Page 78 - Tropic Magazine Issue 21

TROPIC • ARTS

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Building Mango Season by Mark Sheppard follows,

anticipation (4-18 July) as a satellite highlight of JUTE will round out the year with
Cairns Indigenous Art Fair. A published
the roll-out of its three key
playwright and national touring actor, development programs.
NEXT ACT Sheppard is a Muluridgi-Mbarbarrum JUTE ACTORS STUDIO
Plenty of chutzpah is promised man from Mareeba whose previous For students aged 9-12, 13-17
works include Chasing the Lollyman
in 2020 following a year of and The Clown from Snowy River – both and 18+, this program develops
consolidation for JUTE. featured in high school curriculums. confidence and excellence in
Mark will also perform this new work, performance skills.
Words: Renee Cluff
combining clowning with comedy, WRITE SPARKS & BLACK SPARKS
For JUTE Theatre Company, 2019 was song and great storytelling in an all- A diverse writing-for-stage
a year like no other – a dramatic pause Indigenous cast that will also embark residency program, led by award-
if you will, while the team waited in on a 10-week tour to regional and remote winning playwright and dramaturg
the wings for the redevelopment of the centres as part of JUTE’s Dare to Kathryn Ash.
Centre of Contemporary Arts (CoCA) to Dream program. IN SCHOOL PROGRAMS
be complete. As construction continued, A pinnacle on JUTE’s calendar for JUTE undertakes these workshops
the Company ran its programs from a 2020 will be the inaugural Queensland at schools, while aiming to develop
temporary headquarters at Tanks Arts Winter PlayFest at CoCA between 26 new work.
Centre, all the while planning for its and 29 August as part of Cairns Festival.
highly-anticipated return to CoCA. This 4-day theatre development and
2020 is a year of sharp focus for JUTE networking festival is designed to 1. Top left to bottom right
Theatre Company. It’s a year that also connect and reinvigorate regional Bridget Boyle, Director of To Kill A Cassowary
promises another impressive milestone, Queensland playwrights, practitioners Charmain Doolan (aka Dizzy Doolan), Writer of Fearless,
JUTE’s 28th year of telling Australian and theatre companies. script in creative development in Black Sparks Program
stories through theatre – a craft that is JUTE’s role in producing seminal and facilitator for Cape York Girl Academy
nurtured and developed for an evolving, Australian works for theatre is one Laurie Trott, writer of To Kill A Cassowary
ever-changing generation of audiences it takes seriously and is the objective Mark Sheppard, writer of Mango Season
and artists. behind the Company’s commitment to Merindi Schrieber, Singer-songwriter for
Mango Season
Launching the new year’s season of two creative development which in 2020 sets Natalie Taylor, actor in To Kill A Cassowary,
plays and Australian stories is an ambitious target of five new plays facilitator for Cape York Girl Academy Outreach
To Kill A Cassowary (11-21 March) by JUTE’s which will each undergo an intensive five theatre program
Write Sparks’ alumnus, Laurie Trott. day workshop between January and the Simone Tesorieri, set and costume design for
To Kill a Cassowary
This heart-warming story is set in the end of the year. Simona Consentini, set and costume design for
rainforest with extraordinary design on To Kill a Cassowary
a brand-new stage including a focal AV MORE: jute.com.au Stephen Tandy, actor in To Kill A Cassowary
element destined to surprise and delight. Yvette Walker, actor in To Kill A Cassowary

78 • Tropic • Issue 21