Thoughts on 'Kin' and audition for 'Short and Sweet'
Last night I saw Stephen Page's Kin at the Malthouse. Overall, I found this a profoundly touching, albeit brief show, which sat somewhere comfortably between dance and performance, without being inaccessible. Page's work, roughly speaking, examined a few things to do with growing up as an indigenous child in contemporary Australia, and the troubles they face - ranging from prejudice based on race, a pull between two cultures - modern Australia and the indigenous past somewhat now lost - and an exploration of various forms of abuse - domestic and substance for example. This was further exemplified by the cast who were all young indigenous boys, who seamlessly linked these ideas with both maturity and intelligence.
In Australian theatre we are so often dominated by a western ideal of 'art'. Slowly, we are beginning to accept Aboriginal art as a part of Australian culture - and more and more it seems to be making steps onto the international market. However, it is rare to see theatre championing indigenous issues at the front of our commercial theatres. In this right, Kin was both refreshing and poignant. However, to suggest that this piece's beauty only grew from it's relation to the Aboriginal culture would be to limit it's beauty, pacing and indeed it's very connection to the culture which is most likely to take in a show - the middle class middle aged white woman (generally speaking).
Upon walking into the Merlyn, eyes were drawn to a converted space, traditional seats pulled out, replaced with steps for sitting on, edged with the classic red seats along the top. The space - immediately and strikingly different to what the Malthouse subscribers are used to - was enough to draw attention from the blacked out performance area, which ingeniously kept the impression of being sparce and empty. As the lights went down, 6 - what seemed incredibly normal - kids came onto the space, sat down at the back of the space where a drumkit, a bass guitar and a guitar were propped. A jumbled collection of conversation and a rough jam session ensued. This beginning made me unsteady, fishing for words from a melange and fighting to find the significance. However, from here, it became apparent there was also a car on-stage, which was an incredible set piece used creatively in so many ways. And the incoherent jumble continued to scope down into pin point, fine point, precision observations, explored through music, body and effective prop and set use. Drugs were dealt with with chroming bags, used in sinc to a breathing track, sand was sprinkled around the edge of the stage to signify the ocean and the land, the ideas of homelessness and disparity came through as the six kids sheltered inside the car, gum leaves and white paint were brought out to do traditional dance and rituals. Music ranged from a disconcerting sound scape of screaming adults, hip-hop and beat-boxing, to evocative corroboree music. Similarly, dance drew from a series of sources. This multitextuality let the mind wander through the various themes easily and the mind penetrated the piece and seemed to drift much further than a simple half hour should allow. The issues explored were neither dealt with in a cliched 'post-collonial' way, nor were they dealt with in a language that the 'white-fella' couldn't access either. This show really had a solid sense of cultural exchange about it, which also made it thoroughly enjoyable to experience.
Particularly beautiful elements that stuck in my mind included the hood of the car being used as a projection screen, a scene which depicted how children were effected by domestic abuse, and a beautiful conversation about the idea of being 'coloured'. While the audience was left wanting more, half an hour did not seem excessively short to realise these performers' true potentials - and indeed their performances. While pre-show, the kids were definitely kids, running in and out of the foyer and yelling at eachother - and this was echoed by their enthusiasm and all round chuff-ed-ness in the curtain call - this was not a limitation on stage, where they were focused, and dedicated to the performance at hand.
I thoroughly enjoyed Kin as an experience, and tried to recommend it to a few people before it closes tonight... not sure how many different people will get to see what I think is probably quite an important movement in Australian art, which is a shame, because this piece perhaps is articulating what the Australian people are starting to crave.
Last night, led into an audition bright and early this morning! Auditions, I find, continue to allude me. The problem is, continually auditions change format. From doing it in a room that's akin to an office, to a room that is like a rehearsal room, to a proper theatre. Then there's the private auditions - that can either be a prepared piece or a cold read from the script you're auditioning for - or the group auditions - that can be everything under the sun. Each space and each audition method has its ups and downs. Anyway, this morning, the format was a prepared audition piece in a proper small theatre for about 15 directors - 3 of which I knew. Being in a theatre, having done some significant work on the piece, I really felt like I was just going in there to show a piece that I was working on. Before me, a girl had gone in with an audition speech from NIDA's audition booklet and had been received poorly - which made me think, oh jeez, I'm fucked. So with no massive hold backs, assuming that they were gonna be like 'sucky NIDA audition speech, half enthused applause, great, get out', I walked in thinking 'nothing to lose' and I just performed. I even got a warm prop that I knew - of the 15 people in the theatre, they choose one of the blokes I know as a warm prop! Awesome. Then I got a few chuckles, especially on 'it was real shitty slim' and 'metal plate shoes to correct my duck foot'. So all in all, with fitting with my regime in turning around how I feel about auditions and the attitude to go into them with, I did a great performance for me, not for them, to show me, not to please them, and just to act. And that was it. The 2 minutes was solid as, I think.
Then they asked me what had been my most rewarding acting experience, to which I answered something about 3D fest, which I don't think I was lying about. I also used that as a way of showing that I knew people already working on Short and Sweet, and then said something about how it was really fulfilling to find meaning in the role of a 'Photograph' and make that mean something - which I was actually complimented on in the end. That seemed to make them laugh and make them more impressed.
The thing I've struggled with recently is - so many people say that when I perform I'm magnetic, I do beautiful work, and I'm rock solid - not something I agree with at all, I might add, but... something hasn't been translating that in auditions. At least if I know 3 people who saw the audition and it doesn't pull off I can ask about that and what I can do to improve my audition technique.
I had half expected to feel super self conscious as the fat arsed chick between all the skinny bitches, but given half the skinny bitches were all upset over their performances and I was led into a rather relaxed feeling... all was well. AND! My hair looks fabulous. Really fabulous - first time it has since I got it cut. I'm willing to admit, I looked freaking awesome for this audition. So if it pays off, it pays off, if not, then I still think 15 people saw a good performance, and I'm happy with that.