Integrity

Several months ago I reaffirmed a keen interest in directing for GRADS at UWA, by suggesting to key members of the committee that I be considered to direct a production of Shakespeare's ROMEO & JULIET at the New Fortune Theatre in 2001.

It had been my understanding that GRADS had found itself in a situation that required serious consideration of exploring avenues to bring 'new blood' and new audiences into their venues to engage with their work. It seemed that the timing was right for me to become involved.

I am a graduate of UWA; I have been involved in the Community Arts and Youth Arts industries in Perth for about 10 years and have established a solid reputation in both.

I have directed a Finlay Award winning production (with Playlovers), a Bunbury One Act Festival Best Director Award (with Darlington Theatre Players) and an award winning ITA One Act Festival production (with KADS) - I have reached what most practitioners in community theatre would suggest are the pinnacles of community theatre in this state.

I have also been a very active, professional consultant and facilitator in the Community and Youth Arts areas, in addition to my considerable directing experience.

Imagine my consternation when I was informed that the play that I had submitted for the New Fortune season had been chosen, but that I had not as its director. And that the director who had been chosen was a long-standing GRADS member and a committee member. I was also informed that a 'quick decision' was made and that the reason why I was not considered a serious contender to direct the play was that no one knew me, or my work. I can understand people knowing me and my work, and not liking it, but to not know me in any capacity or for any of the work that I have completed in the last 10 years seems to me to be absurd - it certainly says more about the members of the decision-makers than anything else.

I would like to point out that I appreciate that this is not a state of affairs that is isolated, that no one person is to blame, and that it is not my intention to bring into question the ability of the director that GRADS chose to direct my production.

I do hope that community theatre groups, including GRADS, who are keen to promote growth, evolution and the attraction of new ideas and processes will reflect this desire in their decision-making to the very best of their ability.

Unsurprisingly I was astonished by the short-sightedness of this decision that involved me, and I empathise with others who, for whatever reason, do not know the right people, are not momentarily funky enough, or are not a known and predictable quantity - especially those practitioners who have been around for a while, who have earned their stripes and have come out of their honeymoon period of youthful, funky 'alternative and racey' appeal and are still producing cutting-edge and challenging work that does not require arts-political-journalistic manipulation to be successful.