New Indigenous Voices of Australia, a staged reading series of new plays by Australian Aboriginal playwrights, began from the desire to develop a theatrical dialogue between the indigenous peoples of Australia and the Americas and expose American audiences to the high quality and rich diversity of contemporary Australian Aboriginal theatre. The producers of this project in New York: Australian Aboriginal Theatre Initiative, Immigrants’ Theatre Project, and in Australia: Playbox Theatre and Ilbijerri Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Theatre Cooperative, believe that theatre is the most profound medium for presenting individual stories within a social and political context, in this case examining the themes raised in the Aboriginal plays and their relationship to the indigenous peoples of the Americas. The plays in this first series were selected to represent the spectrum of concerns of contemporary Aboriginal artists: forced removal of children from their families, denial of land claims, deaths in police custody, resettlement, and questions of identity and cultural heritage.

The Australian Aboriginal Theatre Initiative (AATI), founded in NY in 2003 by Artistic Director Karen Oughtred, is committed to introducing new plays to an American audience by established and emerging Australian Aboriginal playwrights and creating and developing ongoing artistic and international communication between indigenous Australian and American theatre practitioners. Dedicated to non-traditional casting, AATI focuses on giving the opportunity to talented Native American actors to work with professional Aboriginal artists in order to strengthen global networks and foster the international exchange of cross-cultural and intercultural information. AATI plans to continue with a full production of an Aboriginal play and a second series in 2005.

Immigrants’ Theatre Project (2003 OBIE winner), founded in 1988 by Marcy Arlin, presents new plays by and about immigrants with theatre artists from over 70 countries and ethnic groups, showing the universality of the American experience, promoting intercultural understanding and developing the genre immigrant theatre. ITP presents festivals, including Unexpected Journeys, 8 plays by women of Muslim culture; Ellis Island Project; Czech Plays in Trans-lation (Czech Center NY/NY Theatre Workshop/Public Theatre/Prague Theatre Institute); Dislocation & Reinvention (with New Group/CUNY Graduate Center); & American Dreams Reading Series. Venues include: HERE, Soho Rep., LaMama, Henry St. Settlement, Repertorio Espanol, Vineyard, National Yiddish Book Center. For 5 years, ITP was in residence at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, premiering over 80 plays. 2003-4 Little Pitfall by Marketa Blahova, and Journey Theatre, an 8-month theatre project with Safe Horizon/Solace, working with 9/11 impactees, and victims of war and torture. >>> www.immigrantstheat.org

Founded in 1976, Playbox Theatre Company, Melbourne, Australia, has been dedicated to the development, production and promotion of progressive drama which reflects Australian diversity, traditions and place in the contemporary world. Playbox has pioneered links with the Asian Pacific performing arts. Playbox tours to regional, interstate and international theatres with productions of new Australian plays and actively encourages young and upcoming playwrights. Their partnering with Ilbijerri Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Theatre Cooperative to foster the growth of talented indigenous artists has been implemental in the presentation of new Aboriginal work both within Australia and overseas.

Ilbijerri Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Theatre Cooperative was established by a group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members who were involved in the arts in one way or another and who came together in 1990 to form the very first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander initiated, controlled and administered community theatre organization in Victoria. Ilbijerri is a Wurundjeri word meaning ‘coming together for celebration.’

In addition to the staged Readings of 5 new plays, New Indigenous Voices of Australia held an initial panel discussion at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian on March 11, 2004 with Jadah Milroy (Palku) playwright of Crowfire, Bryan Andy (Yorta Yorta) visiting Aboriginal actor, Dr. Wendy Darby, scholar on the politics of landscape, Cochise Anderson (Chickasaw/ Choctaw), playwright of The Education of Benjamin Franklin, Russ Tall Chief (Osage), Native American theatre exponent, and John Scott (Iningai), from the United Nations Secretariat to the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The speakers, enthusiastically received by an audience of nearly 100, spoke about issues of forced removal of children from their families through government policy, land title claims, the difficulties facing indigenous artists and the how and where indigenous theatre is currently positioned in both Australia and North America. Audience comments rated positively the wealth of information received, the interesting topics addressed and the indigenous people’s voices being heard.

The Reading series began at The American Indian Community House with Crowfire directed by Kaipo Schwab (Native Hawaiian descent) with Bryan Andy (Yorta Yorta) and a cast of Native Hawaiian, Australian and American actors. The audience ranging in age from 18 to 80 years numbered nearly 70 and enjoyed a lively debate during the Post Show discussion, an added feature of the series. Invited guest panelists including Jason Turner (Wampanoag) and John Scott (Iningai) contributed their own perspectives on cultural identity, from Native American and Aboriginal points of view. Other guests panelists featured at the Post show discussions will be; Stephanie Betancourt (Seneca) from NMAI, well know actor and storyteller Joe Cross (Caddo), indigenous women’s activists Vera and Hortensia Colorado (Chichimec Otomi), writer and performance artist George Stonefish (Delaware/Chippewa) and renowned Aboriginal visual artist Fiona Foley (Badtjala/Fraser Island). They will speak about the issues raised in the plays.

Each playwright, accompanied by a professional Aboriginal actor, will be in New York for 8-10 days for the respective Readings. During this time they will also speak at workshops and meetings, which are free of charge, about their life, work, and social issues related to Australian Aboriginal people. These workshops will take place at a variety of theatre institutions, schools and colleges in Manhattan and the outer boroughs, including the Classic Theatre of Harlem, La Guardia Community College, Friends Seminary, The Princeton Club, and New York University. The series continued with the staged Reading of Yanagai! Yanagai! by Andrea James (Yorta Yorta) directed by Marcy Arlin with Louise Bennett (Yorta Yorta) at New Dramatists, March 30: 3:00pm. It tells the story through the Dreaming of how Munarra and her faithful dingoes help Lyall struggle for land rights for his people. The acclaimed actress and playwright Leah Purcell (Goa-Gunggari-Wakka Wakka) will reprise her one woman play Box The Pony on April 20: 7:30pm at The New Group about growing up in a famous boxing family on the outskirts of an Aboriginal mission. Leah Purcell’s film Black Chics Talking was premiered at the De Niro Tribeca Film Festival in 2002. Stolen, by Jane Harrison (Muruwari), directed by Karen Oughtred with Kylie Belling (Yorta Yorta) at the Drama Bookshop May 4: 7:30pm, is a poignant portrayal of Aboriginal children forcibly removed from their parents and raised in a repressive children’s home.

The series concludes at the United Nations during the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues with Conversations with the Dead by Richard Frankland (Gunditjmara) directed by Muriel Miguel (Kuna/Rappahannock) with Aaron Pederson (Arrernte). While battling his personal demons, Jack seeks justice for Aboriginal men who’ve died in police custody. This Reading is on May 18: 1:00pm and reservations are required: phone: AATI (212) 533 0889 Admission to all events is FREE. $5 contribution is suggested for Readings. A book signing and sale will follow each Reading followed by a free reception.

Karen Oughtred is the Artistic Director of the Australian Aboriginal Theatre Initiative

Image by Patrick Tafoya

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