JULIUS CAESAR by William Shakespeare

In investigating the historical Caesar and the foundations of modern democracy, we look at honour, power and language in the game of politics.

Did Caesar’s despotism or his perceived fragility make him a target for assassina- tion? Are honour and integrity qualities our leaders require, or can they simply frame these concepts for their own political advantage?

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MEASURE FOR MEASURE by William Shakespeare

What happens when a stickler for law and order is left in charge? Set in Vienna, Measure for Measure is an ambiguous tragicomedy that can be seen to poke fun at and investi- gates the darker side of the superficiality of love, morality, power and corruption using comic façade, costumes and mistaken identity.

For example: If the law hath slept, who was
it in bed with? Is the law for the good of the people or are certain people using it for their own good?

“The law hath not been dead, though it hath slept”

 

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TWELFTH NIGHT by William Shakespeare

Revelry and sanctioned rule-breaking can strengthen social structures.When Viola becomes unwittingly caught in a love triangle, confusion cascades on the house of Duke Orsino.When true identities are revealed, love smiles upon all the lovers – except for one.

This workshop investigates the place of social mores and gameplay in exerting power over each other.What happens when we are not careful about those not invited to play in the game?

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COSI by Louis Nowra

Cosi invites audiences to share Lewis’ journey as he overcomes his prejudice regarding mental health and discovers the power in the silliness of a Mozart Opera. Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam moratorium, Lewis’ friends are trying to stop the suffering of thousands while he is learning about a different kind of politics. Sometimes art that is not political can have a political effect as it brings us together to play and laugh. Some- times the unheard voices are not those that cry out under oppression but those who have simply been forgotten.

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CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF by Tennessee Williams

Lies can keep families and society afloat, but inevitably the truth will come out.At Big Daddy’s birthday celebration, the Pollitt family find themselves forced to face their own inner truths; a challenge at which they mostly fail.

This workshop examines issues of family, mas- culinity, homosexuality, and Williams’ recurring theme of alcoholism.Williams has a magical way of showing how the lies we must cling to create a beautiful fragility in us.

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TWELVE ANGRY MEN by Reginald Rose

When a single juror stands up against peer pressure and votes “Not Guilty” in a seemingly open and shut case it becomes clear why jurors need to deliberate and discuss the case before them. The defendant is the faceless other – all we know about the defendant is that they are poor, yet the process reveals how both the jurors and the audience project their prejudices onto that person.

In addition to unpacking the narrative, the workshop investigates the construction of characters and other dramatic elements, to present a reading of the play as a study in the power of language and one’s ability to create persuasive arguments.

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A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE by Tennessee Williams

Two sisters who have lived very different lives, one life founded on a crumbling veneer of aristocratic beauty and whimsy, the other on the brutality and hon- esty of the working class, reunite leading to a clash of personalities and ideas. In the comparison one can’t help but notice a common thread about the beautiful fragility with which we construct our realities.

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BOMBSHELLS by Joanna Murray-Smith

The young woman who needs the dress, the mother fraying at the edges, the older woman who remains a sexual being: comedic stereotypes of women who inhabit our world that explode into deeper truths about being unseen.

In a world of empowered women why does the idea of marrying a taller older man persist? Sometimes the feminist project overlooks the plight of the less radical. Many young people and women feel rejected by feminism: perhaps exploring the invisibility of ‘normal’ women is what is needed to achieve gender equality.

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MEDEA by Euripides

The tale of Medea’s vicious revenge killing of her children strikes at symbols deeply rooted in our culture. Medea is a feminist hero – cutting off patriarchal power at is source as she steals Jason’s heirs. Equally, she is a demon witch and personification of the havoc wreaked by uncontrolled emotions.

The workshop explores key character scenes as well as questions about the chorus and stylistics of Greek drama.

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THE WINTER’S TALE by William Shakespeare