Get the Balance Right - Day 2

Ahhh I think we've found our mover and shaker...i think the art belongs to him now

Get the Balance Right - Day 1 - Night

Evening of Day 1, came to bump out and the art had been moved and in it's place were two bins... who moved them?? Does this mean the art is rubbish?

Get the Balance Right - Day 1

Get the Balance Right - Public Art in Public Spaces

A new piece by Ramona Telecican (Fashion + Object Stylist)

Day 1

Opening Weekend of Fringe

I am so tired but so happy after a rippa opening weekend at the Melbourne Fringe Festival Hub.

It's such a bizarre feeling to have worked on my show for so long by myself in the studio and then to suddenly have people watching and laughing along with me.

Highlights from the weekend;

are opening my show to a big loud audience, awesome crew, lots of laughs, realising that it was all worth it, booty shaking at the fringe club till the lights got turned on and we got kicked out, stopping for a moment on the dance floor during 'total eclipse of the heart' to see a crowded room of art geeks spontaneously and passionately burst into interpretive dance off's....no one can party quite like art geeks (feels like home).

Saw 'The Courtesan' (Brigid Dolan) at Bar Open on Sunday night, was a really honest and passionate first showing of this work that she should be immensely proud of. Standout moments for me were the heightened physical sequences such as the 'washer woman' scene, and the moments of truth when Brigid really managed to embodied the character, such as when Camille fell in love. It was great to see a big crowd out to support her on her closing night, I think we will definitely be hearing more from Mz Dolan.

And finally setting up 'Get the Balance Right' today in the Bourke Street Mall. A public art piece by Fashion and Object Stylist Ramona Telecican.

It was truly surreal, got up at 6am, the city was deserted but for the cleaners and a fewer eager corporates, we got drilled by the guy at the convenience store about why we make art (7am Validation of creative selves whhatt!), then nearly got knocked over by an especially driven corporate, set up the art work and then watched in glee as the 'Big Issue' vendor decided to pick it up and position it differently. Public Art in Public Spaces.

Highlights to look forward to are;

Tight-Arse Tuesday tomorrow night,

Opening Night of 'In Search of Atlantis' at Bar Open,

Opening Night of 'Belle's Paradise' at Trade's Hall,

getting the Adelaide Fringe Registrations in on time,

seeing 'Asleep in a Secret', 'Kneu', 'Hamlet Apocalypse' and 'Donna and Damo (an asexual love story)'.

Have spent the day needing a nap but am still undecided.

Three Women

A courtesan, a clown and a love sick teenager. Brigid Dolan, Tessa Waters and Sarah Hillman-Stolz present three unique female characters in their solo performances for this years’ Melbourne Fringe Festival.

In her show The Courtesan, Brigid Dolan invites you to step into the bohemian underworld of 19th c. Paris, on a journey through the salons and boudoirs of celebrated French prostitute Marie du Plessis.

Tessa Waters in How to be a Lady is a young woman who wakes to find an audience in her bedroom and a narrator telling her what to do... If she'd have known they were coming she would have remembered to wear pants.

Self-deprecating and semi-autobiographical, Sarah Hillman-Stolz’s Belle's Paradise is about discovering how love and life changes us and whether what you learn in ten years helps or hurts you.

Three vastly different characters, three performers presenting varied and exciting new work with female stories and bodies at their forefront – all in one fantastic festival.

Fringe 2009 Launched

What a morning, the 2009 Melbourne Fringe Festival was launched with much fun and frivolity (and champagne!) yesterday morning. It was really inspiring to see the room filled with such amazing and diverse artists from Melbourne and around the country.

Even the speaches were inspiring, so often at these events one has to sit through dry and meaningless spiels about the arts, using popular buzz words like 'innovative' and 'excellence' (what do they actually mean??) but I have to say Emily Sexton's speech (Creative Producer) gave me goose bumps, its so refreshing to hear an artistic leader speak with such genuine and tangible intention.

I had wonderful chats to some great artists, and am really looking forward to seeing their creations. Watch out for these shows;

'Asleep in a Secret' (p32) by Skye Gellman,

'The Antics Shop' (p60) by Justin McGinley,

'The Courtesan' (p24) by Bridget Dolan

'Belle's Paradise' (p18) by Sarah Hillman-Stolz

'The Hamlet Apocalypse' (p24) by Steven Mitchell Wright

'A tiny chorus' (p16) by Elbow Room

But most exciting of all of course was the official release of the sparkly new guide and tickets!!

So what are you waiting for follow the links below to get tickets to the premier seasons of

How to be a Lady

http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/fringe-festival/show/how-to-be-a-lady

and

In Search of Atlantis

http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/fringe-festival/show/in-search-of-atlantis

Outside Eye Mentorship Program

Exciting news for my fringe show 'How to be a Lady', I've been selected to be on of 18 participants of the 2009 Outside Eye Mentorship Program through the Melbourne Fringe Festival, Full Tilt (The Arts Centre). I am lucky enough to be working with the extremely talented and lovely award winning director Clare Watson.

'Clare has worked as a director, actor, writer, musician, designer, dramaturge and teacher for theatre. She graduated from VCA Directing in 2003. She also has an Arts Degree and a Dip Ed from the University of Melbourne. Last year she created an installation in Brussels at Les Bains::Connective during a residency supported by Aphids.

In 2006 Clare had a Besen scholarship as assistant director to Michael Kantor at the Malthouse. She also created 6 independent projects. In 2005, Clare directed Hotel a site-specific work (for which she won the inaugural Best Director Award for Melbourne Fringe), The Diabolical Ones for Melbourne University, performed at the Old Melbourne Gaol and Smashed, written by Lally Katz, for Instorage at the Storeroom, nominated for three 2005 Green Room Awards including Best Production.

Clare’s directing highlights include original/devised work such as Uninvited Guests (a theatrical installation in a crumbling art deco apartment, Outstanding Design Award Melbourne Fringe 2004), Life. Get it up ya. (Barry Award nominee Melbourne Comedy Festival, Edinburgh Festival) and Sucker (Best Solo Show Melbourne Fringe, Edinburgh, Auckland, Adelaide, London and The Studio at the Sydney Opera House). She is currently working on The Man with the September Face: A site-specific rollerdrama, inspired by a suburban skate rink.'

It's so amazing how much more focused your work becomes when you have someone in the room who can instantly identify those areas that most need work.

Also soaking up lots of tips for touring shows nationally and internationally!