As Above, So Below

Cast: Meagan Collar, Ingrid Leighton, Max Tassell

Producer: Lily Hayman
Production Manager: Tyler Fitzpatrick

A one night fundraiser showcasing this 20 minute play, written, directed, performed and produced by 2nd and 3rd year Bachelor of Performance and Theatre students in preparation for its international presentation at the forthcoming Asia Pacific Bureau of Theatre Schools Festival APB 15 – 21 September, 2018. A Q&A with the writer/director, producer and cast members will follow the performance.

“As Above So Below” is a collection of monologues and scenes inspired by the nine layers of Hell as depicted in Dante’s Inferno. Limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, wrath, heresy, violence, fraud, and betrayal are re-contextualised to represent student life and the little ‘hells’ we face each day as young adults establishing our independence.Writer and director, Rikiah Lizarraga says of the work:

“As Above So Below” includes verbatim stories and dialogue collected from students and is an honest representation of the financial, social, and personal struggles we all face as we forge our own voices and experiences of adulthood. We hope that this dark, funny, and touching theatrical experience will bring you laughter and catharsis as we embrace these struggles together.

The APB was established in 2009, and UOW was accepted as a member in 2013, presenting our first student production in Shanghai in 2014. Its aim is to foster collaboration, build professional connections and encourage the sharing of knowledge and experience between theatre schools in the Asia Pacific region. As part of this iteration, Theatre Fellow, Linda Luke will run a workshop called “Image Body Space” introducing some fundamentals from the Japanese movement methodology, Bodyweather, while 3rd Bachelor of Performance student, Lily Hayman, currently a member of the APB student council, will present a paper entitled, “The Colonial Tradition: Popularising Indigenous stories in Australian Theatre” at the student conference.

Professor Sarah Miller, Head of the School of the Arts, English and Media says:

I am delighted that UOW’s performers, directors, writers and technical production students have the opportunity to showcase their skills in this important international forum. The University of Wollongong is one of only four Australian performing arts programmes to be invited to participate in this exciting regional event featuring the theatre-makers of the future.

First performed in March 2018 as part of SIPpery when Wet, a program of four short works and mentored by Dr Janys Hayes, “As Above So Below” returns to the Performance Space for one night only. “As Above So Below” emerged from the School’s SIP program. SIP or Student Initiated Projects offers undergraduate Performance and Theatre students the chance to create and produce their own work.

When: Monday 10 September 2018 @7pm
Where: Performance Space, 25.168, University of Wollongong
Tickets: $10

WARNINGS: adult themes, coarse language, haze, flashing lights and sexual references.