Program Guide 2010 Program Guide

Belgium/Canada Australian Premiere AN ANTHOLOGY OF OPTIMISM An optimist and a pessimist walk onto a stage... No it’s not the start of the joke, but rather the theatrical presentation of the quirky social research project An Anthology of Optimism created by Jacob Wren, Canadian writer and maker of eccentric performances, and Pieter De Buysser, Belgian writer, philosopher and theatre-maker. This intriguing project asks: What sort of meaning can optimism have today in this era of heightened terrorism awareness and global warming concerns? Together these two artists, the optimist and the pessimist, set out to find the answer. They began by sending a letter to well-known authors, artists, thinkers, scientists, politicians and business identities all over the world, who in turn responded with photos, texts, songs, movies and other objects that represented optimism to them. And now it’s Melbourne’s turn, as the international responses are combined with Australia’s views to provide a fascinating and at times hilarious framework for the live presentation of An Anthology of Optimism. The setting for this engaging and entertaining lecture-performance is simple: just Wren and De Buysser alone on stage, sharing the contributions they received with the aid of an overhead projector and using them as a prompt 24 for their own whimsical yet thought-provoking research into how critical optimism might function in our contemporary world. Created by Pieter De Buysser & Jacob Wren Slides Mathilde Geens Event Information the Arts Centre, Fairfax Studio Wed 20 – Sat 23 Oct at 7.45pm Sat 23 Oct at 5pm 1hr 10min no interval Full..............................................................$45 Groups (8+)........................................... $40.50 Concession.............................................$33.75 Student........................................................$25 Save up to 20%. See page 72 for details. the Arts Centre 1300 182 183 www.theartscentre.com.au Ticketmaster 1300 723 038 www.melbournefestival.com.au Produced by CAMPO Co-Produced by Linz 2009 European Capital Of Culture; Brut, Wien; Kunstenfestivaldesarts 09, Brussels; and Camp X, Kopenhagen Images: © Phile Deprez Ireland Australian Premiere THE BECKETT TRILOGY Pieter De Buysser & Jacob Wren/CAMPO What happens when a convincing optimist and a committed pessimist decide to work together? Gare St Lazare Players Ireland “A fruitful and amusing dialectic between opposing points of view and between two utterly likeable and engaging people.” British Theatre Guide Molloy, Malone Dies & The Unnamable by Samuel Beckett A spell-binding marathon solo performance of three Beckett literary masterpieces integrity that is the hallmark of Samuel Beckett’s writing. The Beckett Trilogy is an engrossing and enthralling performance from a consummate theatre performer. Samuel Beckett reinvented 20th Century drama and literature. As Waiting For Godot heralded a new way of looking at the stage, the great trilogy of novels, Molloy, Malone Dies and The Unnamable, forced us to reconsider the novel. Irish theatre company Gare St Lazare Players Ireland have adapted Beckett’s seminal fictional trilogy into a three-hour tour de force performance that vividly captures the subtlety, humour and despair of this literary masterpiece and masterfully brings the original works to life on the stage. Director Judy Hegarty Lovett Performer Conor Lovett Text Compiled by Conor Lovett and Judy Hegarty Lovett from the novels Molloy, Malone Dies & The Unnamable by Samuel Beckett Regarded by many critics as the greatest living Beckett interpreter, Conor Lovett gives an astonishingly effortless performance of the novels with their wealth of Beckett's celebrated signature effects – rhetorical shapeliness, scabrous wit, poetic lyricism, shocking crudity and piercing insight. This magnificent rendition of the three works in one performance represents a rare opportunity to experience these masterpieces in the context in which they were written. Director Judy Hegarty Lovett and actor Conor Lovett have worked together on bringing nearly 20 Beckett titles to audiences around the world. The couple’s work has been hailed for its success in making the work fresh and accessible while highlighting t H[[

Program Guide 2010 Program Guide | Page 26