ABOUT THREE DOG NIGHT
Based on the award-winning Peter Goldsworthy novel of the same name, Three Dog Night, questions the philosophical challenge of learning how to die and Australia’s conflicted multi-culture. It is an ironic, restless and at times confronting work about the fathomless human capacity for self-deception; about the means we invent to hide our true feelings.
This modern day tragedy explores the underlying impulses that shape human behaviour via an Aboriginal Dreaming. Indigenous spirituality and storytelling are intrinsic to this story's exploration of the clinical conviction that compassion is the means to liberation. Beginning in the Adelaide Hills, Three Dog Night journeys to the vast expanse of the Australian outback and takes us deep into the desert of the human soul.
PETER GOLDSWORTHY (AUTHOR)
Peter Goldsworthy has won major literary awards across a variety of genres: short story, poetry, the novel, and opera. He grew up in various Australian country towns finishing his schooling in Darwin in the Northern Territory. Since graduating in medicine from the University of Adelaide, he has divided his working time between general practice and writing. His best-selling novels have been translated into many European and Asian languages. His first novel Maestro has recently been reissued as part of the Angus & Robertson Australian Classics series. It is currently in development as a movie, as is Honk If You Are Jesus, which was also premiered by the State Theatre of South Australia in its 2006 season. Among his numerous literary awards are the Commonwealth Poetry Prize, the FAW Christina Stead Award, and the Australian Bicentennial Literary Prize for Poetry in 1988. His New Selected Poems has recently been published in Australia and the UK; his Collected Stories appeared in Australia in 2004. His poetry has been set to music by leading Australian composers including Graeme Koehne, Richard Mills, and Matthew Hindson. He wrote the libretti for the Richard Mills operas, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll and Batavia, the latter winning Mills and Goldsworthy the 2002 Robert Helpmann Awards for Best Opera and Best New Australian Work. Its next season will be in Sydney, 2006.
ANDREW GRAY (DIRECTOR)
Andrew Gray is Co-Artistic Director of Melbourne Playback Theatre Company. Andrew recently completed a post-graduate in Directing at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), where he originally trained as an actor. His production of The Winterling by Jez Butterworth for
Red Stitch Actors Theatre closed at the end of April to rave reviews. His recent directing credits include: La Musica by Marguerite Duras; Director's Attachment on the MTC production of Don Juan; Assistant Director on Yes, an adaptation of the Sally Potter film by Tanya Gerstle and Assistant Director on Harold Pinter's Night School, both VCA Drama School productions. Andrew lived in New York for 5 years and during this time trained at the Michael Howard Acting Studio in New York, Ruth Zaporah's Action Theatre in Berkeley, California and also completed Feldenkrais Movement Training. Andrew is a freelance performer in the Melbourne theatre community and a founding member of the improvisation troupe, Five Square Metres. Andrew's teaching credits include the VCA, National Theatre Acting program, Victoria University Performing Arts Program, Deakin University Dance Program as well as freelance teaching in schools, drama associations and public and corporate workshops for Melbourne Playback Theatre.
PETRA KALIVE (LUCY/ ADAPTOR)
During a BSc at Melbourne University Petra undertook a year of training at St Martins (Scholarship Program) and was subsequently accepted into WAAPA (Acting ’04), where she developed a love of comedy, character roles and voice. Since graduating, Petra has diversified into directing and writing as well. She has decided to support and encourage new Australian work by forming the production company ‘Two Blue Cherries’. Her most recent screen credits include a lead-supporting role in Underbelly, various short films, Blue Heelers and the series Tripping Over. Theatre credits include; Melbourne Playback, Complete Works regional tour, VCA Directors season, Adelaide and Melbourne Fringe Festivals. As a director Petra has worked for St Martins, Short and Sweet (Judges choice) and Holmesglen TAFE. Three Dog Night is Petra’s first stage adaptation. She is however an award- winning playwright, having most recently performed her one-woman comedy show, Afraid People for the Melbourne Fringe. She is currently dramaturging the project Brain Dead, at St Martins Youth Arts Centre for their end of year project.
PHILLIP MCINNES (FELIX)
Three Dog Night is Phillip’s first production with Two Blue Cherries. He started out with Deckchair Theatre Company’s production of King For This Place in 1999. Later that year he was accepted into WAAPA (Theatre) and graduated in 2002. Since graduation he has developed and performed in OT – Chronicles of The Old Testament with Uncle Semolina & Friends for Malthouse Theatre Company; Last Scene Imagining’s production of Home for PIAF 2007; The Phasmid Branch production of Clementine Wakes Up for The Melbourne Fringe 2006. Other theatre credits include: A Man For All Seasons & Victorian Tour Seasons from 2003-2007 for Complete Works Theatre Company; MacBeth for Blue Rose Theatre Copmany. Television credits include: Blue Heelers, Stingers, Neighbours & The Ship (BBC). Film credits include: The Dying Breed – Ambience Films; Bound – Curtain Rise Productions (short); The Life & Times of an FB Holden – (WAAPA short). Phillip has been a proud member of MEAA since 1999.
TIM STITZ (MARTIN)
Tim studied at the University of Melbourne and is a graduate of Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York. Recent theatre credits include a sell out La Mama Explorations Season of his own show Lloyd Beckmann Beekeeper, in other words at the Abbotsford Convent and Asylum at La Mama (winner of the 2005 Wal Cherry Play of the Year – which will tour regional Victoria in June). At the 2006 Green Room Awards Tim was nominated for Best Male Performer for Still a Hero (La Mama) and won the Best Ensemble Award for The Time is Not Yet Ripe (Here Theatre). Tim is an ensemble member of Melbourne Playback Theatre and a proud member of the La Mama Committee of Management. Tim will appear in the upcoming SBS TV series Bogan Pride and can be seen in the feature Dying Breed later in 2008. He has also appeared in numerous short films and television commercials.
LISA MIBUS (LIGHTING DESIGNER)
Credits: Oasis, Oasis (45 Downstairs), Il Re Pastore (Lyric Opera), A Sympathetic Ear (Way Out West), Big Sky Town, Szentpaly, When Sand Becomes Glass, Motor-mouth & Suck-face, Radicals & Misanthropes (St Martin’s Youth Theatre), Noye’s Fludde (Victorian Opera), Sinners and Lucky (La Mama), Landscapes Within, The Lower Depths, Spurt of Blood, and The Love of Don Perimplin & Belisa in the Garden (VCA), and Have/Hold (Concretecloud Theatre).
Training: Postgraduate Diploma Lighting Design (VCA).
NAOMI WONG (DESIGNER)
Naomi considers herself as a visual storyteller through the language of design. Since graduating from the VCA in 2007, Naomi has collaborated with other creative artists; telling stories of mishap adventures, profound experiences and cyclic knowledge on Romeo and Juliet (Eagles Nest Theatre Company), Moomba Waterfest 2008, Williamstown Festival and Spamalot. During her time at the VCA, Naomi created designs for drama productions including King Lear (directed by Brian Lipson), Director's Season 2007: La Musica (directed by Andrew Gray) and Hot Fudge (directed by Jane Woollard).
MISHA DOUMNOV (COMPOSER/MUSICIAN)
Globe-trotting composer/performer Misha Doumnov based in Melbourne for 9 years, has completed a Bachelor in Composition at the VCA, and previously trained as a violinist and composer in the former USSR. Misha has recently worked on film soundtracks for the likes of Lindsay Cox (screening of Definition coming up at IMAX) and Robbie Mcewan (The Castle on the Sand premiered in Rome) installation artist Brodie Ellis (Next Wave 08), and has recently had a symphonic work performed at Iwaki Auditorium. Misha also engages in improvised music performance regularly, both as an instrumentalist and as MC. Three Dog Night will have the composer working live and manipulating a pool of pre recorded material.
STAGE MANAGER: NATASHA L’AIMABLE
PUBLICIST: ALLY LONG
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: ANGELA BALLAS
PHOTOGRAPHY: DERYK McALPIN