Welcome to 2020: a message from Mitchell Butel
Hello and welcome to 2020 with State Theatre Company South Australia.
We hope you had a happy holiday season, although we also know that it has been a difficult one for many. The bushfires that have affected our city, state and country have been incredibly distressing and devastating for many of our audiences, friends and supporters. How we rebuild, how we prevent, how we change paradigms — all of these things will come into focus now more than ever.
What has also come into focus is the power of community — communities that rally to help, to volunteer, to contribute, to care. And to witness communities in action around this devastation has been enormously heartening. Our company and our staff have joined these efforts to contribute on various levels as well.
At the end of the day, other people are all we have. And to join with other people is something we have to do to survive and thrive.
What place does theatre have in that context? How can what we do have a positive impact?
Creating theatre is also an act of community. A community of artists and audiences. A community where hopefully stories of humanity can heal, connect, soothe, relieve, divert but moreover, motivate, enlighten and inspire.
A community that makes us feel less alone.
And it is our honest and earnest hope that the community and stories we provide for you this year in the theatre can achieve some of those things for you.
This week, we commenced rehearsals on Dance Nation, our first show for the year and the first show I have programmed for the Company. Set in the world of competitive dance, Clare Barron’s globally acclaimed play is an extraordinary, original and hilarious celebration of young women — their hopes, friendships and ambitions.
We have an extraordinary team working on this production — director Imara Savage, designer Jonathan Oxlade and a fiercely talented cast, including the star of Strictly Ballroom and Dance Academy, Tara Morice.
And I’m privileged to be a part of this production playing Dance Teacher Pat — in a very glamorous tracksuit.
We can’t wait to share this genius and dazzling piece with you.
We can’t wait to share the rest of the 2020 season with you as well. If you haven’t already gotten on board, we’d love to offer you up to a 20% discount to the season when you subscribe to 4 or more plays. You can even choose which dates later down the track through our Flexi-Subsciptions. The best seats for the best prices — and the best shows. Re-imagined classics, exciting new Australian and international works, feel-good comedies, powerful dramas. And great music, great design, great actors and great performances. Details of how to subscribe here.
We love our audience and supporter community.
We thank you for coming on the journey with us so far and we hope you enjoy the next journey that is about to commence.
See you in a foyer soon.
All the best,
Mitchell
