Fortyfivedownstairs Announces Their November Schedule

Fortyfivedownstairs has announced its November programming. Street art and gardens have combined in the installation created by young artists from the Artful Dodgers Studios. In the theatre we have two solo shows from strongly contrasting environments performed by outstanding actors, Ellie Nielsen (Waiting for Isabella) and Hannah Norris (My Name is Rachel Corrie). With one set in mid twentieth century Paris, the other in war torn Gaza, these two works could hardly be more different!

Gallery: Into the Shed
The Artful Dodgers Studios
Until Saturday 6 November

The fantasy garden theme has resulted in a series of dazzling graffiti covered garden sheds, multi media installations, paintings, drawings and a wide range of sculptural alien plant forms.

At the gallery entrance there is a striking black and white mural, over 16 metres long, created by the studio artists who are all aged between 15 and 28.

This is a lively and engaging exhibition, the second at fortyfivedownstairs from The Artful Dodgers Studios, a cultural development program that has been run by Jesuit Social Services since 1995. We are delighted to welcome them back to the gallery.

Gallery: Walk the Walk
Janno McLaughlan
Tuesday 9 - Saturday 20 November

Janno McLaughlan returns to Australia regularly from her home in South America. Walk the Walk is an allegory for the path on which life has taken Janno and her family over the past few years. As a foreigner living abroad she is always caught between two worlds - the familiar, and the unknowable. But making art is a universal language to express ideas and emotions.

In this exhibition she uses sewing to link recurring themes. Creating these works is a painstakingly slow process - everything is hand sewn stitch by stitch, step by step. An over-stuffed, hand-dyed velvet elephant watches over miniature works on paper and paintings that are bound together in a process born out of camaraderie, laughter, life and music.

In the theatre two outstanding solo performances run from 3 to 14 November;

Performance: My Name is Rachel Corrie
From the writings of Rachel Corrie
Edited by Alan Rickman & Katharine Viner

My Name is Rachel Corrie comes to us from a hugely successful season in Adelaide. This is a powerful story of one person's passionate journey in her struggle for sense and justice. A college student and human rights activist from Olympia, Washington, Rachel Corrie was crushed to death on 16 March 2003 by a bulldozer in the Gaza strip, as she protested against the destruction of Palestinian homes.

Taken from her writings and edited by award winning British actor Alan Rickman and Deputy Editor of The Guardian, Katharine Viner, My Name is Rachel Corrie has been acclaimed ever since its first performance at London's Royal Court Theatre in 2005.

This production, performed by Hannah Norris and directed by Daniel Clarke, was the sell out hit of the 2010 Adelaide Fesitval.

Dates: Wednesday 3 to Sunday 14 November
Times: Tuesday - Saturday 8:15pm, Sunday 5:15pm
Prices: Full $30, Conc $25
Bookings: book online here or call 03 9662 9966

Performance: Waiting for Isabella
Written and directed by Antoni Jach

Waiting for Isabella brings us a bravura performance by Ellie Nielsen in a fifty-five minute monologue.

Drawing on a Gertrude Stein short fiction work, Antoni Jach has written an absurdist, but ultimately poignant drama, set in a Parisian café. While waiting for her friends and lovers to return, Miss Furr writes letters, consults the Tarot, enthuses, broods and meditates on the meaning of life and love in this rollercoaster ride through the light and dark places of one woman's psyche.

Dates: Wednesday 3 to Sunday 14 November
Previews: Wednesday 3 & 4, opens 5 November
Times: Wednesday - Saturday 6:30pm, Sunday 3:30pm
Prices: Full $25, Conc $20, Preview $18, Group (+10) $16
Bookings: book online here or call 03 9662 9966

Coming up;

Performance: Duets for Lovers and Dreamers
By Sandra Fiona Long
Thursday 18 November to Sunday 5 December

Winner of the R.E. Ross Trust's Playwrights' Script Development Award, Duets for Lovers and Dreamers by Sandra Fiona Long is a cycle of 'duets' for theatre that celebrate humanity at different stages of life, in relationship to nature and the supernatural. This is both romantic and dreamlike, fusing performance, dance and contemporary vocal music with the spoken word. Having seen this work in development since its first reading at fortyfivedownstairs two years ago, we are confident that Duets for Lovers and Dreamers will delight theatre-lovers.

Directed by Naomi Steinborner
Performed by Helen Morse, Katherine Tonkin, Phillip McInnes and Matt Cornell

Dates: Thursday 18 November to Sunday 5 December
Preview: Thursday 18 November
Times: Tuesday - Saturday 7:30pm, Sunday 6:00pm
Matinee: Sunday 28 November 2.00pm
Prices: Full $30, Conc $25, Preview: Full $25, Conc $20
Earlybird Tickets: Full $25/Conc $20 (until 5 November)
Bookings: book online here or call 03 9662 9966

Note: The Earlybird Special for Duets for Lovers and Dreamers finishes tomorrow at 5pm. Buy tickets for the main season for only $25/$20. Don't wait for the great reviews before booking!

Reading: I Take Your Hand in Mine
By Carol Rocamora

I Take Your Hand in Mine is the first of three performance readings by Anastasia Malinoff and Paul English, directed by multi award winning director Ariette Taylor.

Based on the letters between Anton Chekov and his wife Olga Knipper, written during the last six years of his life, this is the memorable but little known love story of the playwright himself.

Dates: Mondays November 15, 29 and December 6
Time: 6.30pm
Tickets: $20
Bookings: book online here or call 03 9662 9966

Call for entries: Victorian Indigenous Art Awards

We have sent out over one thousand Victorian Indigenous Art Awards application forms to Victorian Artists, representatives and Aboriginal organisations.

Nicholas Boseley, the Resident Curator of the awards, has travelled to meet with people about the awards in East Gippsland, Melbourne, Ballarat, Geelong, Bendigo, Shepparton, Echuca, Swan Hill, Robinvale and Mildura. The results of such have been very encouraging and we expect a wonderful diversity of quality entries to start arriving soon.

The entry deadline of 19 November draws closer. Pre-selection judges have been confirmed and look forward to seeing all the new works entered this year. If you wish to submit an application please contact Nicholas Boseley at fortyfivedownstairs on 03 9662 9966 or email viaa@fortyfivedownstairs.com.

You can follow news of the 2011 VIAA through our blog: www.indigenousartawards.com.au and through Facebook.

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Visit www.fortyfivedownstairs.com for more information.

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