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Ensemble Theatre

The Ensemble Theatre is an Australian theatre company and theatre, situated in the Sydney suburb of Kirribilli, New South Wales.

The Ensemble Theatre viewed from Careening Cove

History edit

It is Australia's longest continuously running professional theatre group,[1] having given its first performance in Cammeray Children's Library on 11 May 1958. It relocated to the current premises in the old boatshed on the shore of Careening Cove in 1960.[2]

The theatre was founded by Hayes Gordon AO OBE along with the Ensemble Studios acting school, which introduced Stanislavsky-influenced method acting to Australia. Ensemble Studios was Australia's longest surviving acting school when it closed in 2009. Gordon passed on the position of Artistic Director of Ensemble Theatre to Sandra Bates in 1986, but remained Principal of the acting school until his death in 1999.[citation needed] Bates was joined by Mark Kilmurry first as her deputy and then as co-director, with Kilmurry replacing Bates upon her retirement in 2015.[3]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, the Ensemble had to postpone their 2020 Season - the company allowed ticket holders to convert their ticket to a credit voucher.[4]

Tributes edit

The Ensemble complex honours veteran stars Lorraine Bayly, incorporating Bayly's Restaurant, in recognition of her long-running commitment to the theatre (she was a founding member), to mark her retirement from the stage in June 2003; and Henri Szeps, with the Henri Szeps Room.[5]

The Sandra Bates Director's Award edit

Incoming artistic director Mark Kilmurry initiated the Sandra Bates Director's Award (SBDA) in honour of Sandra Bates, who held the position for 30 years before her retirement[6] in 2015.[3] The award is sponsored by the Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation.[7]

Winners of the award include:

  • 2016: Priscilla Jackman and Janine Watson[7]
  • 2017: Francesca Savige and Shaun Rennie[7]
  • 2018: Liz Arday and Felicity Nicol[8]
  • 2021: Ursula Yovich[9]
  • 2022: Danielle Maas and Sophie Kelly[6]
  • 2023: Margaret Thanos and Emma Canalese[10]
  • 2024: Julia Robertson and Miranda Middleton[11]

Notable productions edit

As of 2016 the most successful play in the theatre's history was Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, a two-hander which in 2006 paired Todd McKenney, in his first non-musical play, with Nancye Hayes.[12] The pair reprised these roles ten years later, reuniting with Sandra Bates in her final directorial role.[13][14] The play was taken on tour, in collaboration with Christine Dunstan Productions, and won the 2007 Helpmann Award for Best Regional Touring Production.[15]

In 2016, the company produced the Sydney premiere of Jane Cafarella's e-baby, a two-hander "quietly feminist play that asserts a heartfelt approach towards matters of infertility, adoption and motherhood."[16] Caferella's first full-length play[17] which was world premiered in 2015 at the Chapel Off Chapel theatre in Melbourne.[18] The production was directed by Nadia Tass, and starred Danielle Carter and Gabrielle Scawthorn; Carter and Scawthorn were described as bringing "such life to their roles" and being "utterly believable – in equal parts loveable and frustrating – [so that] the heartbreak, when it comes, is visceral".[19] Tass, described e-baby as "a play for today – the advances in medicine create a new world that allows new possibilities – in e-baby we enter that world and explore the raw truth, the unbridled joy and the paradox of surrogacy through a carefully woven story of love, generosity and a newborn child."[20]

References edit

  1. ^ . Time Out Sydney. 25 November 2013. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  2. ^ . Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Sandra Bates to Retire From Ensemble". Stage Whispers. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Coronavirus Info".
  5. ^ . Archived from the original on 5 June 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  6. ^ a b Wild, Stephi (18 February 2022). "Danielle Maas And Sophie Kelly Awarded Ensemble Theatre's 2022 Sandra Bates Director's Award". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  7. ^ a b c "The Sandra Bates Directors Awards". Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation. 1 March 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  8. ^ "2018 Sandra Bates Director's Award recipients announced". Ensemble Theatre. 6 November 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Ursula Yovich awarded Ensemble Theatre's 2021 Sandra Bates Director's Award". Australian Arts Review. 13 November 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  10. ^ "Margaret Thanos receives prestigious Ensemble Theatre director's award". Greek Herald. 9 November 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  11. ^ "2024 Ensemble Theatre Sandra Bates Director's Award Winners Announced". AussieTheatre.com. 13 November 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  12. ^ Huntsdale, Justin (17 February 2016). "Theatre legends Todd McKenney and Nancye Hayes unite for heart-warming play". ABC News. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  13. ^ Hallett, Bruce (13 February 2006). "Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  14. ^ Hook, Chris (3 February 2016). "Ten years later, McKenney and Hayes bring Six Dance Lessons play back for another spin on stage". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  15. ^ "Helpmann Awards – Past nominees and winners". Helpmann Awards. 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  16. ^ Tobin, Patricia (16 March 2015). "Review: e-baby". performing.artshub.com.au. Performing Arts Hub. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  17. ^ Blake, Jason (20 October 2016). "E-Baby review: Gestational clock ticks on tale of ethical complexity". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  18. ^ My, Myron (8 March 2015). "REVIEW: Jane Cafarella's E-BABY: A tale of two women". theatrepress.com.au. Theatre Press. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  19. ^ Sebag-Montefiore, Clarissa (27 October 2016). "E-baby review – an endearing but haphazard romp into the complex world of surrogacy". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  20. ^ Tass, Nadia (2016). "Director's Note". In Ensemble Theatre (ed.). (PDF). Ensemble Theatre. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.

External links edit

  • Official website

ensemble, theatre, this, article, about, theatre, company, australia, other, uses, disambiguation, australian, theatre, company, theatre, situated, sydney, suburb, kirribilli, south, wales, viewed, from, careening, cove, contents, history, tributes, sandra, ba. This article is about the theatre company in Australia For other uses see Ensemble Theatre disambiguation The Ensemble Theatre is an Australian theatre company and theatre situated in the Sydney suburb of Kirribilli New South Wales The Ensemble Theatre viewed from Careening Cove Contents 1 History 2 Tributes 2 1 The Sandra Bates Director s Award 3 Notable productions 4 References 5 External linksHistory editIt is Australia s longest continuously running professional theatre group 1 having given its first performance in Cammeray Children s Library on 11 May 1958 It relocated to the current premises in the old boatshed on the shore of Careening Cove in 1960 2 The theatre was founded by Hayes Gordon AO OBE along with the Ensemble Studios acting school which introduced Stanislavsky influenced method acting to Australia Ensemble Studios was Australia s longest surviving acting school when it closed in 2009 Gordon passed on the position of Artistic Director of Ensemble Theatre to Sandra Bates in 1986 but remained Principal of the acting school until his death in 1999 citation needed Bates was joined by Mark Kilmurry first as her deputy and then as co director with Kilmurry replacing Bates upon her retirement in 2015 3 Due to the COVID 19 pandemic in Australia the Ensemble had to postpone their 2020 Season the company allowed ticket holders to convert their ticket to a credit voucher 4 Tributes editThe Ensemble complex honours veteran stars Lorraine Bayly incorporating Bayly s Restaurant in recognition of her long running commitment to the theatre she was a founding member to mark her retirement from the stage in June 2003 and Henri Szeps with the Henri Szeps Room 5 The Sandra Bates Director s Award edit Incoming artistic director Mark Kilmurry initiated the Sandra Bates Director s Award SBDA in honour of Sandra Bates who held the position for 30 years before her retirement 6 in 2015 3 The award is sponsored by the Seaborn Broughton amp Walford Foundation 7 Winners of the award include 2016 Priscilla Jackman and Janine Watson 7 2017 Francesca Savige and Shaun Rennie 7 2018 Liz Arday and Felicity Nicol 8 2021 Ursula Yovich 9 2022 Danielle Maas and Sophie Kelly 6 2023 Margaret Thanos and Emma Canalese 10 2024 Julia Robertson and Miranda Middleton 11 Notable productions editAs of 2016 the most successful play in the theatre s history was Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks a two hander which in 2006 paired Todd McKenney in his first non musical play with Nancye Hayes 12 The pair reprised these roles ten years later reuniting with Sandra Bates in her final directorial role 13 14 The play was taken on tour in collaboration with Christine Dunstan Productions and won the 2007 Helpmann Award for Best Regional Touring Production 15 In 2016 the company produced the Sydney premiere of Jane Cafarella s e baby a two hander quietly feminist play that asserts a heartfelt approach towards matters of infertility adoption and motherhood 16 Caferella s first full length play 17 which was world premiered in 2015 at the Chapel Off Chapel theatre in Melbourne 18 The production was directed by Nadia Tass and starred Danielle Carter and Gabrielle Scawthorn Carter and Scawthorn were described as bringing such life to their roles and being utterly believable in equal parts loveable and frustrating so that the heartbreak when it comes is visceral 19 Tass described e baby as a play for today the advances in medicine create a new world that allows new possibilities in e baby we enter that world and explore the raw truth the unbridled joy and the paradox of surrogacy through a carefully woven story of love generosity and a newborn child 20 References edit Ensemble Theatre 2014 season The Ensemble unveils a season a blockbusters Time Out Sydney 25 November 2013 Archived from the original on 14 July 2014 Retrieved 13 June 2014 About Ensemble Archived from the original on 6 June 2014 Retrieved 13 June 2014 a b Sandra Bates to Retire From Ensemble Stage Whispers Retrieved 7 May 2022 Coronavirus Info About Bayly s Restaurant Archived from the original on 5 June 2014 Retrieved 13 June 2014 a b Wild Stephi 18 February 2022 Danielle Maas And Sophie Kelly Awarded Ensemble Theatre s 2022 Sandra Bates Director s Award BroadwayWorld com Retrieved 7 May 2022 a b c The Sandra Bates Directors Awards Seaborn Broughton amp Walford Foundation 1 March 2018 Retrieved 7 May 2022 2018 Sandra Bates Director s Award recipients announced Ensemble Theatre 6 November 2017 Retrieved 7 May 2022 Ursula Yovich awarded Ensemble Theatre s 2021 Sandra Bates Director s Award Australian Arts Review 13 November 2020 Retrieved 7 May 2022 Margaret Thanos receives prestigious Ensemble Theatre director s award Greek Herald 9 November 2022 Retrieved 15 January 2024 2024 Ensemble Theatre Sandra Bates Director s Award Winners Announced AussieTheatre com 13 November 2023 Retrieved 15 January 2024 Huntsdale Justin 17 February 2016 Theatre legends Todd McKenney and Nancye Hayes unite for heart warming play ABC News Retrieved 29 September 2016 Hallett Bruce 13 February 2006 Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 12 August 2014 Hook Chris 3 February 2016 Ten years later McKenney and Hayes bring Six Dance Lessons play back for another spin on stage Daily Telegraph Retrieved 27 September 2016 Helpmann Awards Past nominees and winners Helpmann Awards 2016 Retrieved 29 September 2016 Tobin Patricia 16 March 2015 Review e baby performing artshub com au Performing Arts Hub Retrieved 29 October 2016 Blake Jason 20 October 2016 E Baby review Gestational clock ticks on tale of ethical complexity The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 29 October 2016 My Myron 8 March 2015 REVIEW Jane Cafarella s E BABY A tale of two women theatrepress com au Theatre Press Retrieved 29 October 2016 Sebag Montefiore Clarissa 27 October 2016 E baby review an endearing but haphazard romp into the complex world of surrogacy The Guardian Retrieved 29 October 2016 Tass Nadia 2016 Director s Note In Ensemble Theatre ed Ensemble Theatre Program 13 October 2016 13 November 2016 e baby by Jane Cafarella PDF Ensemble Theatre Archived from the original PDF on 30 October 2016 Retrieved 29 October 2016 External links editOfficial website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ensemble Theatre amp oldid 1195895997, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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