Author: Whambamambs

Director’s Notes

AUSTRALIA
This project is our second collaboration with the English Language Department of the University of Amsterdam, in which students from both universities work together to develop a performance using a dedicated website and live streamed rehearsals and discussions. This is our first attempt at beaming our Dutch colleagues live into the performance – a risky venture!
Quarter Acre Dreaming has emerged from discussions about suburban life – about what suburban lives all over the world have in common, and what is particular to the Australian experience. Portrayals of suburban life have tended to be very negative and scornful and, as most of us have grown up in the suburbs, and as denizens of a suburban university, we found this quite challenging. As we have worked to create a history of a mythical/typical suburb of Australia across a period of two centuries, we have tried to interpret what these sites have meant to the people who have built their lives and invested their dreams there.
~ Yoni Prior

THE NETHERLANDS
Working together with native-speaking drama students from Australia has proven to be an exciting challenge for my students, who are all advanced learners of English as a Second Language. For the Dutch students it has been a privilege to be working with the Deakin students on something as tangible and real as a drama performance. Since a number of my students had indicated they wanted to have an active role in the performance, we started brainstorming on how the Dutch would fit into the Australian suburb.
As the project evolved, we discovered that the history of Dutch immigration into Australia – why the Dutch left their country, what they hoped to find on the other side of the world, and where they would settle - would fit perfectly. In this way, Quarter Acre Dreaming has become the digital stage of an intercultural performance on dreams, fears, disappointments and hopes.
~ Roos Van Der Zwaard

Production Roles

Australia
Director: Yoni Prior
Production Manager: Marianne Govid
Set: Brooke Hampton, Monica Measki, Pouja Mehta
Mike Hampton, Adrian Ganza
Costume: Aimee Linosier , Sarena Paradice
Props: Megan Jefford, Michelle Canning
Lighting: Andrew Byrne, Tom Ellis
Sound: Llaani Poor, Anna Kallstrom
Technicians: Tom , Doug Donaldson
Publicity: Claire Frost, Amber Hounslow
The Netherlands
Director: Roos Van Der Zwaard Coach: Steve Smith Porthole: Douwe Dijkstra Video and lighting: Auke Hamers Technicians: Chris Hermsen, Antoine Ruedisueli, Auke Hamers

Cast

AUSTRALIA

Aimee Linosier
Anna Kallstrom
Andrew Byrne
Amber Hounslow
Brooke Hampton
Claire Frost
Llaani Poor
Marianne Govid
Megan Jefford
Michelle Canning
Monica Measki
Pouja Mehta
Tom Ellis
Sarena Paradise
All were responsible for research, script and character development.

AMSTERDAM

RESEARCH
Akka Voskuil
Jayme Bocxe
Karen Pouwe,
Kate Voet
Kerstin van Winkel,
Kyra Vollebergh
Lisanne Brans,
Lisette Oppedijk
Linda van Gool
Marijn Ceelen,
Romano Matic,
Saskia Rensink,
Sophie Black
Sophie van der Ham
Steffie Abdelrazek
Thirza Osterhaus

ACTORS
Jorik Mol
Steffie Abdelrazek,
Kerstin van Winkel,
Jayme Bocxe
Elsion Constantia
Merel Rademaker
Kate Voet
Kyra Vollebergh
Karen Pouwe
Paul Petermann
SCRIPT WRITERS
Jorik Mol
Steffie Abdelrazek
Jayme Bocxe
Elsion Constantia
Kerstin van Winkel
Merel Rademaker
Paul Petermann
Karin Pouwe,
Marijn Ceelen
Lisette Oppedijk

A project as ambitious as this could not happen without contributions above and beyond the call of duty from many people. We would like to thank our students for their enthusiasm, their talent, their commitment to the project, and for the many extra hours they have put in to it.
We have also been totally reliant on the wisdom and imagination of our technical staff – Doug Donaldson, Tom Salisbury Chris Hermsen, Antoine Ruedisueli, Auke Hamers, and Keez Duyves - as we have been working in uncharted territory. They have found creative solutions to very difficult technical problems and pulled us out of more holes than we can count. Thanks to Tristan Clements for his help in making our promotional designs happen.
Heartfelt thanks to Mike Hampton and Adrian Ganzevoort for creating a set of such craft and imagination, and putting in so much of their own time. We also need to thank Jensen Interiors for allowing Mike some space and time to work on it, and for providing some of the materials. And thanks to Steve Smith and Douwe Dijkstra in Amsterdam for helping make the portal come to life!
The ideas in the piece have been strongly informed by input from Dr Tiffany Shellam and Assoc Prof Louise Johnson, who have shared their research with us. We also thank the directors of the School of Language and Literature, Dr Ineke Vedder and Jurgen Grimbergen, and the Dean, Prof Dr José van Dijck, from the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Amsterdam, and Paul Bethell, Assoc Head of School at Deakin for providing funding support for the project.
Many thanks also to Matt Freeman, Tricia Simmons and Scott Allan.

Special Thanks