Red Stitch Actors Theatre presents the World Premiere of Dan Giovannoni’s Jurassica – a heartfelt and humorous portrait of family, Jurassica weaves past and present together, drawing inspiration from the true story of Giovannoni’s grandparents who migrated from Italy to Melbourne.
Ralph and Sara left Tuscany in the 1950s as part of the ‘populate or perish’ scheme and built a new life in Melbourne; arriving in Australia felt like coming to paradise. Kaja fled war-torn Belgrade in the 1990s and now, working as an interpreter, she is called to a hospital one night to help a young man reconnect with his grandfather.
Performed in Italian as well as English, Giovannoni’s exquisite play provides a very contemporary perspective on the universal themes of displacement, home, and how our past shapes our future. Jurassica is the result of two years development with the Red Stitch Writers program, working with the Ensemble and Dramaturge Gary Abrahams.
“I started writing Jurassica to deal with my own grief in regards to my family’s migration, and the disconnect that I experience between my own Australian identity and my Italian heritage, said Gionvannoni. “I am not fully Italian or fully Australian and despite ignoring my family heritage for a long time, I don’t think I can really understand my family unless I understand what they went through, how they were raised.”
Directed by Bridget Balodis in her first production for Red Stitch, Jurassica features Ensemble members Jordan Fraser-Trumble and Olga Makeeva alongside guest actors Devon Lang Wilton, Caroline Lee, Edward Orton and Joe Petruzzi. Set & Costume design by Romanie Harper, Lighting Design by Amelia Lever-Davidson, and Composition by Ian Moorehead.
Dan Gionvannoni is an award-winning playwright from Melbourne and has written plays for adults and children, including the critical and box office success Cut Snake. Other plays include Wrecking (Fat Boy Dancing/TRS 2012), and Two by Two (Little Ones 2012). Dan worked as an Associate Artist with No Show on Shotgun Wedding as part of Next Wave 2012, and most recently staged an evening of new work called These Arms of Mine in his lounge room.
Jurassica
Red Stitch Actors Theatre, Rear 2 Chapel St, St Kilda
Season: 9 October – 7 November 2015
Bookings: (03) 9533 8083 or online at: www.redstitch.net
For more information, visit: www.redstitch.net for details.
Image: Joe Petruzzi and Olga Makeeva feature in Jurassica – courtesy of Red Stitch Actors Theatre