Essendon Theatre Company in Essendon West | Arts and entertainment

Essendon Theatre Company

Locality: Essendon West

Phone: +61 406 448 368

Address: 9 Bradshaw Street 3040 Essendon West, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.essendontheatrecompany.com.au/

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25.01.2022 ETC is excited to announce auditions for our second production for the year, the Arthur Miller classic, "Death of a Salesman" directed by Michele Haywood and Nicola Taylor. Initial auditions will be held virtually with callbacks then to be held at the theatre (as long as it is COVID safe to do so). So, if you have been missing getting back on the stage, we welcome you to get in contact with Michele or Nicola and be a part of this great show!

24.01.2022 COVID-19 UPDATE - PSYCHO BEACH PARTY POSTPONED The ETC committee has been closely following the current situation with regards to Coronavirus, and, it is with deep regret that we announce our upcoming show, Psycho Beach Party by Charles Busch and directed by Christopher Hill, will not go ahead as planned next week. The committee is in discussion to, hopefully, be able to bring you the show at a later date if it is possible. This is not a decision that has been made lightly ...but the health and safety of all our cast, crew and patrons are paramount at this time. For those of you who have purchased tickets, we will begin the process of refunding your tickets as soon as possible. Please bear with us as we do so. You can contact the committee either via Facebook or at [email protected] At this time we thank you all for your ongoing support and look forward to welcoming you back to ETC as soon as we are able! For now, please take care of yourselves and your loved ones during this challenging time.

24.01.2022 ETC is proud to present a rehearsed play reading of Don’t Dress for Dinner By Marc Camoletti, Adapted by Robin Hawdon and Directed by George Benca This Rehearsed Play reading will serve as a precursor to hopefully being able to stage this performance in 2021. If you have been missing auditioning for plays and getting your theatre fix, this is a great opportunity to get involved (as an auditionee or an attendee!) Virtual auditions for the play reading will be held on Tuesday ...13 October 2020 at 7.30 p.m. for the rehearsed reading to occur on Saturday 14 November 2020 frp, 2pm 5p.m. This will be a wonderful opportunity to hear this play aloud and see if you may be interested in auditioning for a role when we are able to stage this next year. We are in search of people interested in being involved so if you are interested in auditioning, please confirm your interest to director George Benca at [email protected] or via Facebook Messenger. Please note, these are auditions to be part of the play reading and not the actual production. Rehearsals will occur once per week in preparation for the reading with the director. Further information can be found in the Audition Event details!

24.01.2022 We are nearing the opening of our first show for the year Psycho Beach Party by Charles Busch this week and tickets ARE SELLING FAST! Some shows have already sold out and others have limited availability. A reminder that due to current restrictions we are having to limit our seating capacity. We highly recommend that you book tickets soon to avoid disappointment and missing out on this mad capped show! Psycho Beach Party by Charles Busch directed by Dawn Hinrichsen and Christopher Hill 18 March 27 March 2021. Book your tickets now at www.essendontheatrecompany.com.au!

22.01.2022 Audition times for Death of A Salesman are filling up quick, send an email to Nicola and Michele (see below) to book your spot today!! Please note - responding to the Facebook event will not get you an audition spot, you need to send us an email, k? It's going to be a fabulous show, and we want YOU and your fabulous talent to be part of it :-)... [email protected] / [email protected]

21.01.2022 SURF’S UP! We are about to hit the water...we mean stage...for our second week of Psycho Beach Party by Charles Busch! We have SOLD OUT all our shows for this week so look forward to seeing you all who have managed to score a ticket! Psycho Beach Party by Charles Busch directed by Dawn Hinrichsen and Christopher Hill 18 March 27 March 2021. Book your tickets now at www.essendontheatrecompany.com.au!... : Damien McMurray

20.01.2022 A great turn out today for our virtual play reading of Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller! It was wonderful to see so many new and familiar friends online who all did a wonderful job of reading and listening! You were all marvelous! Thank you to Michele Haywood and Nicola Taylor for organizing this! Is there another play you’d like to hear or participate in? Let us know! We’d love to hear your suggestions! In the meantime, check out all our amazing participants from today!

19.01.2022 I M P O R T A N T A N N O U N C E M E N T As you are well aware, we are currently in an extraordinary time in history with the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). As we near our first production for the year, we wish to let all our ETC Family and Friends know that we are committed to continue to be able to bring to you our wonderful productions as best as we can. Currently, the Australian Government has announced that non-essential public gatherings of over 500 people will... be suspended from Monday 16 March 2020 - so the show is still set to go on (for now!) Art and Culture are often wonderful avenues of distraction from what can seem challenging and scary times. The ETC Committee is closely monitoring the situation and are committed to bringing you the best show we can whilst also following the necessary precautions as directed. If you book a ticket and are unable to attend due to illness, we are very happy to support you in an exchange or refund. Likewise, if a show or performance is needing to be cancelled, full refunds will be provided (let’s hope it doesn’t come to this though!) In the meantime, let’s continue to stay healthy and support each other during these challenging times!

17.01.2022 THAT'S A WRAP! Congratulations to our talented cast and crew of "Psycho Beach Party" by Charles Busch for a wonderful first season! It was so wonderful having our audiences back at the theatre after the year that was. With sell out shows we understand some of you were unable to be there with us. So here are some photos of the production. We will shortly begin rehearsals for our second production for the year, "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller so stay tuned for exciting updates soon! : Damien McMurray

13.01.2022 We have met a lot of new faces so far as part of our cast of "Psycho Beach Party"...so here is another! We welcome Angelo Snell to the stage playing the hip role of "Star Cat." Looking for a tinnie and found theatre instead, is one way to describe ETC’s newest edition Angelo Snell. He stumbled into the performing space at the age of 18 and has continued to stumble since through the years. Angelo has spent most of his community based performing up at Sunbury’s Boilerhouse The...atre Company. He now sees himself stepping into the role of Star Cat, a young surf bum looking for a place to call home. Humble, seductive, intelligent and funny are some of the ways to describe him, and Angelo hopes he can put these qualities of himself into Star Cat. Angelo spends his time working within the Community and Youth Work sector and through everything he has seen and heard throughout the years, nothing has prepared him for a show like this. It’s wild and hilarious from start to finish, so come along, have a bev or two and help this surf bum find his way home. Psycho Beach Party by Charles Busch Directed by Christopher Hill 26 March 4 April 2020. Book your tickets now at www.essendontheatrecompany.com.au!

13.01.2022 Sadly we report the passing of one of our past Presidents, Colin Weidner. Colin has been plagued with serious health issues for the past few years but sadly lost the battle on Monday. Sending love to his family.

13.01.2022 DEATH OF A SALESMAN AUDITION UPDATE Thank you to everyone who has indicated their interest in auditioning for Death of a Salesman so far, we love that people are getting excited about it. Please note that auditions are by EMAIL APPOINTMENT ONLY, and will be conducted individually over Zoom. You need to make contact by email with directors Michele Haywood ([email protected])/Nicola Taylor ([email protected]) to get an audition time.... Please send a completed audition form with your audition enquiry email (can be found on the ETC Website at www.essendon theatre company.com.au). YOU DO NOT NEED TO ATTACH A THEATRE CV OR PHOTO. We will take a screenshot during your Zoom audition in lieu of a photo being provided. Also please note that the preliminary audition dates are Wednesday 24 February 2021 from 6pm and Sunday 28 February 2021 from 3pm. Saturday 6 March is the call back date. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Michele or Nicola.

13.01.2022 We've met the cast and crew. Now it's time to meet the playwright of "Psycho Beach Party' Charles Busch. Charles Busch has forged a unique place in the world of entertainment as playwright, actor, director, novelist, cabaret performer and drag icon. He is the author and star of over twenty-five plays including The Divine Sister, The Lady in Question, Red Scare on Sunset, The Tribute Artist and Vampire Lesbians of Sodom; one of the longest running plays in the history of Off-...Broadway. His play The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife ran for777 performances on Broadway, won the Outer Circle Critics’ John L. Gassner Award for playwriting, received a Tony nomination for Best Play and is the longest running Broadway comedy of the past twenty-five years. His most current play is The Confession of Lily Dare. He wrote and starred in the film versions of his plays, Psycho Beach Party and Die Mommie Die, the latter of which won him the Best Performance Award at the Sundance Film Festival. For two seasons, he appeared as Nat Ginzburg on the HBO series OZ and is the author of the auto-biographical novel Whores of Lost Atlantis. He has directed two films; the Showtime short subject, Personal Assistant, and a feature, A Very Serious Person, which won an honorable mention at the Tribeca Film Festival. Due to his love and knowledge of film and theatre history, he has appeared as a guest programmer and in numerous documentaries for Turner Classic Movies, and has lectured and conducted master classes at many colleges and universities including NYU, Harvard, UCLA and Amherst College. In 2003, Mr. Busch received a special Drama Desk Award for career achievement as both performer and playwright and was given a star on the Playwrights Walk outside the Lucille Lortel Theatre. He is also the subject of the acclaimed documentary film The Lady in Question is Charles Busch. He is a two-time MAC award winner and has performed his cabaret act in many cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, Philadelphia, London, Paris, Barcelona and New York. In winter of 2016, his show The Lady at the Mic premiered at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series. His first CD, Charles Busch Live at Feinstein’s 54 Below, was released by Broadway Records. Taken from www.charlesbusch.com Psycho Beach Party by Charles Busch directed by Dawn Hinrichsen and Christopher Hill 18 March 27 March 2021. Book your tickets now at www.essendontheatrecompany.com.au!

10.01.2022 Dear Members, It is with regret that The VDL announces the decision to cancel the 2020 Awards program due to the widespread impact of Covid-19 on our member com...panies and their scheduled productions for the greater part of this year. This decision is an unfortunate one to have to make, however it reflects the wishes of a number of our members, as well as our adjudicators, who have contacted the VDL. The Committee agrees with their concerns that the Awards program is no longer viable given the number of shows that will not now go ahead. Refunds for entry fees will be arranged by the Treasurer. Companies please change the details of your What’s On listing on the VDL website by logging in and setting the entry to draft. This will hide it from the What’s On listing. Alternatively you can swap the graphic for one that includes ‘postponed’ or ‘cancelled’, or you can alter the description to reflect any changes you wish to communicate. Please request assistance if necessary. The VDL extends our sympathy and best wishes to all companies and individuals who have been impacted by cancelled shows and we look forward to better times in 2021 for community theatre. Thankyou on behalf of the VDL Committee. Bruce Cochrane, President & Alison Campbell Rate, Secretary #vicdramaleague #vdlawards2020 #covid19 #takecare See more

09.01.2022 ETC, along with Director George Benca are excited to announce the cast for the Rehearsed Play Reading of Don’t Dress for Dinner. With an overwhelming response to the audition, and an abundance of talent, we welcome a number of familiar faces from the ETC stage as well as some new! As such, we will be holding two rehearsed readings with two separate casts. If you have been missing attending plays and getting your theatre fix, this is a great opportunity to get involved! Co...me to one or both! Please confirm your interest in attending by replying Going to this Facebook Event on the night(s) you wish to attend and emailing [email protected] with the night you wish to attend in the subject heading. Zoom meeting details will be forwarded to all interested parties before the play reading date. Cast 1 - Production Date Friday 13 November at 7.30pm Bruce Hardie - Robert. Warrick Smith - Bernard. Dominique Musico - Jacqui. Cecilia Strachan - Suzanne. Emily Goode - Suzette. Gilbert Gauci - George Cast 2 - Production date Saturday 14 November at 7.30pm Charles Cornwallis - Robert. Shane Fox - Bernard. Kirsten Page - Jacqui. Ashleigh Coleman - Suzanne. Nataleigh Maree - Suzette. David Prince - George

09.01.2022 SEASON 2020 - UPDATE Dear ETC Members and Friends, We hope you are all well during these unprecedented times. The ETC committee has been closely monitoring the current events and restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Whilst restrictions appear to be easing, it may still be some time until we can come together again. As such, the committee has made the decision to postpone Season 2, 3 and 4 of this year’s playbill and hope to bring these to you in 2021 and beyo...nd. Whilst we are all disappointed to not be able to bring you the Playbill as hoped, the safety and well-being of all our members, friends and patrons is paramount at this time. At this stage we will monitor restriction as they unfold and hope, if we can do so safely and within the guidelines set out by our government and officials, bring you our first production of the year Psycho Beach Party later in the year. We hope you, your family and loved ones are all safe and well at this time and look forward to seeing you in the theatre again soon!

07.01.2022 Hello ETC members and friends! We hope you are all staying safe. Whilst the COVID-19 Pandemic has put a halt to our opportunities to get together in the theatre space, we are excited to share with you that The Victorian Drama League Inc will be hosting an Inaugural Monologue Competition. This is open to both VDL Members and Non-Members. Submissions will open from 10 August - 30 October of Monologues between 2-4 minutes and is open to all ages (including youth!) A watch party ...of the 15 November where the awardees will be announced. For further information, please head to the following link and submit your monologue: https://vdl.org.au/vdl-event/monologue-competition-2020/. We would love to see some of our members and friends submit an entry! Chookas!

07.01.2022 NEW ETC COMMITTEE FOR 2021 The Annual General Meeting of the Essendon Theatre Company was held on Saturday 13 February 2021 with a new committee sworn in. In true COVID style, the meeting was held via Zoom to comply with current COVID restrictions. It is with some sadness that we farewell outgoing President, Dawn Hinrichsen who is retiring from the committee after 9 years as President! We thank Dawn for her leadership, dedication and commitment to the company! She will be ...missed! We welcome new President elect, Nicola Taylor! Nicola is not new to ETC, having appeared in our One Act Play Festival in 2019, performing in and choreographing for our production of Jack the Ripper also in 2019, and is co-directing our second play for this year Death of a Salesman!. Joining Nicola on the committee is an array of familiar ETC faces and new faces (just like our plays!) including: President - Nicola Taylor Vice-President - Michele Haywood Treasurer- Christine Nilsson Secretary- Barbara Toohey General Committee: Rosalin Shafik-Eid, Michael Bentley, Cecelia Strachan, Frances Orlando and Janet Emmanuele. Congratulations to all! The committee is looking forward to working together over the next year to bring you a series of wonderful productions! Here’s the crew in the standard Zoom Screenshot!

06.01.2022 A reminder that the RSVP for these events is fast approaching! If you would like to attend one or both nights of the play reading, please email us at [email protected] with the night you’d like to attend in the subject line by Saturday 7 November 2020. You will then receive a link to the event closer to the date. We look forward to seeing you at the play readings!

04.01.2022 WE'RE BACK!! With the easing of restrictions around COVID, ETC is excited to be able to announce our first production for 2021 - "Psycho Beach Party" By Charles Busch. As you may remember, we had to cancel our production of this show in 2020 due to COVID, a week out from opening. We are excited to now be able to bring you this play in 2021 which will also be our VDL Award Comedy Entry for 2021. We have had a few changes to cast as well as our director but the cast is now ha...rd at work rehearsing for the show to go on from the 18 March! Due to COVID restrictions we are having to limit the number of seats avalaible to each show so we encourage you to book early to avoid disappointment. Please see the event details for further information and our website for our COVID Safe Plan and booking details!

04.01.2022 We have had a slight change to our cast for our second night Play reading night of "Don't Dress for Dinner." The role of Bernard on Saturday 14 November will now be played by the very talented Peter Tedford-Taylor. Many of you will remember Peter from his memorable appearance at ETC in "Madagascar" and in last year's production "Suite Surrender." The play readings will be a FREE event that ETC will be hosting. However, a reminder that if you would like to attend, please co...nfirm your interest in attending by emailing us the night(s) you wish to attend at [email protected] with the night you wish to come along to in the subject heading. Zoom meeting details will be forwarded to all interested parties before the play reading date. Cast 1 - Production Date Friday 13 November at 7.30pm Bruce Hardie - Robert. Warrick Smith - Bernard. Dominique Musico - Jacqui. Cecilia Strachan - Suzanne. Emily Goode - Suzette. Gilbert Gauci - George Cast 2 - Production date Saturday 14 November at 7.30pm Charles Cornwallis - Robert. Peter Tedford-Taylor - Bernard. Kirsten Page - Jacqui. Ashleigh Coleman - Suzanne. Nataleigh Maree - Suzette. David Prince - George

03.01.2022 It’s wonderful to be able to bring back live theatre to you all with our opening last night of Psycho Beach Party by Charles Busch! Audience loved the show last night and were kept well entertained by the cast of this mad capped comedy! We have SOLD OUT shows tonight and tomorrow and as well as some shows next week! We would love to have you back with us in the theatre so be sure to book your tickets to avoid disappointment! Psycho Beach Party by Charles Busch directed by D...awn Hinrichsen and Christopher Hill 18 March 27 March 2021. Book your tickets now at www.essendontheatrecompany.com.au! : Damien McMurray

01.01.2022 IT'S OPENING NIGHT! Chookas to our wonderful cast and crew of "Psycho Beach Party" by Charles Busch. It's been a long time coming and we are glad we are finally here! If you haven't booked your ticket already make sure you do! Some shows are already SOLD OUT! Psycho Beach Party by Charles Busch directed by Dawn Hinrichsen and Christopher Hill 18 March 27 March 2021. Book your tickets now at www.essendontheatrecompany.com.au!