Dead White Males

By David Williamson

Genesian Theatre
3rd July - 7th August 2010
 The action takes place on the campus of
New West University and in the Judd Home.

Act I - 55 mins

There will be an interval of 15 mins

Act II - 1 hour

Dead White Males is produced by arrangement with the Cameron Creswell Agency

Arm chair supplied by

www.sourceress.com.au
 About the Production

Opening with a literal depiction of Roland Barthes Death of

the Author, Dead White Males positions itself with a bang! as
David Williamson's entry into the debate on literary theory
which came to a head in the mid 1990's.

It strikes me as a play that is grounded in the mid 1990's but

still speaks to us fifteen years later through an exploration of
universal themes. This is somewhat fitting, as at the heart of
the play stands this literary debate on whether such universal
themes are even possible or if they are entirely constructed
out of received ideology.

On another level is the beautiful depiction Williamson gives us

of three generations of an Australian family. The typical
'Aussie battler' grandfather, in a character that subverts that
cliché and gives respect by translating him into Lear. The
father made redundant by the 'recession we had to have', the
career mother struggling with feelings of guilt at not being
there for her daughter. Both Angela's mother and father are
failures to an extent according to their understanding of
prevailing ideology. And yet they love each other and they
make it work.

David Williamson has earned his place as a great Australian

playwright, and I am honoured to be the first director to bring
his work to the Genesian stage. I am grateful for all the hard
work the production team and cast have put in to make this
such a strong production.
Tom Massey
 SOPHIE BLACKLAW - Angela Judd Dead White Males is Sophie's first
production at the Genesian. Sophie graduated from PLC Sydney as
Drama Captain and has had experience in drama; The House of Bernarda
Alba, Aftershocks, and musicals; Beauty and the Beast, The Matchgirls,
Grease, The Sound of Music. She has enjoyed the creative process at the
Genesian, and is honoured to be part of such a high calibre cast.

DAVID WOODLAND - William Shakespeare David has studied at both

Screenwise and NIDA. Over the last four years he has mainly appeared in
short film and television roles. His theatre performances include The Short
and Sweet festival: A man’s not a fruit, Erosion and #6707,304,491. David
has performed with the Impulse Theatre Company in Shakespeare’s As
You Like It and The Ryde Argyle Performing Arts Company in the Oily Rag Murder.
MATT JONES - Grant Swain Matt trained with the National Youth
Theatre of Great Britain and the Royal Welsh College of Music and
Drama. He has acted in London, Edinburgh and Barcelona as well as
various provincial theatres and has appeared in TV and film for HTV,
S4C, and BBC. Dead White Males marks Matt's Sydney stage debut.

EMILY POTTS - Melissa Doherty Emily is thrilled to be playing the role

of Melissa in Dead White Males. Emily graduated from the University of
Notre Dame with a major in Theatre Studies. She has played lead roles in
the Artes Christi Joseph, and in the Santa Sabina productions of Mikado
and How to Succeed in Business. Emily is excited to be involved with the
Genesian Theatre and hopes to continue to gain roles in the Sydney Arts scene.
MATTHEW BLACKWOOD HUME - Steve Matt loves being alive, and the
band Muse. He hates rude people and the 9-5 cog in the machine death
camp. Matt collects movies, especially anything in technicolor, he loves
travelling. His favourite place: Mother Earth, let's give her what she gives
us. Matt has recently performed in the lead role in the feature film Muscle
Car produced by Amazon Entertainment.

MARTY O'NEILL - Col Judd Marty’s first role with the Genesians follows
leading roles with the New Theatre in the 70s/80s, attempts
(unappreciated by the industry) to be a professional, an acting break, the
occasional tour-de-force in the Blue Mountains and recent appearances
with RLE at Parramatta Riverside and his warm rendition of Rev
Humphrey in See How They Run for the Woodstock Players at Burwood. Cheers!
 GOLDA BAKER - Grace Judd Golda last appeared in the 2009
production of Lorca's The House of Bernarda Alba as the eccentric old
grandmother. She has also appeared at the Genesian as Lady Laura
Plymdale in Lady Windermere's Fan. Golda has been a member of
Balmain Theatre Group and Chester Street. She is looking forward to the
Dead White Males season and considers it a humorous and well worth play.

ENRICO BABIC - Martin Judd Enrico graduated from the Ensemble

Studios in 1990. Theatre credits include Tony & Tinas Wedding, Boys
Own Macbeth, Love Lemmings. On TV Enrico was a regular cast member
of the first season of Water Rats and appeared in the US ABC TV film of
the week Meteorites! He appeared in the film Mr Accident. Dead White
Males is Enrico's second theatre production after a 10 year hiatus from acting.
JULIE ZIMMERMAN - Sarah Judd Julie is making her Sydney stage
debut as Sarah. She has worked in short and independent films in
Australia, and appeared in All Saints, Home and Away, and the TV film
Murder in the Outback. Her US stage experience includes Kiss Me Kate,
and Sweeney Todd. She is a student of the Actor's Centre and Red Stitch.
During the day she fights for female corporate autonomy as an IT Project Manager.

MEG MOONEY - Jessica Squires Just as happy working behind the

scenes, Meg is enjoying the challenge of playing the pretentious Jessica
in Dead White Males. Other roles with the Genesians include Twelfth
Night, Morning Sacrifice, The School for Scandal, Hedda Gabler, A
Murder is Announced, Mad About Men, and Intent to Murder. She also
directed a recent production of The Real Inspector Hound for the Genesian Theatre.
KARENZA STEVENS - Monica Judd This is Karenza’s first production
with the Genesian Theatre. In recent years she has mostly performed in
TV and Film: in All Saints and Home and Away and several commercials.
Karenza completed the Screen Actors course at NIDA, and has attended
many short courses with NIDA, TAFTA, and Screenwise. Until recently
she was a presenter on 89.7FM. Karenza is enjoying her time being back on the stage.
PRODUCTION
Director Tom Massey
Assistant Director Shane Bates
Set Design Catherine Lock
Costume Design Susan Carveth
Lighting Design Eric Bicknell
Sound Design Tom Massey
Raked Stage Consultant Owen Gimblett
Production Manager Roger Gimblett
Set Construction Paul Gilbert, Owen Gimblett, Members of
the Company
Set Detailing Catherine Lock
Assistant Costume Design Nicola Griggs, Tanya Woodland
Photography Craig O'Regan
Graphic Design Tom Massey
Rehearsal Prompt Shane Bates
Elizabethan Choreography Susan Carveth
Transport Debbie Smith
Acknowledgments Timothy Bennett, Paul Barbary,
Paul Treacy, Frances Milat, Di Henderson,
Wendy Greenfield, Wendy Gimblett,
Michael Schell, Grant Fraser, Greg Grebert,
Nanette Frew

CREW
Stage Manager Dee Read
Lighting Operation Janina Olmos-New
Sound Operation Kathy Curran

CAST
Angela Judd Sophie Blacklaw
William Shakespeare David Woodland
Grant Swain Matt Jones
Melissa Doherty Emily Potts
Steve Matthew Blackwood Hume
Col Judd Marty O'Neill
Grace Judd Golda Baker
Martin Judd Enrico Babic
Sarah Judd Julie Zimmerman
Jessica Squires Meg Mooney
Monica Judd Karenza Stevens
 About the Genesian Theatre

Born in 1944 and named for St Genesius, Patron Saint of Actors, The
Genesian Theatre Company has developed into a strong community-
based organisation that boasts among its alumni numerous household
names in Australian theatre.

The Company is a non-professional group operating from an historic

church in Kent Street. While still retaining links with our origins, the
Catholic Church, we do not shy away from meeting the challenges of
plays that comment on the human condition.

The building which houses the Company was originally St John's

Church, and dates from 1868. It has served as a church, a poor school,
and was the first Matthew Talbot Hostel. Since 1954 it has been the
home of The Genesian Theatre Company.

Over the years The Genesian Theatre Company has become a

community theatre group providing a training ground for young actors
and a place where those who love the theatre can meet, share, and
extend their knowledge of the performing arts. The Genesian Theatre is
one of Sydney's most active theatre companies. In addition to six main
stage productions each year we run classes, workshops and many other
activities.

Membership

If your interest is in acting, directing, stage management, sound, lights,

publicity, admin, etc, or if you just want to experience being a member of
the group, we would welcome you as a member. You don't need to be
experienced, we can provide training and can cater to different levels of
involvement. Please see our web site for further information.
 Coming next to the Genesian Theatre...

Agatha Christie's

AND THEN THERE

WERE NONE

21st Aug - 2nd Oct 2010

Subscriptions are available
www.genesiantheatre.com.au