February 20, 2007

Works-in-progress announced for the
MAGDALENA AOTEAROA NATIONAL GATHERING
5-10 April 2007, Wellington

Magdalena Aotearoa is delighted to announce the eight works-in-progress which have been selected for the National Gathering – listed below. We are very excited by the strength and variety of the work, in terms of style, process and themes. The artists range from relative newcomers to experienced practitioners, and geographically from Auckland to Hastings and Christchurch in the south.

The National Gathering is an unique opportunity for you to get an inside view of how theatre work – whether it’s devised or scripted – can be developed. Each work-in-progress presentation will be followed by a discussion with "responders", peers and audience members, and there will be time between the presentations for further discussions around the work and development of work in general.

The Gathering is also a chance to meet with innovative and experienced women theatre makers from around the country in an informal and friendly environment, to develop your own networks and meet potential collaborators, mentors and colleagues.

Registration for the National Gathering is still open, for both men and women participants. The extended early bird discount offer finishes tomorrow, Tuesday 20th February. Registration forms and further details including full and daily prices are on the web site: http://magdalena.actrix.co.nz/gathering/

We look forward to seeing you at the National Gathering.

Works-in-progress:

Skeleton Woman: A contemporary New Zealand response to the powerful Inuit myth of the skeleton woman, devised and performed by Helen Moran, with director Jane Gilmer and writer Kathleen Gallagher. It has already been professionally produced (catch it in Wellington at BATS, March 2-4) and Helen will be seeking feedback on specific areas including use of multimedia, Mâori aspect, and setting up a national and international tour.

Mortally Wounded: a collaborative devised performance by Louise Tu’u and Alexa Wilson, dealing with the healing of personal and social histories – it will map the body as the battlefield onto the Auckland volcanic landscape. The show opens in Auckland a week after the Gathering, so they are looking for constructive critical feedback and open-minded opinions. (Alexa is also performing at the Fringe in Quixotic Parables, opening next Tuesday 20th at BATS).

What It Means To Be Civilised: A new work exploring what it means to be civilised, devised by an ensemble including Bronwyn Bent, Ksenya Chobanovich, Nell Thomas, Chrissie Butler, Kieran Monoghan and Jeff Henderson. The group is intersted in feedback on the dramaturgy, audience relationship and visual impact.
Does This Make Sense To You?: A stage adaptation of Renée’s novel of the same name, this work addresses the topical issue of teen pregnancy and is directed by Lilicherie McGregor with a cast including Madeline McNamara and Dale Ferris. An invited audience of teen mothers will attend the rehearsed reading at the Gathering and feedback will be sought from this specific target audience.

Double Helix: The story of the mystery of DNA is the starting point for a performance that embodies and physicalises the human dilemma of competition versus cooperation – concept by Nancy Fulford, with four actors. Nancy is interested in finding actors to work with, technical ideas and support, and exploring musical accompaniment.
Kitchen Drawers: This will be the third and final part of a longer work, The Voyage, by Rose Beauchamp, featuring puppetry, mask and clown and exploring themes of living, dying and being present through the contents of her mother’s kitchen drawers. Rose is particularly looking for dramaturgical feedback from people with some experience or feeling for clown work.

The Lady and the Hooligan: A Melodrama in as Many Acts: Pauleen Hayes has written a three-act script based on the story of Flossie Le Mar, an eccentric vaudeville entertainer and pacifist who toured Australasia during the 1900s with her husband, demonstrating the benefits of Ju Jitsu for women "set upon by the evil designs of men."  Pauleen is interested in exploring – with humour – the concept of sexual violence as a random, inadvertently latent, vaguely inherent male legacy.  As well as finding possible collaborators, Pauleen is also looking for overall feedback on the dramaturgy, music, use of multi-media and choreography.

Winter: A one-act play by Diane Spodarek about a U.S. national who comes to live in New Zealand with her Kiwi partner; the script has had workshop readings at the Playmarket conference and in New York. Diane is pondering whether it needs to be developed to a full-length production or stay as one act, as well as how to go deeper into the psyche of two people from opposite ends of the earth, and how to reach an NZ audience with a Kiwi character when she, the writer, is not a Kiwi.

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Magdalena Aotearoa Trust
PO Box 27 300
Wellington
Aotearoa New Zealand
magdalen@actrix.co.nz http://magdalena.actrix.co.nz
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