Australian National Playwrights Conference

Just to remind everyone that Perth is lucky enough this year to be hosting the ANPC. You can buy $12 tix to hear any of the new works read by Australia's finest actors and directed by some big name directors with forums by David Williamson , Stephen Sewell and Julian Meyrick. It is on for two weeks. Check out www.anpc.org.au The Australian National Playwrights' Centre presents the 2006 National Playwrights' Conference, Perth, July 2nd - 15th The 33 rd Annual National Playwrights' Conference [ANPC] will take place this year on the grounds of the University of Western Australia [UWA] in Perth. Held annually since 1973, the ANPC is the peak body in play development for Australian Theatre. It draws together some of Australia's finest playwrights, actors, directors and dramaturgs for two weeks of intensive work-shopping, debate and discussion, culminating in a series of showings [July 12 th - 15 th ], held this year at the Dolphin Theatre, UWA. The Workshop Program This is the core business of the conference. 11 of the hottest playwrights from across the country (plus 1 from the US) offer up their newest work for ten days of discussion, dissection and re-drafting. This year the following writers have been invited: Vanessa Badham, Hilary Bell, Angela Campbell, Sam Cook, Karl Gajdusek (USA), Jenny Kemp, Ross Mueller, Robert Reid, Toby Schmitz, Vivienne Walshe, Matthew Whittet, Dallas Winmar . Please find short biographies of this year's playwrights attached. The Studio Program Consists this year of two streams, the Writers' Residency and the Starter Pack the Residency is a ten day intensive working environment [July 3 rd - 13 th] during which resident playwrights work in a tailored program with a dedicated industry script-editor/dramaturg as an experienced guide. The Starter Pack offers everything you've ever wanted to know about writing a script, a sketch or just a scene in a jam-packed weekend [july 8 th & 9 th ]. The Industry Program - The cultural presence and influence of Noongar peoples on the artistic life of Western Australia is an extraordinary legacy. We are proud to co-present (with Yirra Yaakin) a celebratory evening of excerpts from the works of many of these influential artists, curated by WA artist Irma Woods. - In addition we have German dramaturg, Thomas Frank visiting us (courtesy of the Goethe- Institut) with a brand new play, FernwÁ¤rme by Swiss-German playwright Reto Finger. - Major highlights and community events include the 48 Hour Play Generator and forums (led by, amongst others, David Williamson , Stephen Sewell and Julian Meyrick ). The ANPC has a strong history of development. Some of the plays to have come through the conference in the last 30 years include The Boys, The Heartbreak Kid, Too Young For Ghosts, The Kid, Aliwah and The Spook . The playwrights' roll call includes: Janis Balodis , Beatrix Christian , Wesley Enoch , Alma de Groen , Michael Gow , Dorothy Hewett , Ningali Lawford , Peta Murray , Debra Oswald , Stephen Sewell and Steve J Spears . BOOKING ENQUIRIES: please contact the ANPC on PH: 02 9555 9377 MEDIA ENQUIRIES: please contact Giorgi Ciot e-mail: giorgi.ciot@clemenger.com.au / mob: 0413 583 373 / fax:+61 2 9925 7444 Brief biographies of the playwrights for the 2006 conference Van Badham has had work produced at the Sydney Opera House Studio, the Wharf, the Seymour Centre, The Victorian Arts Centre, the Blue Room and the Adelaide Festival. Internationally, her work has been seen at the Edinburgh Festival, throughout the UK, New York City, Iceland and Germany. She was selected for the Royal Court/BBC Worldservice WebsWeWeave radio project and has also had scripts broadcast on Radio 4. Hilary Bell writes for stage, radio, screen and music theatre. Her plays have been produced in Australia, the UK, Europe and the United States. Hilary is a recipient of the Philip Parsons Young Playwrights' Award, Jill Blewitt Playwrights' Award, Bug'n'Bub Award (USA), Aurealis Award for fiction, the Eric Kocher Playwrights' Award (USA) and an AWGIE. She is a graduate of the Juilliard Playwrights' Studio (New York), NIDA and AFTRS. She was the 2003-04 Tennessee Williams Fellow at the University of the South, Tennessee. She has taught playwriting and screenwriting at a number of American institutions (New York University, Wesleyan University) and is currently teaching at Griffin Theatre. Angela Campbell is working towards a PhD at Murdoch University. Her thesis focuses on ideas of body, place and theatre, with particular reference to contemporary Australian theatre. She has tutored in theatre studies both at UQ and at Melbourne University in the School of Creative Arts. In an alternative life Angela is an actor. After graduating from VCA she worked mostly in Melbourne and Brisbane. She is a founding member of Hildegard Theatre Company, a company that has produced innovative, physically based work that has toured both nationally and internationally. Sam Cook is a Nyikina sista from the Kimberley region. She is a member of the Yirra Yaakin Dream-Team, the artistic hub of Yirra Yaakin and is their current Executive Producer. She is a published illustrator and has been working in publishing for 13 years (in her spare time, she continues to design, illustrate and publish for her company, the Indigenous Publishing Service). She can also be found online as the moderator and blogger of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples Network and the BLAKSTAGEalliance. Karl Gajdusek (USA) was born in San Francisco and now lives in San Diego. He writes plays, screenplays and television. He has taught Playwriting at San Francisco's School of the Arts, UCSD, ISOMATA, and The Playwrights' Center. BA in Literature from Yale University, member of Annex Theatre in Seattle, MFA in Playwriting from the University of California at San Diego. He is the recipient of the 1991 Jacob K Javits fellowship, 1996-97 & 1998-99 Jerome Fellowships, the 1997 McKnight Screenwriting Fellowship, and the 2000 MAG fellowship. When not writing for the theatre, Karl spends his time surfing So Cal breaks, writing movies for pro wrestlers, and lovingly changing diapers. Jenny Kemp is one of Australia's most innovative directors and writers. She has worked with the APG, the ground-breaking Stasis Group, Playbox, Malthouse Theatre, MTC, STSA and STC. She is published as a playwright by Currency Press and is the recipient of numerous awards. She is currently an Honorary Research Associate at Monash university and conducts workshops across the country in writing, theatre making and directing. She is also a lecturer in the post graduate program (Directing & Animateuring) at the VCA. Ross Mueller is one of Australia's most gifted new writers. In Feb 2006 he was short-listed for the New York New Dramatists Award. He works in theatre, radio and children's literature. He has been an affiliate of the MTC and in 2002 was the Australian representative at the International Residency of the Royal Court Theatre in London. He is part of the Victorian Arts Centre's teaching artists program and has toured the country teaching script and poetry. Several of his plays have been short-listed for the Patrick White and Wal Cherry Awards and he has been published by Allen & Unwin and Currency Press. He has been commissioned by MTC, Playbox, Hothouse and ABC Radio National. Robert Reid is the Artistic Director and a founding member of Theatre in Decay in Australia. He has written all but one of its plays and has had work produced throughout Australia. Other companies he has worked with include St. Martins Youth Arts Centre, Australian Theatre for Young People, Lunchtime Theatre, MAKEbeLIVE (at the Darlinghurst Theatre). He has also had several plays broadcast. He is the recipient of several awards including St Martin's Playwright of the year award in 2000, Melbourne Fringe in 2004, R.E. Ross Trust Playwright Development Award, Best Independent Theatre Company Prize and the Best Overall Performance Prize at Short and Sweet, Melbourne 2005. Robert is an Affiliate Writer at MTC this year and is a Masters Candidate at QUT. Toby Schmitz started writing performance material in the classrooms of a Perth boy's gulag leading directly to a stint in university sketch and stand up comedy. While attending the acting course at NIDA he found his writing worryingly encouraged and since graduation has been writing consistently for independent theatre and the occasional screenplay, but who hasn't. Having 'got some runs on the board' on the rent-withering Sydney fringe, Toby has decided to fish for a professional production by writing something for four characters and a white leather couch. He won 2004 ANPC/New Dramatists Exchange, the 2000 STC/ SMH Patrick White Playwrights Award and was nominated for the 2002 Phillip Parsons Young Playwright Award. His work has been produced at Belvoir St Downstairs, Tamarama Rock Surfers, La Mama, ATYP and NIDA Vivienne Walshe was a participating writer in the 2004/5 STC/Blueprints Writers' Assembly. She is the recipient of the Sydney short play fringe festival competition, the Malcolm Robertson Prize and the inaugural Max Afford Award. She is currently working on a screenplay adaptation which is being produced by Robyn Kershaw and directed by Emma Freeman. She has been produced at the Malthouse, ABC Radio National and her most recent play was written for the Hardlines program at The Melbourne Theatre. Vivienne has written a television series for the ABC Drama Department and has had other television serials optioned and developed by Colombia Tristar, RDF Media London, and Allotria Productions, L.A. Vivienne is also a performer with the theatre company, Not Yet It's Difficult and has appeared as an actress across the country. Matthew Whittet is one of Australia's busiest actor/playwrights. As an actor he has worked with STC, Malthouse, Company B Belvoir, the STSA and the Bell Shakespeare Company. He has also appeared in film and television. As a playwright he has written and produced a one man show as well as two works in development Dallas Winmar was born in Perth, WA, and has worked in various industries but keeps turning back to the arts. Dallas has worked with ABC's radio drama department, producing and directing various radio presentations, including Jack Davis' last biography for Radio National. Dallas has worked with Yirra Yaakin, Company B Belvoir, the ANPC [1999/2000] and Kooemba Jdarra Theatre Company. Dallas received the 2002 Kate Challis RAKA award (with Jane Harrison) and was short-listed for both the WA Premier's Book Award and the Louis Esson Prize for Drama.