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25/03/2008  THIS MONTH'S PLAYREADING - DRACULA

GO GOTHIC - DRESS UP AND READ DRACULA ON WEDNESDAY APRIL 30^th at 7PM FOR A 7.30 SHARP START AT THE WOODBIN THEATRE

“Dracula was written in 1927 and is the first stage dramatization of the Bram Stoker novel, and was the basis for the famous Bela Lugosi film.  Because of the scope of the novel, times, places and some characters were changed, but it is true to the style and mood of the original.  The language is highly emotional and melodramatic, easy to lampoon, but I believe if done faithfully could really affect audiences - the challenge is to bring out the gothic horror, not the mention the highly charged eroticism.  Needs two young women and six men, one in his 20's.  Set in a sanatorium (for the interestingly insane) in 1920's England.  I'd love people to dress up and get in the mood, but the reading should be (literally) bloody serious.”

So writes Colin Urquhart who has suggested this reading - I think it sounds like fun and is full of interesting possibilities.  The dressing up is optional however I am sending out this notice early so that you can plan what you might wear.

So put Wednesday 30th April in your diaries, and come along to the Woodbin Theatre, 15 Coronation Street, Geelong West, with your gold coin entrance fee and a plate of food to share and help us make this a memorable reading.  This play has been put forward to the Play Selection Committee for inclusion in Season 2009 and the Committee will be attending the reading.

Judy Ellis

Convenor Playreading Group

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28/01/2008  NO PLAYREADING THIS MONTH

As the key people who organise the monthly playreadings being involved in our current production of Lysistrata - A Woman's Translation, and the fact that the reading date falls during production week for this show - we have regretfully decided to cancel this month's reading.

However, on Wednesday 27th February we will be reading a new play Buying Time by Janet Brown.  The themes of the play are ambivalence, bridges - real, attitudinal and symbolic, the DNA double helix.  The story moves backwards and forwards in time, and in and out of the conscious and subconscious states of the characters. 

There are four main characters, Paul was a sperm donor in the late 1970's when he was studying engineering at University.  He is now an eminent engineer bridge designer. He and his wife Helen, a teacher, are very concerned about their ill son, Lionel.  Helen was crucial to Paul's decision about being a sperm donor when it was anonymous, non-identifying procedure. Eve, (Paul's biological daughter from a sperm donation) is a PhD student at MU.  Her area of interest if Waterloo Teeth a supplier of early dentures which were made from the teeth of dead soldiers gathered by ghouls from the bodies lying on the battlefields at Waterloo. Adam is Helen and Paul's oldest son, he is 2 years older than Eve and is a bit "lost" - without real direction. There are four other characters including a British soldier from the Battle of Waterloo.

Janet Brown will be attending with a theatre Director from Melbourne, who will be presenting the play at a later date. Make a note of this in your diaries!!!

Judy Ellis

Playreading Group Convenor