Developments

THE CLOSET

The Cloest is currently being developed with funds provided by The Lama Pathways Program and dramaturgical assistance provided by Playwright Dan Giovannoni. Previous developments occured at La Mama Explorations 2022 as part of the Lemony S Puppet Lab student showcase and at Theatreworks Associate Artists Showcase in the same year.

Theatre teaches us about the things in the world that are sad and terrible, but it also hands us the stories of the people who have navigated their way through that terror and with it the small moments of joy that make it all worth it.

In early 2022, while writing an applciation for the Theatreworks Associate Artists Program, I realised that I hadn’t fully dealt with being "outed" from "the closet" before I even knew what "the closet" was. Growing up, there risks I was constantly faced with just for being me. My sense of self confidence and exuberant expression as a young boy unknowingly placed me in danger of something that I wasn’t aware of and with it came the judgement and vitriol of others who didn’t agree with it. Being “me” has placed me in danger more times than I can count, simply for just existing. And my processing mechanism for it all has always been humour, wit, and a savage knack for throwing the shade right back.

Lately I’ve been delving into the stories and diaries of history’s queer men; Keith Haring, Oscar Wilde, Vincent Van Gogh…all the way back to Alexander the Great. I've been exploring contemporary queer cinema and television and noticing a change in the tides of how queer narratives are being told. But when I think of films like ‘Love Simon’ - that film's narrative certainly wasn’t my "coming out" experience. Nor was it the stakes of the protagonists in Brokeback Mountain. It was somewhere in the middle. But it was certainly shrouded in shame.

I want this play to be;

A guide for parents of gay children.

An explainer for would-be queer allies.

An ‘I see you’ to queer youth.

A tip of the hat to my queer uncles who both died before they could ever show me their world.

And a ‘hey, you’re ok’ moment to that eleven-year-old kid I once knew who wasn’t in on the joke.

IN TOUCH

Developed with funds provided by Regional Arts Victoria

Workshopped with students at St Helena Secondary College

In Touch is a theatrical story with puppets. A young person named Emmett is isolated from their family, most significantly their Grandmother, who is critically ill in another city. Emmett devises a plan to deliver one last hug to Grandma in a fantastical journey that highlights our recent reliance on the internet and Australia Post to keep together at a time when we are at our most apart.

This heartfelt story filled with love and humour is a project that has resulted from One Orange Sock's artist residency with Regional Arts Victoria and students from St Helena Secondary College as part of the Creative Workers in Schools Program.

The show is a devised physical theatre piece that features puppetry, AV, animation, object theatre, black light and a number of other visuals to create an immersive 45-minute experience. Strobe lighting is used in this production.