Melbourne Theatre Company’s Post

The Debate: Who Should Portray Maria Callas?” Recently, one of my TikTok videos went viral, gaining over 140,000 views. Among the many comments, a recurring theme stood out: people suggesting I should portray Maria Callas in a movie. I received comments like: 🎭 “Oh my god, you sound just like Maria Callas!” 🎶 “You should be playing Maria Callas in a film!” ✨ “I thought this was Maria Callas for a moment!” While many were incredibly kind and complimentary, the discussion also sparked strong opinions. Some were enthusiastic about the idea, saying that acting should focus on talent, not ethnicity. Others, particularly opera purists, argued that it would be inappropriate for someone who isn’t Greek or Mediterranean to portray Maria Callas. A Little About Maria Callas Maria Callas was of Greek ethnicity, but she wasn’t from Greece—she was born and raised in New York City. This adds another layer to the debate: Should an American actress or singer with Greek or at least Mediterranean descent portray her? Does her New York upbringing change the way her story is represented? A Little About Me I am of mixed heritage—Native American, white, Black, and Spanish. I don’t have Greek ancestry, nor do I look Mediterranean, which I understand could be significant to some people when portraying such an iconic figure. This raises a broader question I’d love to hear your thoughts on: Can actors or singers portray roles outside their own culture without it being disrespectful? My Personal Perspective Maria Callas is one of my idols, and I have immense respect for her legacy. She’s an icon in the opera world, and her cultural identity is a meaningful part of who she was. For that reason, I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable portraying her. I believe there are many talented Mediterranean sopranos who could bring authenticity to such a role. That said, I also understand the other side of the argument. Acting is about transformation, and through makeup, styling, and cinematography, filmmakers can reimagine actors to fit a role. But does this approach diminish cultural authenticity? The Angelina Jolie Casting Debate This topic became even more relevant with Angelina Jolie’s recent casting as Maria Callas. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of the decision. While Jolie is a remarkable actress, I felt the role would have been better suited for a Mediterranean soprano who could bring not only the vocal authenticity but also the cultural connection. For example, in the movie Grace of Monaco, Maria Callas was portrayed by a Latina actress. While she gave a solid performance, her accent and portrayal didn’t feel true to who Maria Callas was. Small details like that can take away from the authenticity of a role, especially when representing such a legendary figure. What’s Your Take? I’d love to hear your thoughts. 🎤 https://lnkd.in/gxhR6kfF Let’s discuss. 💬

📢New acting course incoming! BA (Hons) Acting (Contemporary Performance). Programme Leader Yusuf Khamisa tells all: "It’s ideal for people who have a passion not just to act but to perform, to devise, to create and to tell stories. This course is for artists who are interested in an experimental, multi-disciplinary approach to live theatre. It’s a multi-disciplinary, individually artistic, global approach to storytelling. Structurally it is similar to our other Acting programmes, but we gain inspiration from other cultures. In your technique training, for example, we can look at movement through African rhythms, Indian beats or eastern European folk movement. The training also brings your individual artistic skills to the fore while you learn about narrative, form and storytelling. So, if you have an ability in movement, spoken word, stand up, drag, hip-hop dance or even graffiti art, we use actor training techniques to develop ways you can use these artforms to tell stories. We take a global approach to selecting material and if we do study the classics, we’ll look at them from a non-conventional perspective, which could be non-verbal, physical or a musical approach. We’ll flip them upside down.".

David Burton has been investigating the impact of self-tests (video recorded script readings) for actors. As a video producer and director with my own studio, I have recorded many of these for actors, and am often the off-camera reader (I really hope I didn't lose anyone the job!). Some embrace them, some do not, but it has become the norm, so they have little choice. And, with very tight turn-around for some audition 'tapes,' actors are now forking out for home studio equipment in case the quality of their phone, hanging bedsheet and kitchen lighting lets them down. This just pushes the barrier for entry higher and higher. And then, they may never hear back about them. Shouldn't this be about them doing their best acting work, with other actors and directors? One positive is that some actors may get a chance to audition by video where they may not have been able to audition in-person. David highlighted accessibility issues and I know others who have cited, timing, distance and their other employment as barriers in these cases.

Artistic point of view in storytelling… where locations become characters as well. #film #movies #storytelling #opera #documentaries #cinema #atlanta #studio #media #filmstudio

What Do Artistic Directors Do? Episode 1 One thing we do is produce. It's so much more than just picking a title and an opening date and then showing up. Producers need to be visionaries but also executors, with a mental rolodex (remember those) of creatives and technicians and initiators to call upon. It starts with the right script and the right director, and it’s about bringing together the right people to execute that vision. Take for example, The Snow Queen, currently running at Seattle Children’s Theatre. This production, now delighting audiences as part of our 50th anniversary season, has been years in the making. Brilliantly Directed by SCT’s Associate Artistic Director, Johamy Morales, playwright Matt Opatrny's The Snow Queen is a dynamic adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s timeless tale, reimagined in bursting colors, bold costumes, mesmerizing scenery enhanced by state of the art projections. The foundation for The Snow Queen was laid through an innovative partnership between SCT and Western Washington University’s Department of Theatre and Dance. This collaboration, co-led by WWU Theater Dept chair Rich Brown, known as "The Test Kitchen," provides an incredible creative environment for experimentation, with students, alumni, and faculty all playing pivotal roles, supporting regional and national professionals. Their contributions ensured that The Snow Queen was ready to move forward as a world-class production for its West Coast Premiere. As a producer, my role is to, at all cost, support and protect my Director's artistic interpretation of the script —ensuring she has everything she needs to lead this ambitious project. Afterall, her success is my success and my success is SCT's success. A producer my consider the timing. The holidays are when SCT welcomes its largest multi-generational audiences, families coming together to share a meaningful tradition. With The Snow Queen, we’re launching a new vision for SCT’s holiday offerings. Over the next three years, we’ll develop a rotating catalog of in-house holiday productions—shows audiences can look forward to, year after year, as part of their own family traditions. Being Artistic Director is stewarding a vision into reality ensuring its evolution, refinement and excellence, and most importantly its resonance with audiences. The timeline that brought The Snow Queen to life: 1884: Hans Christen Andersen's Snow Queen is published 2018: Blessed Unrest produces the first iteration of Matt Opatrny's adaptation of The Snow Queen in NY Summer 2023: SCT and WWU collaborate on “Test Kitchen” workshop, evolving the script for SCT's stages Winter 2023: SCT presents an updated version in a staged reading at the National Nordic Museum. 2024: SCT world premieres The Snow Queen as part of its 50th anniversary season. #Leadership #Theater #ArtisticDirector #Collaboration #Creativity #FamilyTraditions Adele Lim and Teague M. Parker in SCT’s The Snow Queen. Photo by Truman Buffett.

THEATRE Theatre art offers a wealth of opportunities for designers to learn and grow. Here are some key benefits: Creative Expression: Theatre allows designers to bring their artistic visions to life through set design, costumes, lighting, and props. It’s a platform to experiment with different styles and techniques. Collaboration: Working in theatre involves collaborating with directors, actors, and other designers. This teamwork helps you learn how to communicate your ideas effectively and incorporate feedback Problem-Solving: Theatre productions often come with unique challenges, such as limited budgets or space constraints. Designers learn to think creatively and find innovative solutions. Technical Skills: Theatre design requires a range of technical skills, from drafting and model-making to understanding lighting and sound equipment. These skills are valuable in many other design fields as well. Storytelling: As a designer, you play a crucial role in telling the story visually. Understanding how to use design elements to support the narrative enhances your ability to create compelling and cohesive designs. Adaptability: Theatre productions can change rapidly, requiring designers to be flexible and adaptable. This ability to pivot and adjust is beneficial in any creative profession. Cultural Awareness: Theatre often explores diverse themes and historical periods, giving designers a broader understanding of different cultures and contexts. Are you interested in a specific area of theatre design, like set design?

𝐈 𝐋𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡! I'm a thespian, always have been, always will be. Studying theatre arts in school, in your final year it is compulsory you choose a particular field and focus on it. This could be theatre administration, theatre education, playwrighting/scriptwriting, acting, cinematography etc. I was interested in theatre administration being fascinated by how you can be in a production without being on stage. As a theatre administrator you're more like the backbone of the production because you have to ensure operational and logistics run smoothly. You're coordinating schedules, managing budgets, handling contracts and making sure everyone involved knows their role and responsibilities. I wanted more, so in 2022 I started out with free resources anywhere I could find online. Free course registration? Best believe you would find me. YouTube was my home, sometimes I would apply for scholarships and tell them how financially unstable i was because indeed i was. Not having money at the time didn't limit me and then when i hit a jackpot i started paying for courses and private tutoring, Phoebe, where is all your money? My dear I was buying courses. I would ask people who were in the field questions upon questions and of course it's important to meet people who will discourage you and tell you how difficult it will get for you and you should just stick to what you know. They had no idea comments like that made me more determined than ever, ehen so you want to chop tech money alone, see your mouth like "stick to what you know" what do i even know sef? Welldone sir. The experience has been a rollercoaster of emotions but today I'm a Project Manager who is also a Product Manager and a Virtual Assistant. Sometimes i feel like i know nothing but when I'm saddled with a task i execute it properly, it's more like the more i learn the less i know. My friends would tell me Phoebe I don't think you realise how smart you are. Truthfully i didn't realise, after taking courses upon courses I told myself I need to apply this knowledge on hands on experience, if you check my blood it's filled with online courses, free resources and YouTube tutorials (this line would hit harder in pidgin 😁). Hands-on experience? who would give me that opportunity I asked myself. After applying and applying these people are talking 2-3 years' experience or even more. Hmm, i dived again into online internships and it was a success. I may not know it all today but best believe I've come a long way and I'm super proud of myself I keep surprising myself in the best ways possible and pushing myself to be better and there's no going back, In a world of I don't know how to do it there's me who goes 'let me just try'. If you're thinking of transitioning by all means go ahead and do not look back. Someday I'll talk about never underestimating free resources.

If a cameraman or choreographer approaches me and says they want to collaborate on my film idea or stage my opera, and when I ask why, they reply, "Because you've never made a film or an opera before" – then I know for certain that this is exactly the person I want to work with. It may sound strange at first, but I firmly believe that someone who has never done something before brings a fresh, unbiased perspective that often has more to offer than that of so-called professionals. A "virgin eye" is not constrained by conventions or expectations; it's free from ingrained patterns and open to new approaches and ideas. That’s precisely what makes such collaboration so exciting and valuable. I’m convinced that both the basics of filmmaking and opera production can be learned and understood in a short time – maybe within a week. These are crafts that one can master technically, but the real magic comes from the stories we have to tell and how we choose to tell them. Someone who has never made a film might not think within traditional boundaries and might try things that professionals would say “don’t work” – but that’s exactly where the strength lies. In my view, many professionals often take themselves too seriously. They are driven by attention, fame, and money, losing sight of the real essence of creative work. They follow a standard formula because they believe that’s what the industry or audience expects of them. But art, whether it’s film or opera, is more than that. It’s about capturing emotions, about authenticity, and the courage to do things differently. That’s why I appreciate working with people who might initially seem unconventional. They’re not afraid to make mistakes or break expectations. Their lack of experience is not a disadvantage – it’s their greatest asset. In art, it’s not just about technical skill, but about the ability to tell a story in a way that moves and inspires. And sometimes, it’s precisely those who have never worked in a certain field who can do that best.

“The application and interview process for the Artistic Director position at Hightide was quite unique, given that my background as a dramaturg rather than a traditional director was unconventional. While dramaturgs becoming Artistic Directors isn’t unheard of, it's still relatively rare in the UK theatre industry. For a while, it felt like a bit of a leap of faith, hoping the Higtide board would be open to this different approach. During my application, I focused on explaining why a dramaturg could make a strong Artistic Director. I highlighted the advantages of having someone experienced in working with playwrights and managing the long-term development of plays. I emphasised that a dramaturg’s skills in overseeing a slate of commissions and maintaining a strategic vision could directly benefit a company’s development. This perspective, I argued, would allow me to effectively manage multiple productions simultaneously, a challenge I felt was often overwhelming for traditional directors who are expected to dedicate themselves entirely to one production while also running a company. I made a case for this model of leadership by explaining how my approach could bring a fresh and valuable perspective to Hightide. I pointed out that while a traditional director may need to be fully immersed in a single production, my role as a dramaturg allows me to spread my focus across various projects without being completely consumed by any one of them. This ability to balance multiple commissions and long-term planning could offer a unique advantage in artistic leadership. The board seemed receptive to this idea, even if it was a bit of a gamble. I imagine they debated whether this unconventional model would work, but ultimately, they chose to give it a chance. The fact that I was hired suggests they saw the value in my approach or believed in the potential of this model. Since then, it hasn’t been an issue; the board has been supportive, and the role has proven to be a good fit for both me and Higtide. It’s been a rewarding experience, and the board’s openness to exploring new leadership models has been a significant factor in our ongoing success.” Clare Slater | Artistic Director | Hightide - Every month I host an intimate and candid conversation with a working Artistic Director. This month I spoke to Clare Slater, Artistic Director of New Writing Touring Company Hightide.  Previous guests have included Theatre503’s Lisa Spirling, the RSC’s new Co-Artistic Director Tamara Harvey and Justin Audibert of Chichester Festival Theatre.  You can rewatch all these interviews and join me for my next live session by signing up here: https://lnkd.in/eNUjFvtB #theatre #leadership #coaching