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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chair Dirk Melton
Secretary Michael Scott Naslund
Treasurer Rod Kirkman
Board Members Peter Hathaway, Ruth Layton, Joseph Uchitel
EAST COAST THEATRE COMPANY LAUNCH
The East Coast Theatre Company (ECTC) was launched on August 2, 1994 by the Lord Mayor Councillor Frank Sartor at the Sydney Town Hall. One of the world's most renowned violinists, Jack Glatzer, performed at the launch which was attended by members of the artistic community and press.
LAUNCH PARTY
On August 13, 1994 a fund raising launch party was held at Kellets Restaurant in Kings Cross with performances by Jacquie Brennan, Julienne Mostyn, Louise Perryman, Jacqy Phillips and Ben Whatmore & The Well Frogs.
MEDEA
The company's inaugural production of Medea by Euripides, adapted by Jenya Osborne, a one man show starring Peter Kowitz and directed by Joseph Uchitel, opened in October 1994. The production was a success with critics and audiences alike.
RUSSIAN EGG-FLIP WORKSHOP
In December 1994 a workshop of a new play by Stephen Sewell, Russian Egg-Flip, was held at the Varuna Writers' Centre in Katoomba. The company's Artistic Director Joseph Uchitel, composer Edward Primrose, actor Linda Newton and dramaturg Heather Stewart spent one week with the playwright exploring ideas and working on the text of the play. A public reading of the play was held at the Australian National Playwrights' Centre in Sydney in April 1995 with Terry Brady, Kurt Geyer, Toni Lamond, Annie Looby, Linda Newton, Georgie Parker, Max Phipps and William Zappa.
MIRANDA
A new controversial play Miranda by Stephen Sewell, directed by Joseph Uchitel, was presented in July-August 1995 at the Wharf 2 Theatre. It starred Peter Phelps, Dee Smart and Julian Leather. Miranda was the company's first commercial success in a mainstream venue.
TAPPING WITH THE STARS WITH NANCYE HAYES
This lighthearted fundraising event was organised by the company in the Blue Mountains in February 1996. A series of classes taught by Ms Nancye Hayes provided an opportunity for the community to participate in the event regardless of their previous experience or abilities.
FINDING A HOME
In July 1996 the company moved into premises rented from the City of Sydney. The space has offices and a large rehearsal room. This will assure stability and gives the company greater freedom for artistic work and experiment. The space was in a state of considerable disrepair and was renovated by members of the company.
A TURKISH NIGHT
A fund raising event featuring poet and playwright Gun Genger reading his works at a dinner was held in July 1996 at the Divan Restaurant in Surry Hills.
THE CONFECTIONERY AISLE
A new play by Garry Baxter, The Confectionery Aisle, was workshopped at the Varuna Writers' Centre in Katoomba in December 1996. Among the participants were: Nancye Hayes, Linda Newton, Kris Bidenko, Michael Karaolis and Michael Ross. A public reading of the play directed by Joseph Uchitel was presented on June 22, 1997 with Vanessa Downing, Nancye Hayes, Michael Karaolis, Olivia Martin, Geoff Morrell and Stuart Robinson.
PLAY READINGS AT THE BERKELOUW BOOKSHOP
A series of play readings was launched in October 1996 at the Berkelouw Bookshop in Paddington. Plays in the series were:
A Selection of Works by Yasmine Gooneratne, read by the author and Leah Vandenberg and Raj Ryan. Rainsnakes by Per Olov Enquist (a new Australian translation for the ECTC by May Brit Akerholt) read by Lorraine Bayly, Roy Billing and David Webb, directed by Joseph Uchitel.Gustave And Louise by Pierre Barrilet with Vanessa Downing and Graham Harvey, directed by Linda Newton with introduction by Kate Hodgkinson.
RAINSNAKES
Following the success of the Readings at the Berkelouw another reading of Rainsnakes was held at the Ultimo Community Centre in February 1997. The play was presented by Lorraine Bayly, Paul Blackwell, Zika Nester and Max Phipps. Representatives from the Swedish Consulate, SBS and Goethe Institute attended the reading and expressed great interest in assisting the company in raising funds for a production of the play.
THE MANLY ARTS FESTIVAL
The ECTC was invited by the Manly Arts Festival to present a reading of two short plays by Beatrix Christian, Ten Things Not To Do On A First Date and Spumante Romantica. The readings took place on September 26 & 27, 1997 at the Manly Art Gallery and were directed by Joseph Uchitel and presented by Nick Garsden, Stephanie Haris, Brian Meegan, Alison Van Reeken and David Webb.
EAST COAST AT DAVID JONES
As part of the 75th Anniversary celebrations for David Jones Elizabeth St store the ECTC presented two readings of The Confectionery Aisle on October 23 & 30, 1997 in The Park Restaurant of the Elizabeth Street Store. Originally scheduled for one night, the reading sold out in one day and a second reading was staged the following week. The play was read by Noelene Brown, Vanessa Downing, Peter Hayes, Michael Karaolis, Andrew Macfarlane, Stuart Robinson and Alison Van Reeken.
TILBURY REVISITED
A major fundrasing event, a cabaret night Tilbury Revisited, was organized by the company. It took place on November 23, 1998 at the Sydney's famous Tilbury Hotel in Woolloomooloo. Produced by Frank Garfield, the cabaret night featured Robyn Arthur, Angela Ayres, Robert Berry, Jacquie Brennan, Su Cruickshank, Margi D., Warwick Gilbert, Adele Jonston, Max Lambert, Fred Lang, Brian Langsworth, James Lee, Todd McKenney, Julienne Mostyn, Leonie Page, Tim Page, Jacqi Rae, Craig Renshaw, Tim Rogers, Allan Royal, Lyn Shakespeare, David Webb and Elliott Weston. Almost 400 people attended the event. A percentage of the money raised was donated to the Oz Showbiz Cares charity.
COMMUNITY WORK
Joanna French, Rod Kirkman and Joseph Uchitel had meetings with the directors of Ultimo Community Centres to discuss ways of working in partnership with residents of the area. ECTC will cooperate with the Community Centres on creating a program to satisfy the needs of the multinational community in the area and to encourage cultural development of the district.
DOORS WERE ALWAYS OPEN...
The ECTC was invited to participate in the Ultimo Festival on October 31, 1998. Prior to a luncheon organised for the elderly by the City of Sydney the company presented a reading from the book that reflects the history of the area. The book, Doors Were Always Open..., is based on the recordings of true stories told by residents of Ultimo and Pyrmont. The Lord Mayor of Sydney, Councillor Frank Sartor, opened the event. The readings were presented by Gary Baxter, Penny Pedersen and Noel Hodda, who also selected the pieces that were read. The reading was extremely well received and, as well as being invited to participate in next year's Ultimo Festival, the ECTC was also approached by the community to cooperate in developing a production based on the history of the area.
NEVER A MOMENTS PEACE
This project was funded by the City of Sydney. In collaboration with the Harris Community Centre the ECTC conducted the initial research into the history of the area. Joseph Uchitel and playwright Noel Hodda studied tapes and transcripts produced for the book Doors Were Always Open and interviewed community members. Noel Hodda wrote a twenty minute script Never a Moments Peace (working title), based on their research. The script had a three days workshop with actors Brian Meegan, Susan Prior and Jennifer Vuletic and was presented at the Back to Ultimo lunch on October 30, 1999 and at the Ultimo/Pyrmont Festival on October 31, 1999. It was extremely well received by the community members, audiences and funding bodies. ECTC was invited by the City of Sydney to present a new draft of Never a Moments Peace at the Back to Pymont Celebration on March 31, 2001. Alan Dukes, Rachel Terry and Alison Van Reeken presented the work. Currently the ECTC is seeking funding for the project to continue working towards a full scale production in year 2002.
CABARET AT THE GREEN ROOM OF CAFE NINE
In February, 1999 the ECTC and Cafe Nine in Haymarket collaborated in transforming the café into a new cabaret venue- The Green Room. This initiative was born from the need for a new cabaret venue since the demise of the Tilbury Hotel. It aims to support established and emerging artists, to be active within the industry, to lift the profile of ECTC and to create income for ECTC. The venue was launched on 16 June, 1999 to much critical acclaim. Since that time the ECTC and Café Nine have presented at The Green Room a number of cabaret shows featuring performers including Geraldine Turner, Toni Lamond, Peter Cousens, Phil Scott, Kane Alexander, Mitchell Butel, Margi De Ferranti, Benjamin Howe, Jackie Loeb, Julienne Mostyn, Jenny Vuletic and Leonie Page. The venue proved to be a great artistic and commercial success.
SYDNEY GAY AND LESBIAN MARDI GRAS, 2000
The ECTC received funding from the Australia Council for the Arts for a production of two one act plays: Prelude and Liebestod by the renowned American playwright Terrence McNally and a new Australian play Aria Di Mezzo Carattere by Tim Benzie, recipient of The Philip Parsons Award. The ECTC commissioned Tim to write this play for the company. This production was presented as a part of the program of The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, 2000 under the title Love Fix. A company of forty six artists and technicians was assembled for the production. ECTC engaged top Sydney actors - Blazey Best, Nicholas Eadie, Ron Falk, Tamblyn Lord and Shayne Francis - to participate in the production. It was directed by Joseph Uchitel, produced by Jessica Machin, designed by Stephanie Blake, dramaturged by Jenya Osborne. A twelve piece Youth Orchestra and soprano, Vivien Falez, were featured in the production. The orchestra was conducted by the production's musical director and composer Edward Primrose, who rearranged Wagner's Prelude and Liebestod for a chamber orchestra and composed music for Tim Benzie's play. For the first time Terrence McNally's play was performed with live music. The show proved to be extremely successful with critics and audiences alike.
CABARET EAST
In June, 2001 ECTC moved it's cabaret venue to East Village Hotel in East Sydney under the new banner Cabaret East. The new venue was launched on June 21, 2001. Over 100 guests enjoyed a stellar line-up including Geraldine Turner, Peter Cousens, Angela Toohey, Jane Rutter, Brian Castles-Onion, Greg Crease, Leonie Page, Avigail Herman, Peter Baily, Margi deFeranti, Michael Tyack, Jason Langley, Trevor Ashley and Gina Zoia, while the hostess with the mostest, Phil Scott wove a musical spell so rich, it couldn't even be topped by the spectacular city skyline views. ECTC produced two extremely successful seasons for Cabaret East: Peter Cousens in A Life on Earth Too and Tim Draxl in Halfway up the Stairs.
MOTHER AND CHILD
In February March 2003 ECTC staged a production of Mother and Child by a Norwegian playwright Jon Fosse with a new Australian translation by May-Brit Akerholt at Belvoir St Downstairs Theatre. The great critical response to the play and the production was heartening. But more rewarding were the reactions from the audiences. One prominent theatre director saw it three times. He was profoundly affected by the play and the production. QTC's Artistic Director Michael Gow flew to Sydney from Brisbane because he had never seen a Fosse play but had heard much about this writer. He wrote: "It was one of the best things I've seen in Sydney for a long time." The feedback from the general public was unanimously positive. A 50-minute two hander, the show was performed by Vanessa Downing and Tamblyn Lord, directed by Joseph Uchitel and produced by Sam Hawker. The set, costumes and graphics were designed by Karla Urizar, lighting by Stephen Hawker and music by Max Lyandvert.
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
The company continues to work creatively, looking for new projects and exploring various ways of raising funds. Amongst many projects currently discussed by the company members and the Board are Death Variations by Jon Fosse, translated by May-Brit Akerholt, Gogol's Marriage and Russian Egg-Flip by Stephen Sewell. We aim for a potent season that will inspire, excite and delight our audience. |