HAVEYOUHEARDABOUTTHEBIRD?EVERYBODY’SHEARDABOUTTHEBIRD!

SHE’S A LITTLE FINCH by ELISE HEARST
17-26 NOVEMBER 2011

The low lights. The piano. The polished floor. The smell of almonds.

Following a hugely successful season of Dirtyland, in Sydney, Melbourne local Elise Hearst is thrilled to bring She’s a Little Finch to MKA.

Directed by Western Australian Jacquelin Low with designer Michael Parry and a cast including Tom Dent, Kerith Manderson-Galvin, Alexandria Steffensen and Lauren Urquhart.

SEE THE TRAILER! xx

Photo: Sarah Walker Shown: Kerith Manderson-Galvin

TERRORIST OF THE RIGHT OR LONE WOLF?

THE ECONOMIST NOV29-DEC10

THE ECONOMIST by TOBIAS MANDERSON-GALVIN

Opening in just two weeks! See the trailer here!

The Economist: in Rehearsal…

Shown: Peter Paltos, Actor, contemplating you

Rear: Fred the Deer Head  Centre: Conor Gallacher
Fore: James Deeth’s Arms

OPEN SEASON CLOSED

After fifteen readings from 15 writers, Open Season has again drawn to a close. In it’s place are two full productions now playing in the MKA Abbotsford space, She’s A Little Finch and the Economist. We look forward to seeing some of the Open Season shows in production very soon!

From left: Chris Broadstock; Sarah Walker; Brad Williams; Paul Blenheim; Cate Wolfe; Soren Jenson. The cast of Van Badham’s Swamplands

AWARDS!

MKA SHORTLISTED FOR AWARDS! ARTSHUB AWARD

Artshub.com.au have launched their first ever annual awards program and MKA have been short listed twice in the same category!
The production of J.A.T.O. by Vedrana Klepica and the season from which it appeared in, MKA Season One, have both been short listed for the category of Acheivement in the Arts. Congratulations to everyone involved in J.A.T.O and the entire season of MKA SEASON ONE including the three other shows, SLEEPYHEAD, 22 SHORT PLAYS & THE HORROR FACE, the four shows that were developed during MKA’s residency at MTC, and everyone else who helped make the season possible.
You can vote for us in the People’s Choice.
Follow the link…

VOTE FOR MKA

THANK YOU XX

SEASON ONE: Sleepyhead, 22ShortPlays, The Horror Face, J.A.T.O
and YOU!
Remember for daily updates find us on Facebook and Twitter.
xx
MKA

MKATOCANBERRA!TOBRISBANE!TONEWCASTLE!

MKA IS TRAVELLING PLEASE HELP US DO IT _____________________________________________________________

22 SHORT PLAYS STREET THEATRE CANBERRA SEPTEMBER 15-18

We’re sending hit show 22 SHORT PLAYS by DAVID FINNIGAN to the Nation’s Capital, But we can’t do it without you. Do you want an MKA t-shirt!? Just Donate as little as $25! Hell Yes! A 10 minute play written in your honour! Just Donate $363! Hell yeah! Naming rights to the show for a cool $1000! Do it at once! There are heaps of prizes, heaps of goodies, and heaps of entertainment that can be yours: So please help out now.

Get thee to the pozible website!!!

CLICK HERE TO GET WHAT’S YOURS & TO TAKE MKA TO CANBERRA xx

+ SEE MORE ABOUT THE SHOW HERE

but now….

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AUSTRALIAN THEATRE FORUM BRISBANE

This month we’re sending MKA General Manager & Head of Programming Glyn Roberts to the inaugural Independent Producers Forum in Brisbane and then a few days later he’ll be rooting around for ideas and making MKA’s stance regarding new writing’s place in Australian theatre a priority at the Australian Theatre Forum.

For a taste of information on the forum see here:

AUSTRALIAN THEATRE FORUM

For more about the Summit see here:

INDEPENDENT PRODUCERS SUMMIT

Roberts will be writing a gonzo style report on the trip so expect to hear about all what’s happening once he makes it through the airport and faxes us the napkins.

and finally…

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THIS IS NOT ART FESTIVAL NEWCASTLE

This Sept-Oct the This Is Not Art Festival + Crack Theatre Festival in Newcastle are proudly hosting MKA Artistic Director Tobias Manderson-Galvin as he presents the public lecture ‘How To Write Plays’. Join Tobias and a selection of industry pros such as newly appointed Malthouse Theatre Literary Associate Van Badham as they critique, unravel and then ravel back up again in time to critique some more ‘plays’. For more info see here…

Cracktheatrefestival.com & thisisnotart.org Foreground MKA Artistic Director T. Manderson-Galvin _______________________________________________________________________________

Dont forget to check out the ‘TO CANBERRA‘ Pozible website and Help us get to Canberra!

Remember for daily updates find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Write on!

Wait hang on that wasn’t meant to be a pun it was meant to be encouragement to any writer who was reading this to send us their plays in anticipation of the reading season that is on the near horizon… You may take it as both.

xx MKA

Season One – Now Closed

In the next couple of months we’ll be announcing Season Two and letting you in on what we’ll be up to next year. In the mean time we’ll keep posting magic moments from MKA Season One to keep your whistle wet. Thanks to everyone who was a part of making our debut season happen; audience, cast, crew, production staff, friends, lovers, family and anyone else we’ve neglected to mention.

If you’d like to take a look at the response from the media you can do so on our Review page (REVIEWS) and we’ll keep posting pictures, ideas, videos and text right here, on our facebook page and via the enews.

See you in Season Two.
xx
MKA

WRITERS

If you’re a writer now is the perfect time to get in touch. Last year we opened up five weeks of stage time to hear over 25 new plays read to the public. Maybe you’ve got a script you’ve been sitting on. Or maybe you’ve got a team that want’s to get some work up. If you’d like to speak with us with general enquiries try us at info@mka.org.au and if you’ve got scripts you’d like considered then shoot them through to our literary agent Caz Butler at literary@mka.org.au.

BENEFITS

Once we’ve announced Season 2 you may want to consider the benefits of subscribing to the whole season. As a gift or for yourself, if you’re interested in the best new writing there’s no more effective way to be involved.

xx

MKA

“Thrilling in the best tradition of European political theatre.”
TIMEOUT MAGAZINE ANDREW FUHRMANN
“Taught, tight, terrific, terrorist theatrics.”
THE AGE ELLY VARRENTI

J.A.T.O. FIGHTING TO THE FINISH

J.A.T.O is the story of four. No wait three. Who was that other guy? Who cares he’s dead now and we never liked him anyway. So J.A.T.O. is the story of three members of some kind of group called J.A.T.O. who seem to have instruments yet they are not a band. They are not a flock of anything and they are neither what you want them to be nor the best at what you want them to be the best at.
But they did get FOUR STARS from the Age so for now that’s a start..

The J.A.T.O. script is the first international import from MKA.
Written by acerbic Croatian playwright Vedrana Klepica.
Directed by stand out VCA grad Tanya Dickson plus
Dramaturgy from Green Room + RE ROSS Trust winner Declan Greene
Sound Design by Tony Award Nominee Russel Goldsmith
and a bright young cast of recent graduates.

TWO WEEKS LEFT ONLY – SEASON CAN NOT BE EXTENDED

BOOK NOW! For J.A.T.O by Vedrana Klepica Playing until July 30

Foreground Tom Dent
Rear Cate Wolswinkel, Stefan Bramble, Rory Kelly

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MKA @ MTC THEATRE WORKSHOP THREE MORE DAYS!!!

The MKA Workshop Series in the VIP Rooms at the MTC Theatre draws to a close this week with three nights of public displays of young playwright Louris van de Geer’s Tuesday.
Director Brienna Macnish.
Featuring Jenny Seedsman, James Deeth, Amy Hack and Aaron Walton.
This is an opportunity to see an exceptional piece of writing in the most confronting form. Get up close and personal in the VIP Rooms at MTC Theatre.

BOOK NOW! For Tuesday. Playing JULY 18, 19 & 20 7.30PM Nightly

Tuesday. follows on from the last week’s workshop Twins by Isobel Roberts-Orr, dir. Mark Wilson. All four of these works are going through the rigorous process of interrogation and development that will determine what sort of play they will be, what sort of stage they desire all so that we can get the best new writing for the stage.

Shown Oliver Coleman + Emma Hall

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The Horror Face – Scripts Available

After a blockbuster premiere season, The Horror Face by Glyn Roberts, directed by Felix Ching Ching Ho, is now closed.

They called it: “surprisingly amusing; poignant; and ultimately a very political play.”; “the amphetamines, drugs, the uppers and downers, trips, morphine and adrenaline.” “a creepy triumph” “the perfect balance between sense and nonsense” “an unsettling and eccentrically funny work, enriched by edgy, vibrant performances.” and now it is closed.

But fear not! Or if you truly fear then run away!!! If not then…
Copies of the script are available in pdf and e-book friendly formats so the nightmare can continue as long as you’d like. If you are already waking up in cold sweats thinking about the apocalypse, don’t keep it to yourself! Share it with your friends!
To enquire about getting a copy of this or any of our plays contact literary@mka.org.au

Be the lion!

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Remember for daily updates find us on Facebook and Twitter.

xx
MKA

THE HORROR FACE

PREVIEWS TUES 21 + WED 22 JUNE

OPENS THUR 23 JUNE

It’s that time again! Another new show is opening at MKA’s pop-up theatre in Prahran. The perfect change of pace from the sharp, disconnected hilarity of David Finnigan’s 22 Short Plays, The Horror Face by Glyn Roberts brings you three interconnected realities, questioning what it is to be human. As our knowledge of the world, DNA, and ourselves rockets onwards, Roberts asks, with his trademark tenacity and wit, what might this means for our capacity to succeed and to connect. Roberts is joined in this endeavour by creative visionary, acclaimed young director Felix Ching Ching Ho in this her first English language work.

Look! Don’t Look! Now! The Horror Face

///// BOOK NOW! TO SEE THE HORROR FACE
///// VISIT THE FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE
///// WATCH THE TRAILER

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CURTAINS

After 3 weeks and 15 Melbourne shows the French, Royal blue curtains have come to a close on 22 Short Plays. Reviews of the show range from “I love this show” to “seriously twisted”; at least one was “wildly entertained” and we’ve been accused of having “an obsession with ELO“.

Some weeks before rehearsals of 22 Short Plays began playwright David Finnigan suggested that the creative ensemble behind the show keep in mind that he’d like the show to be the sort of piece you could take a date too. Maybe you could spend half the show making out in the back row. Maybe you could just hold hands. If this actually happened to anyone except the couple that whispered ‘that’s you’ to each other during Play Number 17: Friction, we’d love to hear from you.

22 and Out.

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