A frightening portrait of a family stuck looking to the ‘other’ to define its ‘self’ New Working Group presents Louris van de Geer’s Looking Glass in a premiere season at fortyfivedownstairs from 2 August 2017.
A tightly wrought, brutal and humorous text, Looking Glass is a theatrical exploration of the Looking Glass Self theory; “I am not who I am, nor who you think I am. I am who I think you think I am,” (Cooley).
This new contemporary theatre work written by Louris van de Geer, who was shortlisted for the 2015 Griffin Award and 2015 Rodney Seaborn Award, is about a family who are in the grips of dealing with their child’s difficult behaviour.
MOTHER, FATHER and CHILD live their lives the way lives are lived until one day CHILD lies down on his stomach like a starfish and refuses to get up. The parents call for help, which comes in the form of a room with a one-way mirror. On the other side of the mirror is VOICE, who instructs the family, via in-ear microphone, on how to exist.
Louris van de Geer is a playwright and theatre maker from Melbourne, Australia. She has been described by The Age as “a quirky and distinctive new voice”, and her work as a “brilliant…study of human existence”. Louris holds a Masters of Writing for Performance from the Victorian College of the Arts (Melbourne University), where she studied under Raimondo Cortese from Ranters Theatre. She was mentored by Arena Theatre Company Artistic Director Christian Leavesley through the Australia Council’s JUMP program.
Louris has interned with writer and director Richard Maxwell from New York City Players, Marius von Mayenburg at the Schaubühne Berlin, and Ivo van Hove from Toneelgroep Amsterdam. Her work has been a finalist for the 2015 & 2016 Rodney Seaborn Award, the 2015 Griffin Award and the 2014 Edward Albee Scholarship. Louris was named as one of Melbourne Writers Festival’s ’30 Under 30’ best young writers in Melbourne.
Recent projects include The Son (MTC Cybec 2016), Triumph (fortyfivedownstairs 2016), and Hello There, We’ve Been Waiting For You (Next Wave & ACMI 2014). Her other projects include Tuesday (MKA 2012), which has now been adapted into a radio play for ABC Radio National, Hunny-Bun & Baby Doll (Dixon Place NYC, 2015 & Melbourne Fringe Festival, 2010), Don’t Look Now (St Martins, 2010, dir. Susie Dee), and They’re All in Their Little Boxes (St Martins, 2008).
Director: Susie Dee Featuring: Daniella Farinacci, Peter Houghton, Josh Price, Daniel O’Neill, Thomas Taylor Set & Costume Designer: Kate Davis Lighting Designer: Amelia Lever-Davidson Sound Designer: Ian Moorehead Production/Stage Management: Rebecca Etchell Assistant Stage Management: Olivia Bishop Writer: Louris van de Geer
Looking Glass
fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Season: 3 – 13 August 2017 (preview: 2 August)
Bookings: www.fortyfivedownstairs.com
For more information, visit: www.newworkinggroup.org for details.
Image: New Working Group presents Looking Glass – photo by Pier Carthew