Bright Sparks

On Friday June 4th 7-ON released a collection of works entitled Sharp Darts, published by Currency Press. It was subtitled “Chamber Plays by 7-ON” and contained 15 short works for theatre and/or audio. 

The blurb on the back of the book referred to the fact 7-ON had “collaborated over multiple projects” Reflecting on this event, a few days later, I realised that although as a group we had indeed collaborated (for example, early on, as a group we created a script using Nietzsche’s ‘Thus Spake Zarathustra’ that was developed further and produced at the University of Wollongong) in actual fact our most successful projects were those made up of separately written works, perhaps under an umbrella theme such as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (conveniently 7, we wrote the names on bits of paper and drew them out of a hat) which was our first project. The seven plays were picked up by Sydney’s Griffin Theatre and were performed one at a time before a main play, and upon the set that had been created for that play. Mine (Vanessa's) was first, entitled Hunger and set in a garden, it was performed on the set of The Night Watchman by Daniel Keene. I remember looking at the set of Keene’s play, the design contained words stencilled onto the floor using ashes or sand.  The word “garden” could be seen clearly and I remember musing on the coincidence. 

The seven individual plays were also published, amongst other short plays commissioned by then Griffin Theatre’s Artistic Director Nick Marchand, by Currency Press under the title Short Circuit.

7-ON has been in existence for a mighty sixteen years. We began the year before my baby was born. As a group we have created many plays, mostly containing short works under an encompassing theme, but there have been many meetings, projects that went nowhere, scripts stashed in drawers, a week-long residency with Sydney Theatre Company’s young actor Residents using scripts inspired by Peter Doyle’s book of early 20th century Sydney police photographs: City of Shadows. Our project-in-response was called Long Shadows. It was never produced.

In reflecting on 7-ON, output, creativity and collaboration and sixteen years of feeling supported and encouraged by playwrights you respected,  I thought about the effect of being surrounded by such collaborators. It had to be positive, I thought. There was lots of encouragement and admiration, there was very little envy (although Noëlle winning that fabulous Windham-Campbell Prize from the USA might have niggled ahem). As a group we could try any writing style, we could float ideas, we could express disappointment to an empathetic crowd. We listened to readings of each other’s works, we signed petitions, we gave notes and we didn’t get offended if they were ignored. And, like a Catherine Wheel,  old fashioned firework causing widespread delight, spinning and shooting off coloured sparks in all directions, we could find inspiration and support in this environment, and then rocket out our own works and words, writing new works, new words.

Talking to Yet Another Playwright about not theatre or 7-ON but Billy Joel, piano-man musician and pop star, we discussed an interview Billy did in the 1980s about artistic success. Success of course is a much thought-about topic amongst scriptwriters and here was Billy Joel chatting about success and how he always knew he would achieve it. How? Joel explained that he knew he would be successful because he was competent. He could play piano, he could write songs, he could sing songs. He would achieve success. And the trick it appeared, was as long as you could work alongside competent people you would succeed. This made me think about the Catherine Wheel and 7-ON again. If you write and create in an environment of creative people, competent people, the energy that can be created, whether collaborative or individual leads to success. And indeed, there has been. Not just 7-ON branded works but individual projects, creative outcomes.  Exhibitions! Kids! School Triumphs! And on we go ...

Since 2005 I’ve had one large scale puppet piece produced, a full length puppet adaptation of a children’s book, several short plays produced, two 30-minute radio pieces, four full length plays produced, one full length play re-produced, an adaptation of a book for children that toured for several years, three full length plays published, academic article and a number of poems and stories published, an audio guide to an major art installation, and started and completed a PhD. I guess I've been busier than I’d thought. 

-Verity Laughton

Since 2005: Three AWGIE winning radio plays produced; one AWGIE award and Griffin Award winning play produced, read in Santiago and LA, and on HSC drama syllabus. A play in Melbourne and Brisbane Festivals and at Sydney Opera House. Doctorate got in 2017. Taught at Uni of Wollongong 2012-2019. Lots of dramaturgy. Lots of mentoring, teaching, workshops. Narrative writer at Royal Commission. Two plays published by Currency Press. Numerous plays in short works events. Still writing, still dreaming.

-Donna Abela

Plays long and short; audio works across drama and nonfiction; performance essays; poems, prose, books--one a mix of environmental history, poetry and memoir, the other my first poetry collection. Practising my toor dahl and ginger cake recipes until—well, pretty close to perfection.

-Noëlle Janaczewska

As life has gone on, I am overwhelmingly obsessed with the visual arts. (Sometimes I think I don't even like words anymore but one must communicate...!) I studied at the National Art School and since then I've been in both solo and group shows. I've also had paintings shortlisted/ finalist in a few art awards. In the world of words, I have had numerous radio and short plays commissioned and produced. Full length plays have had support and development, a film script optioned and another shortlisted for an IF Best Unproduced Award. Like many of us I have more than a couple of works that would love to see the light of day.

-Catherine Zimdahl

16 new plays produced (and some re-produced), and a few still waiting in the wings; 8 new musicals/song cycles;  a handful of screenplays, treatments, TV and digital eps; 2 radio plays and 3 museum audio guides; an exhibition, publications of 4 plays and 4 picture books, a fellowship and 4 awards. Sundry articles, introductions, teaching, mentoring, readings and workshops. And 2 beautiful kids launched into the world.

-Hilary Bell

school triumphs?

I survived! 

-Ned Manning

Oi - haven’t you published both books and articles about drama and education somewhere there since 2005? What about Alice Dreaming - publication and productions? What about that awesome blog that straddles art, education, theatre and poetical advocacy? What about all those kids shepherded through their Drama HSC? Credit where it’s due Ned! 

-Verity (to Ned)

In my own case there has been several produced and published plays written (full length and shorts), a web series, researching and screenwriting episodes on various television shows, produced audio scripts, a literary non-fiction book, forays into directing, the start of a PhD, the quite intense rearing of a child into a young man.

Like my collaborators I am still on the wheel, still writing, still working, still thinking, still sending off sparks into the night sky. 

Of course, the other meaning of the Catherine Wheel is a very nasty medieval torture device. 

Yup. Life of a writer, eh?

- by VB