Catching up on what has happened since the last eNews...

Silent Monologues
Kumuwuki Regional Arts Conference
DAN in SA
La Soiree at Melbourne Festival
Streets Are Alive in Geelong

Silent Monologues on 4th October was a FULL HOUSE! So many people who missed it wanted to see the show so we are having it again on Friday 23 November. Again, the 7:30pm show has sold out but there are some seats left for the 2pm show. Do hurry and book your tickets.

Click here for information & booking. Also click here to see the Reviews!

Ross attended Kumuwuki New Wave - Regional Arts Conference in Goolwa, SA on 18 - 21 October and found it very interesting. The topics that fascinated Ross were about Environment Sustainability and how the Arts can support it, Aboriginal people willing to work with artists in community projects, and how artistic projects can be created using recycled materials. Ask Ross if you want to know more about it!

DAN SA - Yes, Deaf Arts Network in South Australia is currently being set up. Two deaf emerging artists are working on it with the support from DATT - Disability Arts Transition Team. Fiona Cook and Ross are mentoring them as part of the AAV's Mentoring Program.

Ross alongside with few deaf people attended Melbourne Festival's La Soiree and it was AMAZING to watch the performers do crazy acts as well as madness but a lot of fun! It is highly recommended for deaf people to attend La Soiree next year. Do read the reviews below!

Streets Are Alive Festival in Geelong last Saturday was a fun community festival. Deaf and hearing children & adults mixed well in the workshops, had fun Dancing in the Streets, and performing the Butterfly Hands poem at Eastern Beach during Twilight. Photos are on DAN's Facebook - have a look!

Tuesday 4 December at 6pm

Lesley Hall, Chair of Arts Access Victoria, invites you to join us for our
2012 Annual General Meeting
and
Launch of Living Art, Arts Access Victoria’s new e-magazine.

Click here for the flyer with details, also to see the first edition of Living Art enews!

Nu Wave

Saturday 8 December 2012 at 11:30am

Come along and enjoy information stalls, great music and company. Learn some Auslan and great Zumba moves at this free event. Tradeblock café deaf students will also be selling coffee on the day.

City of Stonnington
Grattan Gardens, Prahran
Auslan Interpreters

Watch video below for Auslan information about the event

Pigeonhole

A visual installation

7-9 December

Jodee Mundy & Sam Davison - it is fully visual and for all ages!

Australian Deaf Short Film Festival

Turquoise Australia is excited to announce that we are hosting our 2nd Australia Deaf Short Film Festival on 26 January 2013.
Click here for the details on their website!

MICHAEL JAMES MANAIA
By Taki Rua
45 Downstairs
Little Flinders Street Melbourne
October 20th

This 1991 play based on the life of New Zealander Michael James Manaia, who was played by New Zealand actor Te Kohe Tuaka and tells a story of Michael’s life growing up being the son of a Maori father and a British war bride, the memories of the Vietnam war he joined after the death of his brother, Matt, and the death of his baby son.

At first the show opened gently with a Maori prayer then the story began. That’s when things took a sharp turn. This one-man stage was powerful I found myself immersed by the actor’s connection to the audience, his emotions expressed very well and I felt his story told well. The stage is small and intimate with images of the famous Vietnam War in the background in the beginning and then eventually moody lighting to reflect on the particular moments of Manaia’s life.

Tuaka took on what was becoming a very gruelling and at times manic role where he basically ran across the stage feverishly at times, jumping onto the wooden props scattered across the stage, yelling out cries of helplessness and anger, particularly when his baby son had passed away.

The only negative about this play is I felt there were too much going on, too quickly, and the pacing can be crazy and confusing as the story was being told, sometimes switching to different characters without much pacing.

Despite this, the Tuaka did a great job getting the story across with passion and unsentimentally. The play ended with screams of anguish, helplessness and sadness.

As for the interpretation, I thought the Auslan Interpreters were doing the job well, however, unfortunately, I felt, was let down by what I thought was under-preparation and perhaps did not share the interpretation properly when the stage actor switches to different roles which at times can be confusing and disconnecting. There are times when I noticed the interpreters were trying to understand the actor who as I mentioned previously tended to talk too much too quickly at times, as well and knowing when was their turn to switch. It looked awkward at times.

It became more clear as the show went on there weren’t any proper rehearsals nor were there any sort of communications to decide how to approach the interpretation with the production team. This was vitally important that any production need to have a connection with the Auslan interpreters to ensure to understand where the show was going in order to keep their Deaf audience captivated. This is something that needs to be brought up with not just the Melbourne Festival productions but any performances across the spectrum.

After all, Auslan interpreters can and does, sometimes, by extension, be an unexpected part of the show.

Despite these criticisms, the interpreters did admirably well under trying circumstances. One of them even was able to translate the Maori language when spoken, which I thought was great.

All in all, a great show.

The Show: 3.5 Stars
Interpretation: 2.5 Stars

LA SOIREE
The Forum theatre
27th October 2012

“4.5 Stars!”

“MUST-SEE”

Wow! Just… WOW!

What can I say about this fantastic show, LA SOIREE.

Now THAT’S how a show should work with the Auslan interpreters! They actually made them a PART of the show, not just something that was just added on for the sake of it.

What was even more impressive was the fact it was the show’s first time to have interpreters on their show anywhere in the world.

Located at the Beautiful Forum theatre, there was a ring standing in the middle with the audience surrounding it, making it more intimate experience.

Right from the moment when the show’s MC, Brett, hosted the evening, I somehow knew we would be in for a great show. I just didn’t know how great. He went on to welcome the Deaf community which I thought was such a nice and generous thing to do. Really appreciated.

The 2-hour show has two acts with a short break in between. It has many acts such as amazing acrobatic act, a striptease with a cheeky disappearing hanky, an opera-singling lycra-clad diva (yes, you read this right) and many more.

The opera-loving diva, Le Gateau Chocolat opened the show with a song and sometimes walked around the audience, cheekily and seductively playing with the audience, usually male members, clad in various and colourful body-hugging lycra. He would return in the second act with more singing routines, including one that was moving.

Another act that impressed were a double act called The English Gents, who were doing amazing acrobatic and weightlifting acts whereby one used other’s body weight to lift. It was really a sight to behold. They too, returned in the second act, where one of them, Hamish, who went solo and displayed amazing strength with a lamppost act that reminded me of the Golden Age of Hollywood actor, Gene Kelly.

There were many more acts, such as Mookie, a comedienne with such sweet and innocuous bubbly nature, the rubbery Captain Frodo, the sweet and skippy Jess Love, sexy and skilful Bret Pfister, and Ursula Martinez, a cult figure, with a disappearing hanky… and more.

The Auslan interpreters have passed all expectations. It felt like they were a part of the show.

Lynn Gordon, once again, has proven her worth as one of the most respected Auslan interpreters, it looked like she was enjoying it and it showed. Expressive, excitable and very generous.

As for Cara Due, what a great find! She did such a great job trusting the performers as she interpreted along. The fact one of the acts, Martinez, has made Cara a part of her routine, without feeling forced. It felt natural, connected and humorous.

Another act where Due had stand in front of a piano and trust the performer behind her, who was doing a risky stunt on it.

I felt they were well connected and did such a fabulous jobs to keep us enchanted.

To paraphrase a famous Molly Meldrum saying: Do yourself a favour and go and see this must-see show.

We all left feeling really appreciated and really did have the best time. In fact, we were on a high.

Funny, naughty but cheeky and dramatic.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

The Show: 4.5 Stars
Interpretation: 4.5 Stars

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