Roz Pappalardo

"Rosa" is a new Australian love story, written and performed by Roz Pappalardo, which traces a family’s history from Sicily (Italy) to Mena Creek, Far North Queensland (Australia). This is a joyous tale told through story and original songs, which examines the ties that bind while investigating the power of maternal ancestry, from grandmother to granddaughter.

Roz Pappalardo is known throughout Australia for her prolific music and songwriting career, most notably with her musical act, women in docs, and her solo work as a musician – (www.rozpappalardo.com). She has recorded approximately 10 professional albums, winning songwriting, self-management and music business awards for her efforts. Roz has recently professionally branched out in her artistic career and decided to take on the added challenge of acting, utilising her musical skills by performing in musical roles and also trying her hand at dramatic and comedic roles. She is also an event coordinator and music programmer, her most recent programming work has occurred in iconic music venue and Arts space, Tanks Arts Centre in Cairns, Far North Queensland, where she programs high profile national and international music acts on a year round cycle. She is also currently writing her next play – called ‘The Stranges’.

In 2011 Roz deviated from her comfortable singer songwriter existence to embrace an opportunity to tell a story inspired by her family through the medium of theatre. Roz was ready for an artistic and emotional change. Having written songs and toured the world with her music for almost 15 years, Roz’s living circumstances changed in 2011, and she moved her life back to her hometown in Far North Queensland, Australia. This change peaked her interest in her family history, whilst also bringing about a renewed sense creative energy.

She was challenged to write “Rosa” through the suggestion of the Artistic Director (Suellen Maunder) of Far North Queensland’s foremost professional theatre company (JUTE Theatre Company) – Suellen Maunder later became the director of “Rosa”. Roz experienced an extremely steep learning curve on this new journey, unearthing previously unrealised family emotions, during the writing of this piece. A writing task that typically takes two years, was conceived, redrafted and completed in less than eight months. Additionally, the songwriting process was unusually fast for Roz – she admits that the songs almost wrote themselves; the ghosts of her family were certainly sitting on her shoulder during this process.

The play features Roz performing up to four different family characters, shifting quickly between each character, sometimes mid-sentence, whilst singing and providing the musical accompaniment on acoustic guitar and mandolin for the eight songs she wrote specifically for the piece. In the play we meet Roz herself as the lost singer-songwriter struggling to find meaning in her life, her grandmother, Rosa, who we meet as a spirited 14 year old girl and who we leave when

More information about Roz Pappalardo and the play, “Rosa”, can be found at the following web links:

www.rozpappalardo.com

www.rozpappalardo.com/rosa

www.facebook.com/rozpappalardomusic

www.womenindocs.com

www.facebook.com/womenindocsofficial

email: roz@rozpappalardo.com