Kathryn Pentecost
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Songs of the Sea: creating meaning on stage.

25/8/2015

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Picture
Songs of the Sea could best be described as a dreamscape that moves fluidly between the present and the past, like the waves on the shore. Arianna, the artist (on left), is obsessed with spending time by the shore - in the liminal space between 'real' life and the play of creativity. She adores the sea and wants to capture some of its magic on canvas, or with a camera or sketchpad. Juno, the scienticist, (centre stage), on the other hand, takes perhaps a more analytical approach to her engagement with the sea, remembering all she has learnt about categorising the sea creatures she has studied, including the often elusive Leafy Sea Dragon (Phycodurus equus in Latin). Jake, (on right), on the other hand, is happiest when he is fishing - but he gets unwittingly dragged into trying to solve a mystery in their midst.

The spine of the plot is essentially that a body is seen floating offshore, though no-one is certain if what they see is real because the body never washes up on the shore. Various theories abound about who/what the body might be. Intermittent, uncanny sounds in the area create an the unsettling atmosphere, and in the tradition of sirens which lure sailors to their deaths, these 'songs of the sea' further disturb both residents and visitors alike.

Through the mystery at the heart of the story, various townsfolk are brought together, who may never have otherwise had much contact with one another. The characters Arianna and Juno, for instance, serve a contrapuntal purpose in the play (like Yin & Yang): one an artist, who thinks of the metaphysical dimensions of life; the other a scienticist with a drive to understand life through 'facts' and reason. Indeed, the polarities in the play are also enacted through scenes depicting past (with characters Colonel Light, Charlie Bradley and Maria Gandy) and present (with Arianna, Juno, Jake, the tourist family with the three young girls, etc) - though a third dimension which is referred to as 'universal time' brings together these two otherwise distinct time periods. In universal time, characters from the past intrude on the present to comment on the action and/or interact with those who live in the present. This is one way of highlighting the way the 'settler' history of the area continues to shape the present-day communities, especially in rural towns.

The script of Songs of the Sea came alive yesterday, during the first play reading with the whole cast. Elida Meadows' lavishly descriptive poem Currarong, March 2002 is the opening verbal motif of the first scene. As Martin Esslin suggests in The Field of Drama (1987):

      If... the opening words of the play are spoken in highly poetic language or verse, this sets the 'key' in 
      which the whole play, or at least that scene, is to be taken by the audience; and... the verse-metre or 
      linguistic style of the dialogue may persist through a whole scene, act or, indeed the entire play. Here,
      then, the level of language, the metre of the verse, tells the spectators that the intention of the play 
      is serious and that the action is to be read in a specific way. (110)

Songs of the Sea is fundamentally an exploration of our imaginative relationship with the sea. The body could be understood as a signifier for fear: fear of the unknown, fear of death, fear of invasion by sea and so on; the sea itself could be viewed as the cosmic womb, the emotional landscape of the collective consciousness and so on. Indeed, like all good drama, it is 'multivalent' - i.e. it means 'different things to different individuals at any given moment' (Esslin, 1987: 168). Drama mirrors life but like life it is impossible to determine the specific meaning of any experience; in the present, particular import may be attributed to an event, that will not mean the same thing in the future (Esslin, 1987: 170). In one scene, characters Maria Gandy and Charlie Bradley directly muse on the meaning of life, without coming to any conclusions, begging the questions of fate versus predestination, or Darwinism versus Creationism perhaps. Ultimately, the characters can only speak for themselves and it will be up to the audience to decide how they interpret the text when it is enacted for them on the stage.


Songs of the Sea will be in public performance next year in Second Valley - opposite Leonard's Mill.
For updates, see Sealand Theatre on Facebook, or email: kathrynpentecost@hotmail.com if you wish to become a theatre member.



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Beyond the sea: Sealand Theatre's  journey begins...

2/8/2015

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Nostalgia and the Aquarian blue moon were part of the vibe around Sealand Theatre's community meeting which took place on Saturday 1st August on a chilly night in Second Valley. The day had brought it share of surprises with a full slate of keen, well-versed actors who auditioned for parts in the inaugural show Songs of the Sea. In particular, the emotional sensitivity and dulcet vocal tones of those who auditioned were notable and, with the exception of two parts, the play was cast.

My thanks must go to all those who took courage 'to come out of the woodwork' from the local area and bare their souls with this new material, so recently written and untested up until yesterday. It was such a great pleasure to hear the words come alive off the page, and each person brought their own nuances of interpretation to bear. There was a pleasurable flow to the audition process which made the day all the enjoyable as I was privy to some exceptional channeling of in-character emotion.

In the evening, various members of the community, including councillor Janet Jones, artists Judith Sweetman and Gilbert Dashorst, sustainability advocate Jennifer Russell, soul healer Dr Maureen Roberts, graphic designer Alison Fort, jewelry designer/maker Kimberley Hargraves, musician Jillian Langford and sculptor Geoff Bromilow gathered in the heritage-listed Soldiers' Memorial Institute to participate in an informal meet-and-greet and fundraiser for the theatre. After giving those gathered a chance to eat and socialise, I spoke briefly about my passion for and involvement in theatre which began quite serendipitously in my early twenties when I worked with Barry Humphries' former Artistic Director, Ian Tasker, in pub theatre in Newtown, Sydney with actors such as Grant Dodwell (best known for A Country Practice) and Peter Fisher (one of the cast of the Kingswood Country show). I also spoke of the strong influence of New Theatre's ethos and shows such as On the Wallaby, written by Nick Enright, and The Biko Inquest, in terms of educating me about historical and social issues.

Following on from me, environmental activist and scholar Ruth Trigg gave a brief talk about the precious and important sea-dragons in the area, inspiring us all to want to grab a pair of goggles to see the beautiful creatures in the waters along our shores. Then elegantly attired-Steampunk exponent Paul Thomas introduced us to the joys of 19th century dress-ups and invited us to the upcoming Steampunk afternoon tea in the coming weeks. Paul's wonderful garb added a very theatrical spark to the evening which culminated in an enchanting performance by Judith Sweetman and Jillian Langford of songs such as Summertime and Beyond the Sea.

I want to acknowledge here my gratitude to all those who participated in the silent art auction, in particular Alison Fort, Judith Sweetman, Jo-Anne Rowe and the McEwen family who purchased the redgum sculpture and other art by Geoff Bromilow. The event raised potentially enough money to kick-start the first production. With Act 1 completed, now it's back to the 'drawing board' as they say, to work on the last third of the play: Act 2.


Sealand Theatre Company is still seeking two actors 18-30 years old to play the parts of Olivia & Jake. We are also pleased to hear from anyone who wishes to be part of the theatre troupe as cast, crew, singer or musician. Please contact: kathrynpentecost@hotmail.com for further information.



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    Author

    Dr Kathryn Pentecost graduated from the University of South Australia (PhD, BA Hons) and the Charles Sturt University (Grad. Dip. Ed. English and BA - English Lit., Mod. History, Art History, Legal Studies).

    She has taught communications topics at UniSA, Flinders Uni. and SAIBT.

    She has an extensive background in advertising, theatre, and the visual arts.


    She is the author of Peace & war: 9/11 stories (photographs by Geoff Bromilow) - a book launched at the Melbourne City Library (and later Barr Smith Library, Adelaide) for the 10th anniversary of 11 September attacks.

    She is the editor of The Dark Moon Anthology
    published in 2018 by Elephant House Press, Adelaide.

    She was the very first Adelaide arts correspondent for Artshub.com.

    She currently writes occasional articles on colonial Indonesia for The Indo Project.

    She has written plays, articles, essays, short stories, poetry, radio presentations, and is currently working on two
    novellas.











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