPS
• What do you imagine Claryssa might find interesting and attractive about the Wicca?
• Why do you think people align themselves with particular sub-groups?
• What other sub groups exist at school, in the community?
• Write a list of the sub-groups that are present in your school, eg. drama nerds, jocks.
• Do you align with a particular sub-group? Why?
4. THE STRUCTURE & WORLD OF THE PLAY
– things to consider and understand
Moth is a written script that is presented as a series of longer and shorter scenes. Two actors play
two characters, Sebastian and Claryssa. They then play a number of other roles within the world of
the play.
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The writer notes below from Draft 4 of the script, 2010:
Setting:
The play is set within the two characters’ separate memories of a specific timeframe.
Both Sebastian and Claryssa help enact each other’s recollections.
Notes:
When Sebastian or Claryssa play another character – or each other – it is not the actor
assuming a different role. Their portrayal is very subjective: very much mediated by their
opinion of that person at that time. An integral part of the friendship between Sebastian
and Claryssa is their love of mocking the people around them, so this should be taken
into consideration when they play another character.
Moth is an Australian contemporary play and there are many clues in the dialogue and language
that locate it. Playwright Declan Greene says of the development of the script, When we were
developing it in the school, it was really just about getting the language right and making sure that
these were characters and scenarios and provocations that teenagers actually found interesting.
The structure of the play also plays with time and memory. Director Chris Kohn in describing the
story of the production says, As the play develops, the audience is increasingly put in a position
where it is not clear what is real and what is the product of Sebastian’s delusion. This is not a linear
narrative. The story is told in the present and the past with sub-plots or side issues enacted to explain motivations and actions.
The director talks about the action happening in a type of ‘non-space’:
The audience meets Sebastian and Claryssa, two 15 year olds, in a kind of ‘non-space’ – where
they are reflecting back on and attempting to accurately recall a sequence of events in which they
were involved. It is clear that something traumatic has occurred, and that Claryssa has insight into
it, but Sebastian does not. This theatrical ‘non-space’ is one to which they periodically return – it
provides a frame for the storytelling and an outside perspective for the characters. – Drama Victoria
Conference 2010 presentation.
Dramaturge, Maryanne Lynch, says:
We are inside the world of two self-styled misfits in an Australian urban landscape, actually two
worlds, which sometimes merge and at other times are at odds. And surrounding both is a metaworld, where Sebastian and Claryssa can talk, remember and find a way to move on from what has
befallen them.
DISCUSSION
Discuss the writer, director’s and dramaturge’s perspectives on the world of the play.
• Make some notes about key ideas that these perspectives present about the play
• What are the key or stand-out words and phrases that the creative team uses?
• To assist you in understanding the ‘non-space’ or ‘merging worlds’ consider other theatre you
have seen where there have been co-existing or merging worlds
• As a reference, consider the film Inception and the way it played with reality and perspective
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• While Moth is not Inception, it may be helpful to remember that sometimes things may not
make sense until we have arrived at the final scene.
People tend to inhabit or live in a range of different ‘worlds’. What are the various worlds that you
might inhabit across your day? Eg – home, school, with certain friends, on public transport, on
Facebook, on your phone etc.
• Describe them – sounds, physical objects, co-inhabitants, colours, textures
• Do you keep your worlds separate?
• What happens when they collide?
5. The DEVELOPMENT OF MOTH
(Theatre Studies/Drama/English– writing, researching, dramaturgy)
DEVELOPMENT
The dramaturgy and development of Moth:
Moth had already gone through at least one, perhaps two drafts, and a week’s workshop with
actors, before I came on board. Even so the next three drafts have been a process of helping the
writer and director make more discoveries about the piece—what shape it should have, what’s
missing or too present in the characters, whether the language of the text and of characters within
it feels right, and even what the piece is all about. It’s amazing how a work constantly reveals itself
to you across drafts, rehearsals and production. – Maryanne Lynch, Dramaturge
Wait! What’s a dramaturge?
Maryanne Lynch says, As a dramaturge I may begin with a conversation with a director, a writer, a
team of collaborators; I may receive a first-draft script or initial idea; I may be invited into a project
when it has already been some time in the making. The key element in any and all processes is to
assist, enhance and extend the artistic idea into its fullest realisation. So at times I suggest a form
that hasn’t been discovered, or point out what I find confusing in the storyline and what this is or
isn’t revealing of the deeper intentions of the work. Or perhaps it’s about nutting out the themes, or
the characters, or the style.
The development of Moth… A director’s view: Chris Kohn
The development process involved three separate weeks with different actors each time. We deliberately did this to get a range of perspectives and approaches. We also worked with a class of Year
12s at Buckley Park Secondary College. We showed them some scenes, talked about the characters
and the world of the play and invited them to give feed back. We were keen to get responses to
such things as the authenticity of the language and the characters, their interest in what happens,
and the ending. We also had a work experience student and her friend to respond to the work, and
they are very close to the ages of the characters.
DISCUSS:
• What do you think about the idea of creating a play like Moth?
• Why a play and not a novel or a film do you think?
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• Why do you think that a script might need to be changed when it begins to be acted out?
• Why do you think it is important to a company like Arena Theatre Company to have feedback
from its audience?
• Based on what you know so far, what feedback might you give them about the idea for the play?
6. A VISION FOR THE WORK
A WRITER’S PERSPECTIVE – Declan Greene
And it’s... it is an extreme situation, it’s something that’s presented as an extreme
situation, but I think that it’s also, you know, it’s a play about two young people
who are mercilessly victimised at school, and it’s, if anything – I don’t like the idea
of looking at it as a parable or as a play with meaning or any grand... that’s articulating any grand truth or anything – but it’s just a kind of... on a very basic level it’s
a play about what happens to people when they are subject to that kind of constant pressure and resistance and victimisation and persecution over a prolonged
amount of time. – Declan Greene, Playwright, Radio National, August 2011
A DIRECTOR’S VISION - Chris Kohn
‘Moth’ is a very text-based and actor-driven show, so not a show where in rehearsal I might say ‘this
is going to be it’. The design facilitates the performance and the acting. There are three panels of
felt that act as a triptych, inspired by traditional religious triptychs in churches. The three panels
create three spaces, which means that there are more spatial dynamics and possibilities. I like to
think of ‘Moth’ as being a short sharp intense piece for a teenage audience. It plays with memory
and the past and I hope that a young audience will like that.
RESEARCH AND DISCUSS:
Religious references:
In Moth, Sebastian receives a visitation from St. Sebastian.
• Who is St. Sebastian? How did he become a saint?
• Do some research and find out if there is any link to
the content of the play (except for the character’s
name!)
• What is religious zealotry?
Research what a triptych is and what its purpose was.
• When you see the production, focus on how the
idea fits into the production – design-wise and also
theme-wise in terms of the visitation of St. Sebastian.
• Do you understand how the three spaces work?
• Do they create different areas or ‘worlds’ as discussed above by the creative team?
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A Parable is a short tale that illustrates universal truth, one of the simplest of narratives. It sketches
a setting, describes an action, and shows the results. It often involves a character facing a moral
dilemma, or making a questionable decision and then suffering the consequences. Though the
meaning of a parable is often not explicitly stated, the meaning is not usually intended be hidden
or secret but on the contrary quite straightforward and obvious.– adapted from Wikipedia (http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable)
The playwright, Declan Greene, mentions the world parable above. It may be worthwhile revisiting
this definition after you have seen the performance. Is the play a modern parable? What universal
truths might it be examining?
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Post-show activities
It’s a contemporary setting. It’s a story that could happen, could have happened. You know, is happening right now as we speak. It’s not a historical story and it’s personal as well. The politics are
played out on a personal level. Whether it’s between the two younger characters or the, or other
characters, like the parents or teachers. – Director Chris Kohn, 2010
This aspect of the education notes focuses specifically on the production in relation to:
THEATRE STUDIES UNIT 4, AREA OF STUDY 3: OUTCOME 3, Performance Analysis, Key Skills:
• Analyse the characters in the production including status, motivation and characteristics.
• Analyse and evaluate the interpretation of the characters by the actors – including acting skills,
use of focus and the acting space.
• Analyse use of verbal and non-verbal language to convey the intended meaning.
• Analyse application of stagecraft.
• Analyse the ways actors work within the theatrical styles utilized in the production.
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1. THE CHARACTERS in the PLAY
SEBASTIAN, 15 years old, an outsider
CLARYSSA, 15 years old, identifies as a WICCAN
OTHER CHARACTERS THAT APPEAR AS PLAYED BY CLARYSSA AND SEBASTIAN
MS. SWEENY, A religious education teacher
SEBASTIAN’S MOTHER
CLINTON, a bully, 16
PRIEST
MR PAGLOS, An art teacher
ST SEBASTIAN
WHAT THE ACTORS THINK ABOUT THEIR CHARACTERS:
Sebastian as played by Dylan Young, 2010 production
I love Sebastian’s mind and his humour, and I like his immaturity. His mind works in a quite mysterious and complex way. I also love his unpredictability. He’s not particularly nice but I think that
deep down he cares, particularly about his Mum. For Sebastian this is a moment in time when
he’s quite ill, has become anxious and self-involved and paranoid, and I think that’s quite a realistic
feature in such moments ie when you’re ill. It’s looking at a specific moment. He likes Claryssa, but
he doesn’t know any other way to treat a friend. He’s never had a chance. There are some echoes
that they have had a good relationship but now he’s a wreck, pushing everyone away, and pretty
manipulative. I think he’s reaching out but masks it with humour and sarcasm. His present state he
hasn’t got much of a hold on empathy though, except perhaps for his Mum.
Claryssa as played by Sarah Ogden, 2010/2011 production
I think that Claryssa is brave, bold, pretty moody, and isolated. She is outside the normal cliques.
She has no sense of humour! Claryssa is hiding from the world under her doona. She let herself be
vulnerable and has been slapped in the face so she becomes afraid; and wants to stay in bed until
the shit is over. I think she feels a bit superior to Sebastian and he pisses her off but they are both
on the outside, so they are sort of together by default. She wouldn’t identify herself with being an
emo. Others do but she doesn’t. She’s looking for something, and she really likes her art. Towards
the end she shuts down because Sebastian’s not around and she really needs someone to talk to.
DISCUSS
• Compare the playwright’s descriptions, with the actors’ descriptions and then again with the
actual characters you will see in the play.
• What does this tell you about interpretation and imaginative thinking?
READ
Below is an interview with Thomas Conroy who is playing the role of Sebastian in this season of
Moth. As you read the interview adopt two perspectives:
• The critical analyst – how the interview may inform your Unit 4, Outcome 3, performance analysis SAC.
• The actor in performance – how the interview may inform your own monologue work for Unit 4,
Outcome 1 or the performance examination.
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Thomas, how would you describe the character of ‘Sebastian’?
Chris Kohn, the director, once said in rehearsals last year that there is only one personal on a rung
lower on the school social ladder than Claryssa, and that’s Sebastian. He’s absolutely at the bottom
of the hierarchy. I think to some level he absolutely sees that, and acts in ways (especially when
dealing with Clinton) to try to be cooler in the eyes of the others. He also has a lot of coping mechanisms to escape from reality: annoying Claryssa and also his anime and manga. In terms of his emotional maturity he seems to be like a 12-year-old trapped in a 15-year-old’s body.
How do you prepare for a role? What research do you do? What do you bring with you to the rehearsal room?
I always start researching with things that come up in the script that I don’t know much about or
don’t really understand. I try to find things that can help me become immersed in the world of the
play and of the character. Sometimes this takes the form of music, books, movies, paintings, photos... I watched a lot of anime in the lead up to rehearsals for Moth. A lot. It really helped me to understand the way that Sebastian looks at the world, especially once he starts having visitations from
St. Sebastian. Before rehearsals began last year I tried to familiarise myself with the script as much
as possible. We only had 2 weeks rehearsal before opening, so I knew that I had to work hard to not
only remember the lines by the time we opened, but to feel that I had ownership over, and a deep
understanding about, the play and the character.
Was/has the character of Sebastian offered particular challenges as an actor?
I think that every actor relishes any opportunity to play a character that stretches them. This is
an amazingly high-energy show and requires both of us to be fully engaged from the moment the
lights go up until the final blackout. Physically and vocally, I get a huge workout over the course of
the play. . . I never knew that I could sweat so much!
What types of status games do you think Claryssa and Sebastian play?
The status games that are constantly played out by Claryssa and Sebastian form a huge part of
how they interact with each other. From the very first moment of the play, Sebastian attempts to
undermine Claryssa’s resolve to ignore him. He knows that she has a fear about him dying/choking to death so when she gains too much control over the situation he pretends to suffocate to get
her to talk to him/continue telling the story of how they got to be in the meta-theatrical landscape.
They both try to reinvent the past in order to humiliate or annoy the other one. Sometimes they do
this by mockingly representing another character, or changing the original dialogue to something
more hurtful. Ultimately, Claryssa holds the most power, and Sebastian knows this. She can control
whether Sebastian can find out what happens next in the journey.
How would you describe their relationship?
It’s a relationship based on need, rather than necessarily out of desire or a feeling of love or desire.
This is especially true in the school setting. Through the course of reliving the events leading up
to the final moment of the play, I think both characters (Sebastian especially, maybe) realise how
much the other one means to them. Both of them act in ways that are selfish and that hurt the other
person in a pretty huge way. Claryssa’s attempts to rewrite history when she tells Sebastian that
he rescues her from her cave in her room, and his statements of forgiveness, show an attempt from
both characters to reconcile their past actions and failures.
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Why is Sebastian an outsider?
It’s interesting that Declan Greene has created a character that’s not especially likeable. He’s one
of those kids who is easy to hate. I have the feeling that maybe his Mum is the only person who
ever unconditionally loved him. He’s strange, lost in his own world, and far too eager to ingratiate
himself with the cool kids. None of these characteristics make him someone that people want to
have around. Tied in with this is the presence of mental illness, probably existing to some extent for
some time. Adolescence isn’t really a time where difference is celebrated, unfortunately. There’s a
huge fear of being pushed to the outside, and can lead to picking on someone who’s an easy target:
someone like Sebastian.
How much does Sebastian’s mental illness motivate his actions?
Before rehearsal I did a lot of research about psychoses, schizophrenia and paranoia. However, in
the playing of Sebastian I don’t think about him as having a mental illness; for Sebastian what he’s
experiencing is absolutely real, and so then is his justification for how he acts. He absolutely believes that he has been given a mission of epic proportions, and has been let in on a secret about
an imminent apocalypse. The enormity of the task that he believes he has been given is overwhelming for him, and scary. He also doesn’t know who to trust anymore and how to get people to
believe him. Fear is a huge motivator for Sebastian, and is something that is incredibly common
among people experiencing a psychosis. His confusion about what’s going on and the gaps he has
in time from how he gets from one place to another, where he is or who other people are is another
big influence on how he acts.
What role does the ‘moth’ play in Sebastian’s journey?
Moths have been used symbolically in literature throughout history as a portent of doom. There
are moths flickering around the lights in the oval where Sebastian and Claryssa are ambushed by
Clinton and his cronies. The transformation of the moth into something more important for Sebastian occurs following the brutal attack, and after Claryssa abandons him. From that moment on, the
moth in the jar becomes, in a very real way, Sebastian’s sole confidante, secret-keeper, guide and
mission-maker. It serves as a reminder to him of the horror he feels when St. Sebastian explodes
into a choking swarm of moths. There’s a strong binary between a benevolent force watching over
him, and also a vengeful almighty being. The jar breaking signals the final step in Sebastian’s journey towards the oval, towards the end.
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READ:
The following interview was conducted with Emily Goddard who is
playing the role of Claryssa in this season of Moth. As students of
Theatre Studies focusing on the craft of acting, you may find some
of Emily’s responses very relevant and useful to you. Again wear two
hats as you read this:
• As a critical analyst of the production
• As an actor coming to a role for the first time.
Emily, when you first read the script for Moth what stood out for you as an actor?
When I first read the script I had to read it in stages, I was really hit with its intensity. It didn’t hold
back and that was exciting but also terrifying. But I found at the same time as being terrified I was
seduced by how poetic the writing and the pacing felt - though the subject matter was dark nothing seemed to jar. I think that is what first really interested me - how with the brutality, the harshness, the unrelenting darkness there is also a lot of beauty - through the honesty and the vulnerability of these two characters who do care about each other even though they have a messed up
way of showing it.
Have you seen a production of Moth and if so what are some thoughts you have about the ideas
and the story?
I wasn’t able to see either of Moth’s previous productions, though so many people I know and work
with have and many were profoundly moved by it. The ideas and the story bring light to so many
issues that are current in our lives today, and not just for young adults. The script seems unapologetic in how it deals with some of these darker issues and there is something refreshing about that
that audiences of all ages can connect with and respond to. Why should these issues be censored,
particularly for young audiences, when they are very real in our lives?
Emily, I am aware that you haven’t begun rehearsals yet, but what sort of research or preparation
would you normally do for a new role?
Research and preparation always vary depending on the role. I don’t have a ‘process’ that I stick to
and that is part of the joy of preparation too - always discovering a new way of playing detective
and putting the pieces of the puzzle together. Preparation is always very intuitive I think. I don’t
like to be rigid or too analytical especially at the beginning of the preparation process. I like to ask a
lot of questions and not hurry for answers. The answers always drop in over time. I think most discoveries happen on the floor working with other actors. I don’t believe I need to know my character’s favourite breakfast cereal or brew up my own personal pain to portray a certain emotion. I like
to imagine a lot, to watch people from similar worlds as my character, to research whatever I need
to understand their world, to read and reread the play, to play around in my house with costumes
and do whatever I need to ensure I am free and open in the rehearsal room.
The character of Claryssa is described by Sebastian as an Emo and she herself identifies as a Wiccan. What is your understanding of these sub-groups? How do you imagine this might impact on
your preparation?
My understanding at this stage is that Wicca is a religion, a spirituality, a belief system that involves a faith in a god and goddess and a strong connection to nature. I understand that it can
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often be closely associated with magic and witchcraft. ‘Emo’ seems to be a misrepresented subculture that derived from a music style and now holds a great deal of social stigma - closely related
to emotional, angsty and introverted young people and often associated with (and even blamed for)
depression, self-injury and suicide.
That Claryssa has been labelled as an Emo against her will and identifies as a Wiccan demonstrates
how she is misunderstood and typecast by those around her. Her interest and identification with
the Wiccan religion suggest to me a desire for faith and hope and also a need to belong to a belief
system that perhaps represents for her something with greater integrity than the world her peers
inhabit. All of this informs me about the kind of person Claryssa is and also how this may be different from how she is perceived. All this comes into play in terms of understanding how her character is to be portrayed.
The play will ask you to play to number of different roles. Have you played a role like this before?
What challenges do you think it might have?
I’ve played multiple roles in plays before but none with such quick and constant character changes.
I love that all of the other characters in Moth are Claryssa and Sebastian’s portrayals of them. They
have great pleasure in playing them - very similar to Bouffon who mock their tormentors. Perhaps
the challenges will lie in making all of these characters rich and layered enough to be beyond stereotypes and also clear enough to be understood when they are snapped in and out of so quickly.
NOW…see what you make of the following questions.
2. CHARACTERISATION - STATUS & MOTIVATION
What is a character’s status at any given time in a production? What motivates particular characters to act the way they do at any given time? Moth explores status and motivation very clearly
because we have time to really focus on the two key characters, Claryssa and Sebastian. Status
and motivation is evident in this play through the actions, reactions, and words of the characters.
Further, the actors use very particular expressive skills to clearly convey these aspects to an audience.
What do the actors think about Sebastian and Claryssa’s friendship or relationship?
They’re both quite imaginative, and they enjoy bitching about others. This gives them a false sense
of security. They play the game, the game of ragging on each other. They would never tell anyone
else that they are friends but it is a friendship or their version of friendship.
Let’s explore the status relationship between Claryssa and Sebastian, and you may also draw on
Thomas Conroy’s interview above in your discussion.
• Why do you think Claryssa and Sebastian argue and fight?
• How would you describe the status game that they play?
• When does Claryssa appear to have the higher status? When does Sebastian?
• Consider this in terms of the private conversations they have over parents, school and each
other.
• Consider also the status play when the bully, Clinton, comes along. Who has higher status and
how is this conveyed?
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• How does the script/dialogue support the status play?
Explore in detail the following motivational aspects of Claryssa and Sebastian
• What motivates Sebastian to behave and act as he does?
• How much does his mental illness contribute to his behavior?
• What motivates Claryssa to behave and act as she does? Why does she care about Sebastian?
• Does Sebastian bring about his own tragedy?
• Are Sebastian and Claryssa motivated by friendship?
3. ACTING SKILLS, FOCUS AND USE OF SPACE
Now it’s time to consider how the actors play their roles in order to convey the characters. In this
season of Moth, the character of Sebastian is played by Thomas Conroy, and the role of Claryssa
is played by Emily Goddard. Both actors remains on stage for the entire play and in this time they
play themselves and then invented versions of parents, teachers and other characters including
St. Sebastian. That two actors need to ‘carry’ the entire show means that acting, focus and use of
space become very important dramatic elements.
Acting skills include the use of voice, focus, facial expression, gesture, movement, language, stillness and use of space. Create a detailed character profile for both Claryssa and Sebastian including
age, characteristics, relationship to each other, to others, attitudes to teachers/parents. Remember
to consider how the playwright, director, and the actors talk about their characters as quoted in
these notes and any other research you may have done.
Recall a significant moment in the play. You may like to use the script excerpts at the end to remind
you of one moment. For example, when Claryssa adopts the role of St. Sebastian.
• How does the actor, Emily Goddard, use her voice to convey this role?
• How does her focus contribute to your belief in her character?
• How does her use of space, against the back drop, contribute to the conveying of the role?
Another example is Sebastian’s recollection of his dream while clutching the jar with the moth.
• How does the actor, Thomas Conroy, use his voice in this moment?
• How does his focus contribute to your belief in that moment?
• How does the actor use space to create that moment – generally on the floor?
Transformation of character/role – how is this achieved in the production? Do the characters
change costume? Do they attempt to look different? How do they manipulate expressive skills to
specifically portray other roles in the production? Do they completely change character or simply
role-play other people in their lives?
Now consider the actor/audience relationships that are established in Moth. Sometimes this will
be determined by the directorial decisions, the acting skills and also the performance space itself.
Moth was first performed in a small, intimate theatre and this year it is touring to different venues.
• Consider the performance space where you see the production.
• Describe the space eg. Proscenium-arch, end-on, thrust, black box, intimate/wide/long/large,
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how is the seating configured or arranged in relation to the performance space?
• How might this particular performance space have contributed to the development of an actor /
audience relationship?
• Describe how each of the actors used space, expressive skills, tension and timing in order to
create specific actor/audience relationships. For example: in the park when Clinton and his
gang attack; when Claryssa ‘channel’s’ St. Sebastian; when the two characters are on Facebook.
4. LANGUAGES: Verbal and non-verbal language
I was kind thinking about the relationship that young people have with text itself, how Facebook
and Facebook Chat and MSM and SMS are essentially just live text. You articulate and it gets sent
immediately. But there’s an interesting corollary here with mental illness, with states of psychosis,
where you are filtering some voices and letting others in. And that is something we were conscious
of doing with this play, providing an undefined wash of voices that the audience have to make their
own way through. - Declan Greene, TimeOut, 26 July, 2011
The use of language in Moth is very distinct and, as the playwright says above, there are a number
of languages used in the production including words, internet, and the more abstract languages of
sound and movement to convey meaning.
Discuss the use of verbal language in the play.
• What IMPACT did it have on you?
• Why do you think the characters spoke to each other in the way that they did?
• Does the language in the play sound authentic? I.e. do teenagers speak this way?
Discuss the use of non-verbal language in the play – this could include movement, stillness, facial
expression, the use of sound, physical expressions towards each other.
• Consider the image below and analyse what the body language/physicality/facial expression
of the character of Sebastian may be conveying in this moment.
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5. PERFORMANCE STYLES IN MOTH
Moth is a very contemporary piece of theatre. At times the dialogue and character interaction in
Moth is quite naturalistic, yet the performance styles are heightened and non-naturalistic. The
two characters inhabit their own worlds and while much of the dialogue is delivered towards the
audience, this is often for the purposes of creating imagined characters or referencing time and
location. In Moth, the fourth wall remains intact. What is interesting is how the triptych or three
panels/spaces, sometimes have walls between them and at other times, the characters traverse or
break these. The application of some of the stagecraft, particularly sound and lighting, is often very
striking and confronting evoking elements of Theatre of Cruelty. There are also moments of intense
humour, drama, pathos and sensitivity.
Theatre critic, Alison Croggon, describes the play as follows:
The story is told through enactments by Ogden and Young [Claryssa and Sebastian in first production] shifting between times and different subjective states in ways which recall the narrative of the
cult film Donnie Darko, and Greene exploits to the full his capacity to soar from vernacular speech
into pure poetry. – Theatre Notes, 2010
The designer and lighting designer describe the production in other ways:
Moth is about not giving away too much visually, leaving a little out for the audience to build their
own pictures. – Jonathan Oxlade, Designer
Moth presents an awkward world that is both unrecognisable and strangely familiar at the same
time. - Rachel Burke, Lighting Designer
Questions:
• What is familiar about the world of Claryssa and Sebastian? How does the theatrical style contribute to this familiarity? Consider use of language, interaction and props.
• What is unrecognisable about their world? What is strange? You may like to consider the comment above about ‘shifting between times and different subjective states.’
• Consider the use of TIME in this production – what is now, what is in the past, what is in the
future?
• The actors roleplay different characters in the production – teachers, parents, a priest, police –
how does the roleplay contribute to the non-naturalistic style of the production?
Characterisation and theatrical style:
• Consider the character of Claryssa in Moth. How does the actor, Emily Goddard, use naturalistic
elements in order to portray Claryssa?
• In contrast, the actor also plays St Sebastian during one of Sebastian’s visions. How does the
actor use a more abstract style to create this role? Consider voice, focus, space.
• How does the actor playing Sebastian, Thomas Conroy, create the caricature of Claryssa’s
mother? How does he adapt his voice and body in order to convey the role?
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Stagecraft
There is extensive use of stagecraft in Moth – set, lighting, and sound – and these elements contribute very strongly to the aesthetic, the story and the themes within the production.
1. SET DESIGN
Set Designer, Jonathan Oxlade says…
School, home, the oval and the cricket nets are all part of the Moth landscape, by using a simple
device of three separate drops we create a bit of space between characters and also some time
between moments. The drops are not representations of spaces but ‘feelings’ of spaces. The Tower
Theatre [where the first season was presented] is an intimate-sized theatre. The feeling world of
Moth is quite dusty and slightly claustrophobic, hopefully the intimacy of the space will add to this
‘feeling’.
• What might it mean to be claustrophobic? How does the set of Moth reflect this idea?
• What aspects of the set suggest the idea of ‘school’ and the everyday life of a student?
• How does the set design bend these ideas or possibly contort them for the purposes of telling
the story of Sebastian and Claryssa?
Now consider how the actors use the set design to create their different worlds of home, school, the
greater world.
• When do they occupy the same space? When do they use separate spaces?
• How does the spatial design contribute to the THEATRICAL STYLES of the production? For
example, the three panels? What is ABSTRACT about them?
Feelings of spaces – what do you think the designer, Jonathan Oxlade, means when he describes
the set design and the world of the play in this way? Consider this question with regard to how the
characters are feeling and how you felt as an audience at particular times.
• How might the grey cloth ‘feel’ as well?
• How important is texture to set design and the creation of meaning?
• How important is the colour palette to the creation of meaning?
PROPS – mainly consist of a back pack, drink bottles, and the jar with the moth in it.
• Consider the symbolism of these props to the characters and the story.
• Discuss how the minimal use of props contributed to the theatrical style of the production.
• Do you think there could have been more props? What type?
2. SOUND & MUSIC
There is a distinct sound design for Moth that includes abstract sound, sound effect and other effects that you may not even recall. There are no specific songs such as you might hear in a film.
Instead the sound is often harsh, and at other times reflects the fluttering of moths themselves.
• How does the sound design contribute to the development of particular MOODS in the production?
• How does the sound contribute to the passing back and forth of time?
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• What specific sounds do you recall? Why? How did they impact on you?
• You may like to focus on the very first moments that combine sound and lighting in a very striking manner.
3. LIGHTING
Lighting Designer, Rachel Burke, says:
Light is a transitory, ephemeral thing and is perfectly suited as a metaphorical medium to illuminate
the world of this play. Light feels like the third character in Moth, it is as defined and as present as
the characters of Sebastian and Claryssa.
The lighting in Moth is quite startling at times. It confronts and almost overwhelms, taking on a bit
of a life of its own.
• Choose two important moments in the play where the lighting made a big impression on you.
• Why do you remember these moments? What action was taking place?
• How did the lighting, the space and action come together at the one time to create these imporant moments?
• If you took one of the elements away, how would you imagine these moments?
4. PROJECTION
The projection elements were work-shopped with lighting and sound from the first meeting to
ensure that the images would be embedded in the world of the play. The colouring of the images
and the quality of the projector source were all important considerations from the outset. – Rachel
Burke, Lighting Designer
DISCUSS:
•
What projected images can you remember from the play?
•
Use the lighting questions above to explore this moment and the impact of the projection.
5. COSTUME AND MAKEUP
If you attempted the costume design activity offered earlier in these notes, then now could be a
time to compare how you imagined the costume that Claryssa would wear with the costume that
actor Emily Goddard wore.
• Discuss the specific use of makeup and costume with regard to the character of Claryssa
• How did it enhance her character?
• How did it impact on your response to her as a character?
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Themes
FRIENDSHIP:
Despite some resistance from both of them at different times, Sebastian and Claryssa are friends.
Their relationship is the driving factor in the play. Think about and then discuss some of the following aspects of their relationship as they occur in the play. What might they mean?
• Sebastian holding his breath
• Their insults to each other
• When Claryssa hits Sebastian
• The kiss on the football oval.
The following quotes have been extracted from the script and presented here in order for you to
explore some of the themes that are raised in the play.
[Note: the quotes below are from the performance script – April 2010]
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BULLYING
SEBASTIAN: And I go home. The house is all dark and the curtains are drawn so that’s a bad sign.
Mum’s in the dark sitting on a mountain of tissues. I try to sneak past but straight away she’s like CLARYSSA: “Sebastian?”
SEBASTIAN: “Yeah?”
CLARYSSA “What’s that smell?”
SEBASTIAN: “Tuna.”
CLARYSSA: “It’s all over you. Look.”
SEBASTIAN: “Yeah. I fell on it.”
CLARYSSA: “Oh. No-one did that on purpose did they?”
SEBASTIAN: “No way. As if.”
CLARYSSA: “Oh, thank god. Because I really don’t think I could handle that right now.”
•
•
•
•
From you understanding of the play, is Sebastian telling the truth?
What do you think about his mum’s response?
DISCUSS – bullying and its potential impact on individuals.
How is bullying dealt with in your school?
FRIENDSHIP
SEBASTIAN: “I feel sick.”
CLARYSSA: “Stop being a pussy. Drink.”
SEBASTIAN: We laugh − Claryssa giggles, drunk. It gets colder. It’s cold.
CLARYSSA: We get closer.
SEBASTIAN: Cos I’m cold.
CLARYSSA: Every time we laugh it echoes, right out into the dark.
SEBASTIAN: Then –
CLARYSSA: It’s empty.
SEBASTIAN: What?
CLARYSSA: The bottle’s empty.
SEBASTIAN: So?
She kisses him
• At this moment in the play the nature of the friendship changes
• Did this moment feel real?
• Can friendships do this and what might be the outcome?
MENTAL ILLNESS
SEBASTIAN: And this… This is when he appears.
– “Sebastian.”
Hanging in the light. A hundred feet tall. Bigger than I can even see. Plated in this, like, mechaarmour… Steam hissing out from the joints. He looks mostly android, I guess – but his chest is
open and there’s all these arrows, sticking out of the meat. A pair of lungs, filling with fluid. A heart
beating in hot blue flame.
I know his name.
– “Sebastian.”
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Same as my name.
– “My sweet child Sebastian.”
And I’ve never been so scared in my life.
- “Don’t be scared. I won’t harm you.”
• What do you think really happened to Sebastian at this moment?
• Discuss the depiction of schizophrenia in moth and the journey that it takes Sebastian on.
DEPRESSION
SEBASTIAN: “Claryssa. Your mother and I have had a very long discussion. And we’ve decided
fifteen is far too young to be living in a cave. Now, I think it would be best if you came out of there.”
CLARYSSA: “Sorry, Mr. Moon, but no way. I’m staying right here until I’m twenty-one.”
SEBASTIAN: “But that would be a terrible waste, my dear. Don’t you know these are the best years
of your life?”
CLARYSSA: “That’s bullshit.”
SEBASTIAN: “They speed by so fast and then they’re gone.”
CLARYSSA: “That’s total bullshit. These years aren’t fast, they’re slow. They’re so fucking slow.
Last night, Mr. Moon, I had this dream... I was deep-sea diver, in one of those old-fashioned metal
diving suits. I could hardly move, it was so heavy. But I fell, somehow. I fell on my back − and the
suit pinned me down. Down onto the sea floor. I couldn’t get up. So I just... I just lay there. Two
thousand tonnes of black water above me, the surface so far I couldn’t even see the light. And
when I woke up, it’s funny, but... The feeling was exactly the same. And I don’t know when it’ll end.
I mean... Am I ever going to get up?
•
•
•
•
How does Claryssa cope with the breakdown of her friendship with Sebastian?
What is her ‘cave’?
What would you advise Claryssa to do?
Thomas Conroy and Emily Goddard are playing teenagers, how much do you believe their portrayal?
• Is being a teenager the best years of your life?
HOPE
After Claryssa feels that Sebastian has let her down on the football field she refuses to talk to him.
She says to her father (Mr. Moon),
CLARYSSA: “He doesn’t care about me.”
SEBASTIAN: “He does, you know. In fact, he needs you. He needs you very much. And it’s not romantic, I know. But it’s still a kind of love, my dear.”
CLARYSSA: “Whatever.”
SEBASTIAN: “To need someone so badly you can’t live without them.”
CLARYSSA: “I can live without him.”
SEBASTIAN: “Claryssa, my dear. You’re in a cave.”
CLARYSSA: “He can live without me.”
SEBASTIAN: “For now, perhaps. But not much longer.”
CLARYSSA: “What?”
SEBASTIAN: “If you want my advice – you should answer the phone.”
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•
•
What does this excerpt from the play say about Claryssa and Sebastian’s friendship?
Do you think that this passage expresses some hope for both Claryssa and Sebastian?
FACEBOOK
CLARYSSA: When mum’s done yelling at me the first thing I do is log in to Facebook and change
my status. “…IS SUSPENDED AND LOVING IT.” I’m about to log-out when a note pops up
SEBASTIAN: “stop being a psycho. I need to talk to you”
CLARYSSA: And I click – DELETE.
SEBASTIAN: Oh my god − did you just de-friend me?
CLARYSSA: Your name drops off my contact list.
SEBASTIAN: Bitch.
CLARYSSA: It lands in my stomach with a sick little thud.
SEBASTIAN: Psycho. Bitch.
CLARYSSA: Straight away I regret it.
• Discuss Facebook and its positive and negative qualities
• In this conversation what is Sebastian’s status on facebook? Does this matter?
THE END OF THE STORY
CLARYSSA: I’m sorry, Sebastian.
SEBASTIAN: Why?
CLARYSSA: Because it’s my fault.
SEBASTIAN: It’s not your fault, Claryssa. .
CLARYSSA: Say that again.
SEBASTIAN: (same intonation) It’s not your fault, Claryssa.
CLARYSSA: Again.
SEBASTIAN: (same intonation) It’s not your fault, Claryssa. .
CLARYSSA: Stand over there.
Pick your nose.
Eat it.
Tell me you forgive me.
SEBASTIAN: I forgive you, Claryssa.
CLARYSSA: Three.
IT’S THE END OF THE PERFORMANCE…What do you feel?
This is a play about memory and time so if you feel a little confused that’s okay.
• At the end of the play what has happened to Sebastian?
• Remember back over the play and discuss it with your friends/peers, sharing your thoughts and
interpretations.
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Further activities
The following activities provide opportunities for you to explore the deeper meaning of the play
through practical drama and design. You may find that by exploring the play as a physical response
helps deepen your memory and understanding so that you can write your performance analysis!
1. WRITE about FRIENDSHIP
(English & Drama analysis)
Write a letter from Claryssa to Sebastian or Sebastian to Claryssa.
• In the letter you want to tell the other person why they are/were your best friend,
• Use your experiences of seeing the production to try and find an authenticity to the letter – how
you believe either character would address their friend in a real way.
2. PERFORM – Monologue
(Drama & Theatre Studies)
After you have written your letter reconsider it as a monologue to be performed.
In the performance you will be taking on the role of either Claryssa or Sebastian performing the letter to their friend. You will need to consider the following theatrical and dramatic elements:
• Aspects of the text – does the written language translate clearly to spoken text?
• Creating some stage business
• The actor/audience relationships
• Expressive skills such as voice, gesture, movement, facial expression, timing, tension, pause,
stillness, intention
• Perform the monologue to your class or other audience
• Discuss the difference between the letter and the monologue as expressions of the same idea.
3. ADVISING ARENA THEATRE COMPANY
(English, Critical Thinking)
You have been appointed to an advisory board for Arena Theatre Company. In your role you have
been asked to provide feedback to the creative team about the play.
If this is a class activity, the class can divide into several advisory groups and select one of the follow topics to present your thoughts about how the play depicted the following:
• Mental illness
• Bullying
• Adolescents
• The portrayal of adults - parents, teachers, authorities, health professionals.
State examples of these that you saw in the play. Do you think that the representations were believable or true?
• When these ideas were being presented, how did you react?
• How did the characters deal with or react to them?
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• What assistance or care was offered to the characters?
4. IMAGINING THE MOTH
(Imaginative Thinking, ICT)
DISCUSS: The title of the play is Moth.
• Do some research to discover more about moths. What is a moth and what are its habits and
instincts? How does it move? What is its relationship to light?
• Discuss how a moth is depicted in the play as part of Sebastian’s world as both an idea and a
physical creature.
• Is the moth in Moth a symbol and/or metaphor? Discuss this in depth.
5. PERFORMANCE:Creating a Moth
(Drama/Theatre Studies)
In the play, the moth is represented in a jar as a real object, as a projected image on the screens
and also as a creature in the visitation of St. Sebastian.
In this creative/performing task you are asked to work as an ensemble and use non-naturalistic or
non-realistic theatre as form.
• In groups of between 3 and 5 brainstorm how you could represent the moth in a version of Sebastian’s world.
• Using some or all of the following dramatic elements and theatrical conventions, create a scene/
moment that depicts an interpretation of the moth as both a creature and as an idea: Sound, abstract movement, use of space, heightened language, rhythm, tension, transformation of object
or character, chorus, symbol.
6. CREATING A SOUND DESIGN
Now that you have seen the performance and had some time to discuss or respond to it, create
your own soundtrack for Moth.
• Choose 6-8 songs that you think would be just right to be played throughout the show.
• Play sound bites or some of the songs to your class and talk about why you’ve chosen them.
• If you are really keen, write an original theme song and perform it!
7. CREATING A LIGHTING DESIGN
• Take three LED or standard torches and add them to one of the scenes you have already created in response to this show or another you may be working on in your drama studies, eg. The
creation of the moth, the ‘Because I said so!’
• If you only had three torches, how might you light the show so that it creates a mood or feeling
or a ‘world’?
• Present your work and see if your intention is clear to an audience through the lighting choices.
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Further resources
WHAT IS WICCA?
A Wiccan Symbol – the Pentagon
Wicca is a Neopagan religion and a form of modern witchcraft. It is often referred to as Witchcraft
or the Craft by its adherents, who are known as Wiccans or Witches. Its disputed origins lie in
England in the early 20th century, though it was first popularised during the 1950s by Gerald Gardner, a retired British civil servant, who at the time called it the “witch cult” and “witchcraft”, and its
adherents “the Wica”. From the 1960s the name of the religion was normalised to “Wicca”.
Wicca is typically a duotheistic religion, worshipping a Goddess and a God, who are traditionally
viewed as the Triple Goddess and Horned God. These two deities are often viewed as being facets
of a greater pantheistic Godhead, and as manifesting themselves as various polytheistic deities.
Nonetheless, there are also other theological positions within the Craft, ranging from monotheism to atheism. Wicca also involves the ritual practice of magic, largely influenced by the ceremonial magic of previous centuries, often in conjunction with a liberal code of morality known as the
Wiccan Rede, although this is not adhered to by all Witches. Another characteristic of the Craft is
the celebration of seasonally based festivals known as Sabbats, of which there are usually eight in
number annually.
In contrast, Eclectic Wiccans are more often than not solitary practitioners. Some of these “solitaries” do, however, attend gatherings and other community events, but reserve their spiritual practices (Sabbats, Esbats, spell-casting, worship, magical work, etc.) for when they are alone. Eclectic
Wiccans now significantly outnumber lineaged Wiccans, and their beliefs and practices tend to be
much more varied.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicca - retrieved 3rd June, 2010
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REVIEW: MOTH
Consider how the following review provides an insight into the production. Note the language being used to both describe and evaluate the production.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Review: Moth, Alison Croggon, Theatrenotes
At a distressingly young age, Declan Greene has carved out a reputation in Melbourne’s independent scene with a series of plays demonstrating a black wit, iron nerve and a considerable lyrical
gift. What’s notable is the restlessness of his work: he’s a playwright whose work is distinctive but
never predictable. And he’s learning fast. Moth represents yet another startling evolution: it was
not at all what his previous work led me to expect, and yet is an absolutely logical progression.
It’s a powerful examination of mental illness, especially in relation to young people. Greene’s two
15-year-old protagonists are Claryssa (Sarah Ogden), a wiccan/emo, and Sebastian (Dylan Young),
all-round oddball, who are both rejects in the merciless pecking order of high school. They are compelling portrayals of adolescents - self-centred, mocking, vulnerable and funny - who are traumatically alienated from the social lives around them. A horrific, if horribly familiar, instance of bullying
unlatches Sebastian’s already uncertain sense of reality, and his sense of self splinters into delusion. He has an apocalyptic vision of St Sebastian, embodied as a moth he keeps in a jar, and sets
off on a mission to find the saved. Meanwhile Claryssa, as traumatised by Sebastian by the bullying
episode, sinks into paralysing depression and is unable to help her friend.
Perhaps the strongest aspect of this script is how unsentimentally and accurately it represents
not only the speech and attitudes of teen subculture (I had a 15-year-old with me who affirmed its
authenticity) but the subjective experience of mental breakdown. The story is told through enactments by Ogden and Young, shifting between times and different subjective states in ways which
recall the narrative of the cult film Donnie Darko, and Greene exploits to the full his capacity to soar
from vernacular speech into pure poetry.
Chris Kohn directs Moth on a stage bare of everything except what looks like three lengths of
underfelt, cascading from backstage to the floor, that define three different theatrical areas. Kohn’s
direction is absolutely simple and absolutely lucid, directing so good it’s almost invisible. Jonathan
Oxlade’s design, Rachel Burke’s lighting and Jethro Woodward’s music conspire to focus the action
on stage to diamond precision. Ogden and Young are remarkable, giving passionate, minutely disciplined performances that wind up to a shattering climax. What begins as a comic picture of two
teen misfits ends up as a piece of theatre with the catastrophic power of tragedy. The long, devastated silence that preceded the applause was its proper tribute.
http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com.au/2010/05/review-moth-ugly-one-hole-in-wall.html
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MOTH
HEALTH SERVICS AVAILABLE
Some of the issues explored in the play may be confronting or challenging. You or someone else you
know might need to speak further. Below is a list of health services that could be useful:
1. Lifeline
13 11 14
Lifeline’s service is staffed by trained volunteer telephone counsellors who are ready to take calls
24-hour a day, any day of the week from anywhere in Australia. These volunteers operate from Lifeline Centres in every State and Territory around Australia.
Lifeline also offers PDF tool kits that can be accessed at the following website: http://www.lifeline.
org.au/find_help/info_service/toolkits
The topics include: Beating the Blues, Suicide Prevention, Difficult Times and others.
2. Kids Help Line
1800 55 1800 (free call from land line)
www.kidshelp.com.au
3. beyondblue info line
1300 22 4636
www.beyondblue.org.au
For the cost of a local call, the beyondblue info line provides callers with access to information and
referral to relevant services for depression and anxiety-related matters.
4. Reach Out
Online information site with a focus on mental illness
Website: http://au.reachout.com/about/contact
Information about mental illness:
http://au.reachout.com/find/issues/mental-health-difficulties/schizophrenia-other-psychotic-disorders
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MOTH
COSTUME DESIGN SILHOUETTE
35
MOTH
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MOTH
Touring Schedule
Footscray Community Arts Centre
Hot House Theatre
East Gippsland Arts Centre
Burrinja
Swan Hill Town Hall Performing Arts and Conference Centre
Geelong Performing Arts Centre
Warnambool Entertainment Centre
Southern Peninsula Arts Centre
Kingston Arts Centre
Esso BHP Billiton Wellington Entertainment Centre
Wamgaratta Performing Arts Centre
Plenty Ranges Arts Centre
West Gippsland Arts Centre
Portland Arts Centre
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31 July - 3 August
7-11 August
15 August
17 August
20 August
22 August
24 August
27 August
29 August
31 August
3-4 September
6 September
11 September
14 September
MOTH
Acknowledgements
Moth is an Arena Theatre Company and Malthouse Melbourne commission.
Arena would like to thank the following organisations for their support, partnership, and invaluable assistance:
FEDERAL PARTNER
2011 PROJECT PARTNERS
Arena Theatre Company is supported by the Australian Government
through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.
STATE PARTNER
LOCAL PARTNER
CONTACT ARENA
REGIONAL TOUR
POST
PO Box 179
North Melbourne
Victoria 3051
Australia
PhOTOGRAPhy CREDITS
Cover: Matthew McConaghy and Emily Wheaton in Moth
promototional image by Vivian Cooper Smith.
2010: Sarah Ogden and Dylan Young. Photos by Jeff Busby.
2011: Sarah Ogden and Thomas Conroy. Phots by Jeff Busby.
STREET
130 Dryburgh St
North Melbourne
Victoria 3051
Australia
TELEPhONE & FAX
t: +61 3 9329 6266
f: +61 3 9329 0366
ONLINE
www.arenatheatre.com.au
[email protected]
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