10th March 2009

Welcome to the latest Tashmadada e-News - an update of all our activities past, present and future.

 2009 has certainly taken off with a bang...

Starting with the inaugural Searchlight Festival of Independent performance works in February. The festival ran over four packed nights.. and created a good 'buzz', good press and good size audiences each night. The eclectic program provoked lots of discussion, excitement and brought new audiences to the individual artists.

The festival was a Tashmadada and fortyfivedownstairs co-production - with a programming committee that included Fiona Gruber and Greg Dyson. It included performances by some of our best and most innovative artists - Nick Tsiavos and Deborah Kayser,  Cubists Cigars, Robert Reid, Tanya Gerstle, Ania Walwich, Barry Dickens, Tim Darbyshire ( and his now famous bucket piece), Nareeporn Vachananda, Joseph Sherman, Elissa Goodrich and Amanda Armstrong. Plus, a program of new plays in development curated by Peta Tait.

Comments:

Manbeth's Lachlan Woods: Searchlight Festival gave our ensemble the chance to test the mettle of our unconventional stage form. I know of no-other Australian performing Arts Festival which fertilizes the imaginations and pushes the limits of it's own artists more.

Musician Elissa Goodrich:  The designated parameters for short works and for new, experiemental performance projects was wonderful/ perfect for us, and within that environment/ expectation we recieved very positive and encouraging feedback , and exposure to people/ audience not familiar with us or our work..... the diverse programming was really exciting.

Writer/performer Robert Reid: Searchlight 2009 at 45 Downstairs was a fantastic project and deserves to become an annual event.

And this is what we are aiming to do - run it as an annual event. So, planning has just started for Searchlight Festival 2010. We are happy to hear from anyone wanting to get involved... (or offering any sponsorship....)

Click to watch promo:

News:

* The trip to New York and Washington was very exciting and has opened some new possibilities for future collaborations with Tashmadada. More about this as they develop.

Whilst there, one of the main things I did was sitting in on rehearsals with the performance company Witness Relocation. You can read about this exciting company in an article in Real Time Magazine:

http://www.realtimearts.net/article/issue89/9350

* Motti Lerner's play - Benedictus - which Tashmadada workshopped here last year, has since been further developed and performed in New York and Washington. We are still working on getting a production of this timely and relevant play - here in Australia. The recent world events makes this prospect even more urgent...

* In Washington, I was hosted by Theater J - as part of their Incubator program of new works in development. I was given studio time and then my performance piece, Cordelia, Mein Kind was worked on with intelligent and constructive input from Theater J's Artistic Director, Ari Roth and his incredible production staff - Seth Finkle and Delia Taylor.

The week culminated in a performance followed by a panel discussion which included the dance writer/critic Lisa Traiger. It proved to be such a valuable working period. As a result, the piece has now been even further developed and is ready to tour.

It will be performed on the 17th March at fortyfivedownstairs... One Night Only! Details on the Tashmadada website: www.tashmadada.com

 Performance:

* Here are some details of what looks to be a unique one night only performance - also at fortyfivedownstairs:


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Upcoming Events:

* Requests have been made for another Directors Cut: a gathering of friends, colleagues and supporters for an evening of intrigue, curious performance, entertainment, ingestion and imbibing. So.... planning has started for this - to be programmed in April.... The exact date to be posted soon. 

* New projects/workshops are on the boil....  so don't forget to keep checking the website www.tashmadada.com as it is being regularly updated.



Deborah

www.tashamdada.com



 

5th December 2008

Welcome to the latest Tashmadada e-News - an update of all our activities past, present and future.

It's been a while between newsletters. But silence can sometimes be golden and ,,,,,does not mean inactivity. Tashmadada has certainly had a big a fulfilling year... and 2009 is gearing up to be a continuation of this.

So here is some of the more recent things we have been doing:

* Remounting and performing Eddie Tamir's one man show - The DeKlein of Pigs and Men. The work has been developed and is a strong and physical performance piece. It was performed for the Scopus conference at Melbourne University's Guild Theatre.

* Developing and rehearsing Cordelia, Mein Kind, which was shown at Dancehouse. The piece is directed and co/written by Meredith Rogers and now has Sally Smith on board as choreographic           consultant. The work now goes to Washington's Theater J as part of their Incubator Program of works in development - December 2008. The piece has been made thanks to the Victoria University Residency Program. Look out for full performance dates in the coming year.

You can view a teaser of the work in progress at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vSSNe8U9bM

* A new initiative - the Searchlight Festival 2009 - a new festival of independent performance works... more details below.

* This year has also been a big one thanks to Motti Lerner and the Australian theatre practitioners who made this workshopping and reading of his play 'Benedictus' such a success. We are hoping to mount a full production here in the future. Since being here, the play has been further developed in New York and Washington, and is now being performed at Theater J next March.

News:

* February 2009 sees the inaugural Searchlight Festival of Independent performance works. Full program details will be out soon... but the festival - a Tashmadada and fortyfivedownstairs co-production with Victoria University - and programmer Fiona Gruber. It includes performances by some of our best and most innovative artists. These include Humphrey Bower, Cubists Cigars, Robert Reid, Tanya Gerstle, Ania Walwich, Barry Dickens, Nareeporn Vachananda, Joseph Sherman, Sally Smith,Elissa Goodrich and Amanda Armstrong. Plus, a program of new plays in development curated by Peta Tait.

Searchlight Festival is a curated festival of explosively diverse performance at fortyfivedownstairs, in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. It showcases the best of our dynamic independent performance works including works by ensembles, solo artists, writers and creators - artists who offer new perspectives - ranging from emerging talents to masters in the field.

 
The type of works on offer at Searchlight differs considerably in scale and focus from other festival events in Melbourne. Curatorially, the rationale is to provide a platform and context for the best independent works - the gems and diamonds that have been performed to only a few - and have been denied their full performance potential. The works included in Searchlight’s program are those that have attracted critical and audience acclaim for their quality and originality but haven’t had the opportunity to be re-mounted and thus shown to a wider audience or fulfil possible touring opportunities.


Full program will be posted on the Tashmadada and fortyfivedownstairs websites soon.

And so... I am off to New York and Washington as part of my Victoria University Residency. Whilst there one of the exciting things I'll be doing will be sitting in on rehearsals with the performance company Witness Relocation (I'll be writing about them for Real Time Magazine when I get back); and engaging with as much as I can - including meeting with Richard Schechner!

And, if you'd like to read an article I wrote for Real Time about La Furas del Baus's powerful show Sub, performed in the belly of a ship in the port in Barcelona, you can read it online at: www.realtimearts.net/article/issue88/9213

Have a great holiday period - and a Happy New Year..... more soon .

Deborah

www.tashamdada.com
 

18th July 2008


Welcome to the latest Tashmadada e-News - an update of all our activities past, present and future.


News:

Well, we have just finished two strong weeks of working with Israeli playwright/screenwriter

Motti Lerner.

Whilst in Australia, Motti had a full schedule, which not only included intense work on the play but also talks, meetings with well-known Australian playwrights, play readings and a film screening.

But, the main focus was to develop Lerner’s controversial new play Benedictus – a razor sharp political thriller set forty-eight hours before a possible apocalyptic bombing of Iran, by America - deepening and developing the themes of the play, culminating in a public reading.

The Australian artists working on the play were:

dramaturge Julian Meyrick, composer Elizabeth Drake, actors Majid Shokor, Matt Crosby, Robin Cuming and Greg Dyson and director Deborah Leiser-Moore.

The first week of the workshop was dedicated to research and exploration. Together, the team explored the commonalities, connections and differences between Australia and the Middle East.

During this week, guests were invited into the process to engage in the discussion and give feedback to the work in process. These included theatre academic and playwright, Professor Peta Tait, writer, Arnold Zable, Richard Zimmermann and theatre practitioner, Yoni Prior.

The second week was dedicated to integrating all of the discussion of the first week and rehearsing the work for the public reading on Friday 27th June. The reading attracted a good size audience who responded very strongly and positively to the work. The reading was followed by a vibrant discussion/Q&A session. It was clear there was a keen interest to see a full-blown production of this insightful play.

Other Activities:

* Motti gave a talk at the State Library of Victoria with Julian Meyrick on the theme: The Theatre of War - Art and Politics in the Time of Discontent which provoked a vibrant discussion.

* Motti also met with our most highly regarded playwrights including, Wesley Enoch, Hannie Rayson, Patricia Cornelius, Christos Tsiolkas and Melissa Reeves. This proved to be an engaging and beneficial exchange of ideas and work practices. This happened thanks to Hilary Glow who opened her house for the meeting. 

Hilary has recently written: In Power Plays: Australian Theatre and the Public Agenda, in which she investigates the work of some of Australia’s most successful playwrights who share a passion about the theatre as a forum for public discussion.

* He also met with Professor Mark Baker  - Director of the Centre for Jewish Civilisation at Monash University who, with his wife, Kerryn, kindly invited a number of people to their place for a discussion.

* Motti also took part in Limmud Oz at Monash University. As part of this program, Motti showed his film, Silence of the Sirens and had a play reading of his play Hard Love. Both were followed by vibrant Question and Answer sessions.

ABC Radio:

Motti was interviewed by Amanda Smith for Radio National's Arts Program, Artworks. This can now be heard on podcast:

www.abc.net.au/rn/artworks/stories/2008/2280785.htm  .
 

Comments:

Hilary Glow: Motti was inspiring and compelling.
 

Christos Tsiolkas: Thanks again for organising last Friday. I’m aching for more of that kind of discussion. I enjoyed reading Motti’s play. I thought it was tough, challenging, authentic. Can you also please keep me in the loop for any future readings or performances of the play.

Carmela Levy-Stokes: I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the play reading (Hard Love). I think it's a superb piece. It's a complex piece with a number of dimensions explored in depth by Motti.

Arnold Zable: It was terrific meeting Motti. He is a man of great integrity and courage, as well as skill. I learnt a lot from him and from the whole process. I thought the reading was powerful - it was above the usual standard of readings -the actors were totally committed, which is a reflection of the intensity of the workshop process. Congratulations. Tashmadada is already a unique presence in both the Jewish and wider arts community.

There has never been such a close working collaboration/exchange between Israeli and Australian theatre artists. This has been, and hopes to continue to be, a unique opportunity for Australian artists to continue this dialogue with an acclaimed Israeli playwright.

Thanks to:

Besen Foundation, Embassy of Israel, Multicultural Arts Victoria, City of Yarra, Limmud Oz, Victorian Writers Centre and Marsha Tauber for helping to make this happen.


 

22nd April 2008


Welcome to the latest Tashmadada e-News - an update of all our activities past, present and future.

News:

* Well, it has been a while since the last e-news. But things have been happening behind the scenes. We are happy to announce that thanks to the amazing support from Melbourne based law firm, ABL, Tashmadada has now become a legally Incorporated Association. This will open up many new possibilities in realising its manifesto in creating a context for artists for artistic exchange,collaboration and dialogue . There will be more updates as things advance.

* Award winning playwright Motti Lerner will be here mid June. He has a busy program for the two weeks he will be in Melbourne. But, essentially he is here to workshop and develop his play Benedictus – deepening and developing the themes of the play and to also find the Australian voice in the play – thus finding the unique Israeli/Australian connections. At the end of the two week process, there will be a showing of the work followed by a discussion. This is stage 1 of the project. Eventually, the aim is to bring in well-known Israeli director, Micha Lewensohn, who has been involved in the project from its conception, to work on the full production.
 
So far, the Australian team includes acclaimed composer/dramaturge Elizabeth Drake, actors, Majid Shokor, Tom Davies,Greg Dyson. The workshop will take place at Fitzroy Town Hall's Reading Room - thanks to the City of Yarra and Multicultural Arts Victoria. There will also be a meet and greet for MAV members - date to be advised.

Whilst here, Motti will also be at Limmud Oz where he will show his film The Silence of the Sirens, which dramatizes the events leading up to the Yom Kippur War in 1973. It was the winner of the Israeli Academy award for the best television feature film in 2004; there will also be a reading of his play Hard Love (followed by a Q and A).

Check the Limmud Oz website for more details: www.shalom.edu.au/limmudoz

Also on his agenda is a talk about political playwrighting at the State Library of Victoria on Wednesday 25th June. Motti will be teamed up with an Australian writer (TBA). This event is in collaboration with the Victorian Writers Centre and will no doubt be a vigorous discussion.

Please contact me if you'd like more information.

*   The first Directors Cut at Cafe Loco for 2008 happened in February and was an eclectic and provocative evening of performance.

From the theremin playing Greaeme Leak, to the  surreal and cleverly crafted writing of performance poet Ania Walwich. Australian legend Barry Dickens read an excerpt from his wild new apocolyptic play,
Israeli cellist, Adi Sappir, played sublimely. And the young and overly talented Reuben Krum, Karen Muzniek and James Simpson better known as ‘Rebels Without Applause’ delighted and excited .....

Don't miss out on the next Directors Cut. Date to be posted soon.

What's On:

Visual Arts:

* Acclaimed Australian artist Ella Dreyfus has a new exhibition at Stills Gallery, 36 Gosbell St., Paddington Sydney. The exhibition, Scumbag,  is an installation of hand-stiched felt letters and a series of large format colour photographs, which reflect upon childhood perceptions of family trauma.

Ella Dreyfus's work engages with representations of identity. She endeavors to find ways to depict and empower those who do not conform to the dominant aesthetic standards. Hovering between fine art and documentary photography, her images embrace the ordinary, striking a rich source of humanity, compassion and emotional resonance.

Ella's exhibition has been featured in an article in the Sydney Morning Herald online at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/04/21/1208742849157.html

The exhibition runs from Wed 9th April - Sat 10th May. Read more on Tashmadada'a website: www.tashmadada.com or the Still Gallery website: www.stillsgallery.com.au or Ella's website: www.elladreyfus.com


* Sandra Levin 's new exhibition Space Between opens at fortyfivedownstairs (45 Flinders Lane) on Tuesday 29th April and runs until the 10th May.

Space Between explores "first sightings", the short instants in time between realisation and emotion. It is a group show in which Sandra shows with artists Ron Rydz, Patrick Delbosc and Cathy Scott.

* Writer Leah Kaminsky will speak at Linden Gallery's new exhibition My Doubtful Mind 8 April - 25 May 2008 in which "artists aim to screw with your head".

Accompanying the exhibition is a catalogue featuring new fiction on themes of psychosis, anxiety and obsession by Chris Eipper, Leah Kaminsky and Christos Tsiolkas. The talk, Sunday 11th May at 3pm, entitled Having fun with phobias, Leah will be joined by Anthropologist and writer Dr Chris Eipper, Hypnotist Daryl Wilkinson and artists Dominic Redfern and David Rosetzky who will give an insight into phobias and those of us who have them.
More information: www.lindenarts.org

Performance:

*    Cordelia, Mein Kind is well into the development/rehearsal phase thanks to the solo residency program at Victoria University. I am very lucky to be working with the wonderful director/co-creator Meredith Rogers, who is an award-winning (Ewa Czajor, Green Room) director, performer and designer whose theatre work covers three decades, and US based Rick Stein - ex artistic director of Laguna Playhouse - as dramaturge. There will be a number of showings of the work in development through the year - the first being on Friday 13th June.

The exciting news is that Ari Roth, Artistic Director of Theatre J in Washington has invited Cordelia, Mein Kind to be part of their 2008/2009 'Incubator' program - a program committed to new works in development. It is programed for the third week in December.

Ari Roth is also a well known playwright. He came to Melbourne as a guest of Tashmadada in June 2007, with writer Tom Keneally, to talk about Theatre J's production of Keneally's play, Either Or. They also gave a masterclass.
I am hoping to continue the exchange between Tashmadada and Theatre J - and would love that the next time the talented Roth comes to Melbourne it will be as a playwright - to work on his new play with Australian practitioners.

Check out Theatre J's website: www.theaterj.org


And remember, Tashmadada is part of Arts Hub's Creative Circle... so, if you want to join Arts Hub, please do it through the Tashamdada website - www.tashmadada.com
When you purchase an annual Arts Hub subscription for only $88, Tashmadada will receive $10 from Arts Hub.
Just click on the Arts Hub icon on the Tashmadada website's home page.


Don't forget to keep checking the website www.tashmadada.com as it is being regularly updated.



 

16th December 2007

Welcome to the latest Tashmadada e-News - an update of all our activities past, present and future.

 News:

* I have just returned from attending the IsraDrama Festival in Israel. This was a very exciting event  whose aim is to expose Israeli theatre to the international theatre community. It was organised by the Institute of Israeli Drama and hosted by the Cameri Theatre - the brainchild of the Cameri’s charismatic Director General, Noam Semel.
 
I felt honoured, as Tashmadada’s Artistic Director, to have been invited to attend as the Australian representative at the 2007 event. I was there alongside theatre practitioners from countries as diverse as Kenya, Nigeria, Slovenia, Serbia, Germany, Poland, Costa Rico, Sweden, Hong Kong, England, and the USA. The hope was that these theatre directors, dramaturges, producers and festival directors will invite a full production; or produce a new production by an Israeli playwright in their own country; or collaborate on a new work with Israeli artists.

The program of the six-day IsraDrama was rigorous. It included days of full productions, play-readings and symposia.  We were served a program of the cream of contemporary Israeli theatre. There was an incredible variety of style, content, form – highlights and lowlights – creating much discussion between the participants. .

Israeli theatre is certainly vibrant – rated by UNESCO as having one of the leading spectator numbers per capita. In Tel Aviv alone, with a population of only 350,000, there are at least 40 theatre performances at any one time and all well attended! Theatre is part of the culture, the fabric of the society. And it ranges from the well-made play to a strongly supported independent scene, to political theatre consisting mainly of healthy collaborations between Palestinian and Israeli artists.

In addition to pre –existing relationships, IsraDrama has now opened the gates to a whole series of new collaborations. Tashmadada is working with acclaimed playwright Motti Lerner and director Micah Lewensohn to develop Lerner’s new piece. They will come to Australia in June 2008 to work with Australian theatre practitioners.  Other lines of communication have also opened up between Tashmadada and the worlds of Israeli theatre. The dialogue is ongoing, open and passionate – as you might expect from such a vibrant society where political and social questions are never far from the surface. Stay tuned for future developments. 

                                                                                                   

                                     
You can read the full article about IsraDrama on Australia's leading Arts website - Arts Hub - www.artshub.com.au

And remember, if you want to join Arts Hub, please do it through the Tashamdada website - www.tashmadada.com
Tashmadada is an affiliate partner with Arts Hub. When you purchase an annual Arts Hub subscription for only $88, Tashmadada will receive $10 from Arts Hub.
Just click on the Arts Hub icon on the Tashmadada website's home page.

Performance:

*     Work is still continuing on Cordelia, Mein Kindt. More filming and writing has happened. Yet another short teaser (part 5) has now been posted on youtube. I have had  initial international interest in the finished performance piece - which I am aiming to complete in the next few months.

 

Upcoming Events:

* The next Directors Cut at Cafe Loco has been postponed to the end of January. The first one for the new year promises to be an exciting night - new performers and the return of some favourites. The exact date to be posted soon.


* 2008 is shaping up to be an exciting time for Tashmadada. We are in the process of becoming a legal Company; new international collaborations are being nurtured; rehearsed readings; performance works; and of course, we are open to any thoughts or ideas.

Deborah Leiser-Moore
 
 

4th November 2007

Welcome to the latest Tashmadada e-News - an update of all our activities past, present and future.


News:

 *     Tashmadada's inaugural Director's Cut evening on the 21st October was a lively event. People filled all corners of Cafe Loco and were treated to strong, subversive and provocative performances from:    

Reuben Krum who sang sweetly to his lover that 'I think you're a Nazi'; Adam Starr and Adrian Elton reading the weekly Jewish News and wishing that their love of younger days would get a D I V O R C E for them; Karin Muznieks's spontaneous strong and cheeky performance, evocative poetry of Alex Skovron and Lee Kofman's "suggestions for a Girl's School curriculum' (not what you'd expect!). There was a wonderful spirit from all who attended. A big thanks to Nir and Izzy from Loco who allowed the cafe to be under siege for the night.

Read more about the night on the website: http://www.tashmadada.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=31

But here are a couple of photos - more on the website.

We are aiming to have one more Directors Cut before the end of the year - a celebratory end of year evening packed with more surprises. Already collecting a great line up of performers.

Keep posted for exact date.

*     Tashmadada is pleased to announce a partnership with Australia's leading Arts website, Arts Hub. Arts Hub is the leading online directory in Australia for creative industry jobs, news, career resources and professional network. Tashmadada has negotiated a great deal with Arts Hub. When you purchase an annual Arts Hub subscription for only $88, Tashmadada will receive $10 from Arts Hub.

Check out their website and then if you'd like to become an Arts Hub member, please sign up via the Tashmadada website. Just click on the link on our Home page: www.tashmadada.com - then click on the Arts Hub logo.

*     I will be attending the IsraDrama Festival (November 28th – December 3rd 2007) in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. It is a major event hosted by the Cameri Theatre, run by The Institute of Israeli Drama and ITI and organized under the auspices of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Science, Culture and Sport. The focus is on Socio-Political Israeli Drama for English-speaking theatre practitioners from around the     world. The program includes full stage productions, play-readings, lectures and symposia where the guests will be able to meet Israeli playwrights, directors, actors and     dramaturges. It is really an exciting program.
 
 I am the only Australian who will be there and I am already setting up relationships with artists there with the view for future collaborations with Tashmadada.

Performance:

*     Work is continuing on Cordelia, Mein Kindt. More filming and writing has happened. A short part 3 teaser has now been posted on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG37DkEAm2M


Don't forget to keep checking the website www.tashmadada.com as it is being regularly updated.


Deborah Leiser-Moore
 
 

3rd October 2007

Welcome to the latest Tashmadada e-News - an update of all our activities past, present and future.

News:

* The website has been launched and is regularly being updated - so log on at www.tashmadada.com for updates on new events both nationally and internationally.

* I have recently returned from a trip to Toronto, New York and Washington, where, apart from seeing some exciting theatre, I also began discussions about collaborations, exchanges and touring.

* In Washington, I visited Ari Roth at Theatre J, ( www.theaterjblogs.wordpress.com ) where I gave a talk to his students about Tashmadada and 'Solo Performance'. I showed a short DVD of the first development showing of Cordelia, Mein Kindt. We are now in discussion re Theatre J programming the finished work of Cordelia, Mein Kindt in its 2008 season. Also initial discussion about Ari Roth coming back to Melbourne, this time to work on one of his own plays (he came in July  with Tom Keneally, whose play, Either Or, he produced at Theatre J earlier in the year)

* Whilst there, I saw the final show of Israeli playwright, Motti Lerner's, controversial and successful production Pangs of the Messiah. Tashmadada is hoping to bring Motti to Melbourne in 2008 to workshop a new play with Australian artists. While here, Motti will also give lectures. As well as being an award winning writer, he teaches Political Theatre at Tel Aviv University.

* In New York I also saw Masked a play written by Israeli writer, Ilan Hatzor, about three Palestinian brothers. I have been in contact with Ilan who has sent me the script.

 
Performance:

* Work has started on Cordelia, Mein Kindt. There will be a showing of the work in development over the next few months. Check out the short films on youtube at:

                         Cordelia 1    Cordelia pt2 

Upcoming Events:

* Tashmadada's inaugural Director's Cut evening at Cafe Loco (426 Glenhuntly Rd., Elsternwick): a regular gathering of friends, colleagues and supporters for an evening of intrigue, curious performance, entertainment, ingestion and imbibing will take place on Sunday 21st October at 7.30pm. There will be a small entry fee to help cover costs.

Hope to see you there.


 

Deborah Leiser-Moore
 

Tashmadada e-Newsletter

3rd August 2007

Welcome to the latest Tashmadada e-News.
 

 
Website Launched:

We have just launched the Tashmadada website at www.tashmadada.com thanks to the generous support and time spent by John Gabriel and Andrew Skinner from Comogroup and David Erenboim from BizTech.
 
The site will be regularly updated with news, events, photos and more. If you are interested in contributing content, please let us know.

Tom Keneally, Ari Roth and Mark Baker on Radio National's Artworks with Amanda Smith:

Ari Roth and Tom Keneally in action

If you couldn't make it to the State Library last month to be part of the exciting discussion between Tom Keneally (Shindlers's Ark, Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith), Ari Roth (playwright and Artistic Director, Theatre J in Washington D.C.) and Associate Professor Mark Baker (Monash University), you will have a chance to hear an edited version this Sunday, 5th August at 10am on Radio National's arts program, Artworks, which is hosted by Amanda Smith. The program will be repeated on Tuesday 7th August at 3pm.

Keneally worked extensively with Roth on Keneally’s play, Either Or which was produced at Theatre J in May this year. Either Or is based on the real events of Kurt Gerstein, an evangelical Christian youth leader, and a supporter of the Third Reich. As an SS officer he became intimately aware of the policies of the regime, and tried to alert the Allies (and the Pope) about the Nazi Death Camps. The discussion focused on the nature of their Keneally and Roth’s collaboration, the themes of the play, and the treatment of the Holocaust in theatre.

Tashmadada's aim is to continue organising this level of discussion and masterclass with international and national arts practitioners.

Performance:

Natalie Krasnostein has been re-working and developing her one woman show 'In God's Bedroom'. I have been working with her as director and on the script to create an edgier, more focussed and universal show that Natalie can tour. Already she will be touring to Perth and London and possibly Israel.  The working process has been feisty and very productive as we battle to decide what stays from first season. The details for the performance are on the website.                                                                                       

Israeli Films at MIFF:

The Melbourne International Film Festival has been screening a program of contemporary Israeli films, called 'Stars of David'. Executive Director of the festival, Richard Moore, who has lived in Israel said: In the last few years, Israel’s cinema industry has been reinvigorated. Battling poor domestic box office and indifference several years ago, it is now regarded as a vibrant and creative international force – as witnessed by recent successes at the Berlin and Cannes film festivals.

On Wednesday 1st August, John Safran hosted a panel discussion which included Eddie Tamir (Champion Pictures, Classic Cinema and writer), Dvir Abromovich (Director of the Centre for Jewish History and Culture at Melbourne University) and Keith Lawrence (Executive Director of the Australia Israel Cultural Exchange). The lively discussion placed Israeli films in both a national and universal context. Eddie Tamir talked about the maturation of Israeli films which is reflected in both the production values and the content. Dvir Abromovich talked about the nature of this content - in relation to how Israelis view themselves and their lives: Israelis are like actors in a grand epic film.

The Israeli filmaker, David Volach, whose incredibly moving film ' My Father, My Lord' is screening at the festival, was also meant to be part of the panel. Unfortunately he had to fly back to Israel to take part in a new film. A shame - as he has an intelligent and original view on art and the artist. I had the opportunity to talk with him at the festival where he started to espouse his view that: Artists are like criminals. We'll try and set an interview with David on the website to expand on this view.


Upcoming Events:

Look out for the inaugural Director's Cut evening: a regular gathering of friends, colleagues and supporters for an evening of intrigue, curious performance, entertainment, ingestion and imbibing. Place, date and time to be confirmed soon.


Deborah Leiser-Moore

 

10th July 2007

Hi,
 
This is the first edition of Tashmadada e-News - an update of all our activities past, present and future. 

Tom Keneally and Ari Roth:
State Library:
 
Renowned Australian author, Thomas Keneally (The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Schindler’s Ark) and international playwright and Artistic Director of Washington DCs Theatre J, Ari Roth, were the star attractions at a riveting forum held in Melbournes (Australia), State Library of Victoria, on Thursday 5 July 2007. Moderated by author and Associate Professor Mark Baker, who runs a Program in Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation, Monash University, Melbourne, the forum discussed the themes and issues arising from Keneallys provocative new play, Either Or, which had its world-premiere at Theatre J earlier this year. The play is based on the real events of Kurt Gerstein, an evangelical Christian youth leader and SS officer who dared to attempt sabotage by alerting the West (even approaching the Pope) to what was transpiring under Nazi occupation.
 
The animated and insightful forum raised thought provoking questions concerning the value of writing from the perspective of the perpetrator as opposed to the victim, the uniqueness of detailed testimony coming from ground zero - being the gas chambers of Auschwitz, the banality of evil, the role of theatre or entertainment in portraying the tragedy of the Shoah.
 
Not only was it a unique and stimulating event, but the occasion also marked the first initiative of Tashmadada, a newly formed Contemporary Performance Company that is committed to bringing together Jewish artists, as well as providing a forum for discussion about the arts. Tashmadada Director, Deborah Leiser-Moore says she wants the Company to be a centre for discussion and engagement in arts practice - using theatre and the arts to articulate the multiplicity of voices and cultural traditions especially within the Jewish experience.
 
Masterclass - Glenfern:
 
On Friday 6 July 2007, following closely on the heels of the successful forum, Thomas Keneally and Ari Roth, participated in an inspirational and informative Masterclass with an intimate group of practitioners, addressing the issue of Novel versus Script writing. The two recently worked closely in collaboration on Keneallys newest script Either Or: Some gems from the day:
 
Tom Keneally:           Don't get it right, get it written.
                                  Writing is a great way of finding out things that you didn't know you knew.
                                  There are little people in the depths of your subconscious who will data check.

Ari Roth:                    You embrace it all - you've got to - the light and the dark.

Yvonne Fein:             The only rules are that here are no rules.

Alex Skovron:            I want to hear the music in my poetry.
 
The Masterclass brought together a group of highly experienced and diverse range of people - novelists, playwrights, performance makers, script writers and journalists. The three-hour session, led by Roth and Keneally, gave insights to their own working processes. The discussion then opened to the participants who all gave a short background to their own work and were able to get invaluable feedback from both Tom and Ari. What impressed me was the incredible depth of talent we have in the community. After the 'class', lunch was provided by the wonderful 'food artist' Judy Ifregan, where the discussions continued and connections between people consolidated. There was a clear expression of interest for this type of round table event to happen again - sooner rather than later.
 
Holocaust Centre:
 
An intimate group of people were lucky enough to hear Ari Roth talk about his own work thanks to Lena Fiszman and Frankie Pinch at the Holocaust Centre. Ari gave a background to his work - talking about his first writing effort which won him an award by Arthur Miller! Excerpts from his plays Born Guilty and Peter and the Wold (and Me) were read - read by Lena Fiszman, Leah Kaminsky and myself. The evening proved to be insightful and inspiring. There was a clear desire from all present for an exchange between Tashmadada and Theatre J to occur - possibly in the shape of producing one of Ari's plays here in Australia.
 
Thanks and Acknowledgments:
 
We also want to say a BIG THANKS to the people who were instrumental in making happen the Tom Keneally and Ari Roth in conversation event.
 
Firstly, writer and great friend Leah Kaminsky, with whom I sat at a coffee shop six weeks ago on the verge of giving up. Leah essentially inspired and helped me make it happen.
 
Our project partner - The Victorian Writers Centre
 
Then, the great sponsors:
 
                        *Brighton Savoy - who provided a beautiful hotel for Ari Roth on the beach at Brighton;
                        *Barry Feldman from Sandy Anderson Real Estate;
                        *Natalie and Helen from Ckaos Ink;
                        *Mark Shapiro from Print Dynamics;
                        *The Holocaust Museum
 
                        Mark Baker for his intelligent guiding of the discussion
 
                        And,of course, Ari Roth and Tom Keneally.