Light shines from hidden stories and can illuminate us all

There was an unexpected but entirely natural connection between two events last Thursday, February 25. The first was the funeral of Christina Green, also known as Christina Riley, whose story appeared in this blog two weeks ago. The second was the opening night of Teacup in a Storm at Q Theatre, Penrith, that evening. It was only Chris’s extraordinary physical strength, her deep spiritual connection with the land and her mental discipline that had allowed her to survive a childhood and adolescence of extreme cruelty and abuse to become an adult where caring for others, including her own four children, was a constant characteristic. Teacup in a Storm was a play created from stories gathered by Therese Cook, actor and teacher, from people who are carers in western Sydney.

Chris’s book, The Life of Riley, above, which detailed her early life of abuse and incarceration, stood prominently on her coffin among the colourful flowers. Her long time counsellor, friend and colleague, Kay Lamport, read a quote from Elizabeth Kubler-Ross to describe Chris and the impact she had on others, “The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of those depths.” She didn’t have an ounce of self-pity and family and friends made frequent reference to her loud laughter and love of talking. Of the many children who came into her care, Kay said Chris had no thought for herself, but was always entirely child centred.

Teacup in a Storm featured lives that have been dramatically altered when people find themselves caring for a family member or friend who is heavily dependent on them. Whether it is an autistic child, a partner increasingly affected by dementia, a teenager who feels cast out when a disabled sibling requires round the clock care, a gay man caring for a foster child, a single mum who has enjoyed her independence but has to resume care for her child after her former partner is killed in a car accident. Each story is different, but there is the constant round of caring, the domestic drudgery, the endless battles with an unresponsive bureaucracy, and more often than not, the social isolation as others fear close contact and time does not allow outings and visits. With multiple roles played by just two people Teacup in a Storm took off into poetic fantasy and fairytale references in an imaginative and illuminating insight into the lives of carers. In one of the roles the carer observes her sleeping child, admitting to a mix of love, sorrow and resentment – such utterly human responses.

Andrew Taylor in the Sydney Morning Herald described the background to the development of Teacup in a Storm in Weaving some magic into the world of carers. Therese Cook proposed the show to Q Theatre’s producer Nick Atkins after having recorded many interviews with carers and drawing on her own experience. A team of four devised the show – Therese and Marie Chanel, pictured above, who were also the performers, writer Noelle Janaczewska, who gave the piece its poetic flow, and Nick Atkins as director. The staging, light and sound took the audience immediately into the ever demanding roundabout of the carer’s life and clearly struck chords for many present.

Q is the resident theatre making program based at Penrith’s Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, “The Joan”, and a direct descendant of the original Q Theatre. It maintains the original commitment to make contemporary theatre works for the local area and beyond. Tomorrow, Friday, March 4, at 6.30pm, they are presenting another show created with young, local LGBTQI people Project: Whisper as part of Mini Gras ’16. As they say, it is “not about coming out, but about welcoming in”. In the midst of current ugly arguments against gay marriage and the safe schools program, this collaborative project with Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District asks “What are we meant to be other than who we are?” Accepting difference and finding confident voice as an individual is an enriching outcome. Phone 4723 7600 or tickets at the door.

Come and STARE at some fantastic creativity

You can break all the rules with this celebration and come and stare as much as you like! You are invited to get yourself involved in one of the many free workshops, attend a show, buy some original artwork, see a film but most of all come and STARE! A two week program of theatre, film, dance, music and art began in Parramatta on Monday. STARE FEST is an inclusive arts festival at Riverside Theatres and around Parramatta showcasing the artistic and creative talents of people living with disabilities. It is coordinated by Beyond The Square, a dedicated performing arts program for people with disability that had its origins at Riverside in 1995.

More recently it has been led by Alison Richardson, whose assistant director for the festival is Gerard O’Dwyer, a graduate of Beyond the Square workshops and now an employee of Riverside Theatres. Here, Gerard gives Alison a recent birthday hug. Gerard is about to return from Russia, where he received two awards on behalf of Bus Stop Films – one for The Interviewer and one for their 2009 film, Frances and Annie. Click here to see him on Facebook participating in a Q & A session after the awards and meeting fans at the Moscow venue.

Hatch Transformational is an exhibition showcasing photography, sculpture, paintings and videos made through Sunnyfield’s Hatch mentoring program – a unique program matching local Western Sydney artists with people living with disability. You are invited to stare at the astonishing body of work on show in the foyer of Riverside Theatres, cnr Church & Market Sts, Parramatta, until December 5, Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm, Saturday 9.30am – 12:30pm.

Then there’s theatre and dance to be stared at – Beyond Abba: The Control Room. Here’s a sneak peek at a photo from last week’s dress rehearsal for the big end of year multimedia extravaganza. It’s all on this Wednesday, November 19, at 11am, and is FREE but you need to book on 8839 3399 or click here. Beyond Abba: the Control Room will be followed by a Courtyard party with live Karaoke, dancing and a free barbecue lunch.

For two weeks at the Parramatta Artists Studios, participants can transform a photographic self-portrait into a colourful pop art poster as part of Summer Parradise. On Tuesday, December 2, DirtyFeet and FORM Dance Projects will present a new contemporary dance production, In Transit. Choreographed by Sarah-Vyne Vassallo, In Transit will feature four young dancers in an exploration of everyday life transitions. Showoff!, on Sunday, November 30, is a full day presented by Down Syndrome NSW featuring performances, exhibitions and workshops on dance, drama, circus, music, film and fine arts.

STARE FEST culminates in a whole day of festivities on Wednesday, December 3, International Day of People with Disability. On the Streets will include the life size selfie portraits created at Parramatta Artists Studios in a paste up display Summer Parradise at Centenary Square, Parramatta. For more information about the STARE FEST program and bookings, click here.

Riverside is the only mainstream theatre company in Australia to have a dedicated program committed solely to the development of opportunities for people with disability in the arts. Beyond the Square is about working outside the norm, thinking laterally & creatively. It is about embracing difference and challenging preconceptions.