Page 72 - Tropic Magazine Issue 22

TROPIC • ARTS

JUTE’s big year importance of balance between land or indeed, find your jokes funny. That

exploitation and preservation. feeling of satisfaction and relief when
SEASON LAUNCH
“Preservation of natural environments people laughed or nodded their head
New decade, new stage, new leaves a rich inheritance for our was palpable. I then knew that, yes, I was
play: JUTE launches 2020 descendants which is both a blessing and hitting the mark and I had to keep going.”
season with a killer comedy. a responsibility,” she said. Kathryn Ash has only high praise for
This is Laurie’s first full-length play to Laurie in the lead up to launching the
Launching 2020’s season of plays at the appear on stage. She acknowledges play’s first season in March. “Laurie has
brand new Bulmba-ja Arts Centre is To the supportive scaffold of JUTE’s Write worked hard, and she has listened and
Kill A Cassowary by JUTE’s Write Sparks’ Sparks writing development program what she has achieved is a comedy with
alumnus, Laurie Trott, hitting the stage and the professional support and a salient message,” she said. “It explores
from March 13-21. encouragement of the company’s creative some of the many threats to biodiversity,
No one has been more surprised by the producer, Kathryn Ash. including introduced species, habitat
creative process of crafting a work for “I am grateful for the one-on-one modification and loss, unsustainable
the stage than the writer herself, Laurie mentorship and dramaturgy from tourism and climate change.”
Trott – a Mission Beach local whose ‘sense Kathryn but also the group work and the The story, which features a
of place’ living in the tropical rainforest camaraderie of other JUTE playwrights conservationist father and his pro-
community has imbued going through development daughter who are ready
her work with warmth the process and to do battle over a patch of beach-side
and wit and what is the ‘pain’,” Laurie rainforest on the Cassowary Coast,
important. said. “The support is being directed by the same award-
Writing from her During the writing I received from winning of JUTE’s play, The Longest
studio by a rainforest early readings was Minute, Bridget Boyle. She is supported
creek, Laurie said the process you sometimes fantastic and the by a stellar cast of three: Steven Tandy (of
creative process had wonder if anyone will boost I needed to The Sullivans fame); Natalie Taylor, who
been an incredible keep going. The people will remember from Here We All
journey from a few understand what you are process can be Are. Assembled, and Yvette Walker, new to
ideas to a fully formed trying to say or indeed, overwhelming at the JUTE stage.
play capturing the find your jokes funny. times. I wanted JUTE’s award-winning creative team will
language, resonances to write this work transform the stage of the new Bulmba-
and tensions of three Laurie Trott, because I feel so ja into a verdant rainforest – a rich and
contrasting people playwright strongly about the familiar setting from which the might of
brought together need for balance the actors and the power of Laurie’s story
somewhere on the tropical coast. in our relationship will be told.
“To Kill A Cassowary is a play about with our beautiful environment and the Tickets for To Kill A Cassowary at
inheritance and legacy, ageism and creatures that depend upon it for food Bulmba-ja are available from
ambition, and the importance of looking and shelter. I needed to present both jute.com.au and eventbrite.com.au or
after relationships, including the one that sides of the drama of conservation and phone 4281 6832.
people have with the land,” Laurie said. development and wrap it up in a comedy
“It’s a play with a strong message and so that audiences find themselves MORE: jute.com.au
yes, it is also very funny,” she said. While leaning towards a greater awareness
her script is fictional, it aims to not only of caring for the very environment that
increase public awareness of the urgency sustains us. During the writing process 1. Steven Tandy
2. Natalie Taylor
of conserving the Wet Tropics but more you sometimes wonder if anyone will 3. Laurie Trott
broadly provide education about the understand what you are trying to say 4. Yvette Walker

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72 • Tropic • Issue 22