First Seen: new works-in-progress

FIRST SEEN is The Street’s season of new theatre works on the journey from conception to full production. It is a vital part of our planning for future years as we seek to bring original and diverse Canberra stories to the stage. The Street promotes the creation of high quality original performance work contributing towards a body of stage work encouraging debate on the social, economic, cultural and political relationships central to the reality of lives of Canberrans. Projects are selected for development on their intrinsic merit, the imaginative reach of the writing or vision, the distinctive voice of the playwright/creator, and the commitment of the playwright/creator to explore their work and the subject matter.

FIRST SEEN offers playwrights/theatre-makers the opportunity to collaborate with a creative team for up to seven days, to further develop their writing/work through intensive practical investigation. There is no expectation to produce a performance-ready draft. Writers will be asked to share the development of their work with Canberra audiences and are provided with a weekly wage. Writers are asked to outline in their application what they hope to achieve using the time and resources available at the workshop to develop their script. The week of development culminates with a public showing. After each performance, audiences are invited into a discussion with the writer/composer/performance makers, dramaturg and director. By sharing their thoughts with the creative teams audiences help assist us progress the works to production stage and get a sneak peek into Canberra’s ingenious artistic community.

Previous FIRST SEEN seasons have taken audiences by surprise showcasing new plays from remarkable talents resulting in a significant number of works being produced by The Street and other companies. A focus for The Street is identifying playwrights and theatremakers who have the potential and ambition to make work to be programmed at The Street and beyond. The works previously developed and produced as part of First Seen are listed below.

FIRST SEEN Creative Development Dates 2020

Monday 30 March – Sunday 5 April 2020
Monday 4 May – Sunday 10 May 2020
Monday 29 June – Sunday 5 July 2020

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Previous Selected Works:

2019

OUTSIDER by Peter Cook (to be produced by The Street in 2020 as Breaking The Castle)
MILK by Dylan Van Den Berg
ZEBRACORN by Hanna Cormick
FRAGMENTS by Maura Pierlot (produced by The Street in 2019)

2018
ICARUS by Christopher Samuel Carroll (produced by The Street in 2019)
SHERPAS by Tom Davis
IRENE'S WISH by David Cole

2017
HIRED MOTHER - by Cathy Petocz
HOMESONG by James Humberstone & Nigel Featherstone (produced by The Street in 2018 as The Weight of Light)
WHITE TULIPS by Heidi Silberman
BLUE: A MISERY PLAY by Dylan Van Den Berg

2016
A NECESSARY EVIL by Luis Gomez and Desmond Manderson (to be produced by The Street in 2020 as The Day They Got El Ticho)
i.F (Imaginary Friend) by barb barnett
UNDER SEDATION edited by Adele Chynoweth (produced by The Street in 2017)

2015
STARING OUT OF WINDOWS by Mariem Omari
RICE by Michele Lee (produced by Queensland Theatre Company and Griffin Theatre in 2017)
THE FAITHFUL SERVANT by Tom Davis (produced by The Street in 2016)

2014
PSYCHE by Lado Shay
UNTOLD by Raoul Craemer (produced by The Street in 2016 as Pigman's Lament)
ANTHEMS AND ANGELS by Zsuzsanna Soboslay
GRIEF EATERS by Emma Gibson

2013
DRAMA QUEEN by Geraldine Turner
IN LOCO PARENTIS by Helen Machalias (produced by The Street in 2013)
A SHAMELESS AND SCANDALOUS BOY by David Atfield (produced by The Street in 2014 as Scandalous Boy)
BARTLEBY by Julian Hobba (produced by The Street in 2014)
THE CHAIN BRIDGE by Tom Davis (produced by The Street in 2015)

2012
DRAMA QUEEN by Geraldine Turner
TWO PLAYS by Cathy Petocz (produced by The Street in 2014 as Where I End & You Begin)
SAMPAGUITA by Noonee Doronila
FROM A BLACK SKY music by Sandra France, libretto by Helen Nourse (produced by The Street in 2013)
THE HOTEL TRANSCONTINENTAL (DREAMS OF THE DISPOSSESSED TRILOGY) by Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen

Raoul Craemer in Pigman's Lament.