Visual art and theatre collide with colourful results in 午夜福利 Adjunct Professor Sue Rider鈥檚 latest production.
Professor Rider is directing , a play by Donna Cameron which samples ancient Greek myths and features a unique ceramic 鈥渟et鈥� by artist Julie Shepherd.
The show marks a change of pace for Professor Rider, who has been directing and producing theatre for three decades, and last year staged the world premiere of a musical about Brisbane鈥檚 famous 鈥淧ink Twins鈥�.
The Chair of Backbone Youth Arts and former Artistic Director of La Boite Theatre Company, Professor Rider appears on the cover of this year鈥檚 Brisbane White Pages for her work promoting the arts among diverse audiences.
The Flowering began life by chance in 2001 when the collaborators worked together on the Clay/Play project to raise funds for breast cancer research. The event saw female artists create short plays in just 24 hours, and the idea for future productions was born.
鈥淒onna wrote a beautiful, quirky, moving script inspired by Julie鈥檚 porcelain pieces and I directed it. We loved the process, admired each other鈥檚 work and all wanted to develop further what we鈥檇 started in a very short time,鈥� Professor Rider said.
鈥淒onna then came up with the idea of The Flowering, which had its origins in the Greek myths of Persephone and Demeter and drew on her own experience of visiting India. I鈥檓 constantly seeking new ways to make meaning in theatre and the idea of combining a contemporary text based on ancient myth with a solo performer and pieces of porcelain opened up wonderful creative possibilities.鈥�
True to its title, the play tells the story of a year in one woman鈥檚 life as she relates her development to her mother.
Professor Rider said the show explored the loss of innocence experienced in the transition to adulthood, and the resulting power shifts between people and their parents.
Using ceramics added another dimension to the work and grounded the drama, she said.
鈥淲hen the show opens, there are pieces of porcelain scattered over a circular earth-coloured cloth. The pieces could be broken crockery, or plant pots, or bones. The scene could be a garden or a desert. Before a word is spoken we are forming impressions of what we see,鈥� she said.
Professor Rider said the script鈥檚 strength was its blending of drama and comedy, a technique honed by some of the world鈥檚 most famous storytellers.
鈥淭heatre dies from monotony or complacency, but it thrives on contrast and I love nothing better than to hear audiences give a big belly laugh followed by a gasp of horror or the silence of sadness.
鈥淭he best playwrights 鈥� take Shakespeare, Chekhov and Brecht 鈥� all mix comedy and tragedy. My job as a director is to make sure the rhythms are right, that the audience knows when to laugh and when to hold their breath. Often it鈥檚 a matter of pace. And it鈥檚 magic when the balance is right.鈥�
Media: Cameron Pegg at 午夜福利 Communications (07 3365 2049, c.pegg@uq.edu.au)
