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ASIANS & AMAZONS BY ABALOS
inside news about Asians and women on stage
[From: http://www.nytheatre-wire.com/ma04041t.htm ]
IMMIGRANTS' THEATRE: The Immigrants' Theatre Project, Australian Aboriginal Theatre Initiative, and Playbox Theatre of Melbourne, Australia has kicked off the New Indigenous Voices From Australia, the first series of Aboriginal plays ever to be presented in America. On Tuesday, April 20, 7:30PM, "Box The Pony," by Scott Rankin & Leah Purcell (Goa-Gunggari-Wakka Wakka) will be presented at New Group Theatre, (410 West 42nd Street). "The Pony" is Leah Purcell's critically acclaimed one-woman show about growing up in a champion boxing family on the outskirts of an Aboriginal Mission. Admission is free with a suggested donation of $5.00. For more information or to make reservations, please call: 212-533-0889 or email immigrantstheat @ aol.com
Leah Purcell comes from a long line of Vaudevillians and her first professional break came in 1993 when she was cast in Bran Nue Day, which toured Australia. This was followed by more theatre productions and then in 1995 Purcell moved to Sydney to become the first presenter of RED on Galaxy TV. A role in the main cast of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Police Rescue followed her television presenting work and in 1997 Purcell was nominated for her performance in an episode of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Fallen Angels. After these series Purcell moved on to the most ambitious project of her career, "Box The Pony," a semi factual account of her life.
Purcell conceived, wrote and directed "Box The Pony" which was the smash hit of the 1997 Olympic Arts Festival's Festival of the Dreaming and was critically acclaimed at the 1998 Adelaide Festival, Melbourne Festival of the Arts and the 1999 Edinburgh Arts Festival. Box The Pony performed to capacity houses in a return season in September 1999 at the Belvoir Street Theatre in Sydney, and then at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Reconciliation Celebrations in June 2000. Leah's independent film, Black Chicks Talking, had its 2002 world premiere at Robert De Niro's Tribeca Film Festival.
Other plays to be presented in the New Indigenous Voices from Australia include: Tuesday, May 4 at 7:30pm: Stolen written by Jane Harrison (Muruwari) with Kylie Belling (Yorta Yorta) - directed by Karen Oughtred. Venue: Drama Bookshop (250 West 40th Street) Stolen is a portrayal of Aboriginal children forcibly removed from their families by the government and raised in a repressive children's home.
Tuesday, May 18 at 1:00pm: Conversations with the Dead written by Richard Frankland (Gunditjmara) with Aaron Pederson (Aboriginal) - directed by Muriel Miguel (Kuna/Rappahannock). Venue: The United Nations. This play was written as a response to an investigation of deaths in custody of indigenous prisoners in the Australian penal system, which involved Mr. Frankland. This reading is part of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues taking place May 10th through the 21st, 2004. Reservations necessary for admission: 212-533-0889
The events are being hosted by The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (One Bowling Green), American Indian Community House (708 Broadway, 8th floor), New Dramatists (424 W. 44th Street), The New Group Theatre (410 W. 42nd Street), the Drama Bookshop (250 W. 40th St) and the United Nations. Admission is free with a suggested donation of $5.00. For more information or to make reservations, please call: 212-533-0889 or email immigrantstheat @ aol.com
All readings will have a post-show discussion with Native American and Aboriginal experts, the playwright, Australian actor, and director on the issues raised by the play. Speakers will include: John Scott (Iningai), Fiona Foley (Badtjala/Fraser Island), Jason Turner (Wampanoag), Hortensia and Vera Colorado (Chichimecotomi), George Stonefish (Delaware/Chippewa) and Joe Cross (Caddo).
Both the state of Victoria and the federal government of Australia are sponsoring the American trip of the Aboriginal playwright and actor for each reading. The goal of this series is to expose mainstream and academic theatre audiences to Aboriginal culture and to create an ongoing artistic and international exchange between indigenous Australian and American theatre artists.
The Obie award winning Immigrants' Theatre Project (ITP) presents traditional and experimental plays by and about immigrants to the United States. Founded in 1988 by Artistic Director Marcy Arlin, ITP works with immigrant and native-born professional artists from over 50 countries and ethnic groups. ITP recently presented Journey Theatre, the culmination of an 8-month workshop with victims of 9/11, war trauma, and torture. ITP works with the Theatre Institute in Prague presenting Czech plays in Translation (2004 at the Public Theatre) and has presented plays at LaMama, HERE, Vineyard Theatre and Tenement Theatre. ITP artists have won many prestigious awards such as the Van Lier Playwrighting Awards, Bunting Fellowship, Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays, NEA/TCG Directors/Designer Grants and a 2003 Obie.
Established and emerging Australian Aboriginal commits the Australian Aboriginal Theatre Initiative (AATI), founded in New York in 2003 by Artistic Director Karen Oughtred, playwrights. AATI's focus is to offer opportunities to talented Native American actors to work with professional Aboriginal artists and foster the international exchange of cross cultural and intercultural information.
This is the first international exchange between Playbox Theatre and New York-based companies. Since its foundation in 1976, Playbox Theatre of Melbourne, Australia has been dedicated to the development, production and promotion of progressive drama, which reflects Australian diversity and traditions. The company tours regionally and internationally with productions of new Australian plays. Their partnering with the Ilbijerri Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Theatre Cooperative has fostered the growth of talented indigenous artists and has been instrumental in the presentation of new Aboriginal work both within Australia and overseas.
Other plays presented during the Festival include "Crowfire" written by Jadah Milroy (Palku) with Bryan Andy (Yorta Yorta) - directed by Kaipo Schwab (Native Hawaiian descent) at the American Indian Community House. "Crowfire" is about an indigenous social worker and how the urban environment has played havoc with culture and identity. And "Yanagai! Yanagai!" Written by Andrea James (Yorta Yorta) with Louise Bennett (Yorta Yorta) - directed by Marcy Arlin at New Dramatists, (424 West 44th Street). "Yanagai! Yanagai!" Through the Dreaming portrays the Yorta Yorta's struggle for land rights for their people.
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