Download Welcome and show information Welcome to this audio introduction

Welcome and show information
Welcome to this audio introduction to Straight White Men, presented by State
Theatre Company of South Australia and La Boite Theatre Company, and directed
by Nescha Jelk. American playwright Young Jean Lee describes herself as a
‘woman of colour’ and has written this play to explore the role and identity of white
males in the 21st century and their historical position of privilege.
Set in New York, widowed father Ed welcomes his three adult sons – Matt, Jake and
Drew – home for Christmas. Here, family history, individual needs and current
tensions collide. Lee has added a female Stagehand who interacts with both
audience and actors in the present time, interposing between the action, the acting
and the reception both at the start and in subsequent Act changes.
Please note that very loud hip-hop music is played in the auditorium from when the
doors are opened until the start of the play. I mean LOUD music. As a result, there
will be no Pre-show Notes over the headphones prior to the show, with the
information made available during the Touch Tour instead. Audio Description users
are therefore encouraged to attend the Touch Tour one hour prior to the show.
The audio described performances will take place on Saturday the 16th July at 2pm
with a pre-show touch tour at 1pm and on Tuesday 19th July 2016 at 6:30pm, with a
touch tour at 5:30pm.
Straight White men runs for approximately one and a half hours with no interval and
the live audio description will be given by Carol Wellman-Kelly and Jo Ankor.
There now follows descriptions of the set, characters and costumes, and a list of
cast and production credits.
Set:
For this play, the seating in the Space Theatre fills two adjacent sides with the set
on the diagonal, defined by a large square of cream carpet.
The action takes place in the beige-themed living room of Ed’s stylish apartment.
Central is a low dark-wood coffee table with a square-shaped cream three-seater
lounge directly behind it and behind that, three steps leading up to a hallway. To the
right of the lounge is a matching single lounge chair. A white and silver patterned
cushion sits tidily on each chair. To the left of the coffee table is a Danish-modernstyle blond timber and white leather chair and footstool. A remote-control lies on the
coffee table.
Behind the lounge, three wide steps lead up to a carpeted hallway with two adjacent
white wooden doors opposite the steps. The left door opens onto a laundry with
washing machine and drier, scattered shoes and clothing, and shelves of towels.
The right door opens onto the toilet. Small pictures decorate the wall of the hallway
and a string of Christmas cards stretches across the opening above the steps.
Either side of the steps, the living room walls are a neutral cream colour. On the left
side is a white fireplace and mantelpiece. On the mantelpiece, two white lamps flank
a collection of Christmas cards and a small Nativity set. Four Christmas stockings of
Introductory Notes Audio Description: Straight White Men
Access2Arts 2016
differing sizes are suspended from the mantelpiece and on the floor are two storage
boxes holding Christmas decorations. A large landscape painting in soft blues,
whites and ochres hangs on the further wall beyond the fireplace.
Against the right-hand wall stands a tall combined bookshelf and desk in dark
timber. An old-fashioned leather-upholstered office chair is drawn up to the desk
and books and photographs crowd the shelves. Boxed game sets are piled on the
top while an old-style green desk lamp lights the writing space. Next to the desk
several filing boxes are stacked behind a wastepaper basket.
Characters and Costume:
Characters and costumes (in order of appearance):
The STAGE HAND IN CHARGE is in her early 30’s with dark hair tied back and
wearing a head-set and receiver. She is dressed in all black; a bodice/corset with
silver clasps, skin-tight leather pants, long socks pulled up over her knees with
knee-high boots and long black fingerless gloves to her elbows. She wears silver
neck chains and large hoop earrings and speaks directly to the audience,
introducing herself as a female performer of aboriginal decent.
JAKE is in his early forties, well built, athletic and clean-shaven. He is dressed in a
new pair of dark-blue close fitting jeans, a purple sweater over a blue striped
collared shirt, black socks and no shoes. His receding hair is crew cut and he wears
a heavy gold neck chain. Later, Jake wears overly large red Santa pants and coat
over his day wear, with the coat unbuttoned. In Act 3 Jake is dressed for jogging, in
grey shorts and T-shirt over black stretch leggings, a black headband covering his
ears, fashionable black running shoes with bright orange soles and a black down
vest.
Youngest brother, DREW, is in his late thirties with slim build. His unkempt straight
brown hair continually falls over his face and he sports a trimmed beard and
moustache. He wears dark slim-fit jeans, an untucked red and black checked flannel
shirt, and black high-top Converse sneakers.
Oldest brother MATT is in his mid forties, taller than his brothers, with curly brown
hair and a gentle face. In his baggy worn blue jeans, mushroom-brown zip-up
synthetic jacket and untucked white t-shirt, he appears slightly dishevelled. He
wears with brown socks and no shoes.
ED, their father, is in his 70s with a shock of white hair neatly groomed and parted
on one side. His green cord trousers are belted and his brown cardigan is buttoned
up over a white shirt. Ed wears frameless glasses, black loafer style slippers and a
wedding ring on his left hand. Later, he dons a hand-knitted burgundy Christmas
cardigan patterned with reindeers and Xmas trees.
The characters make slight changes of shirt, jumper or trousers during the play.
Production Credits
Cast
Ed – Roger Newcombe
Introductory Notes Audio Description: Straight White Men
Access2Arts 2016
Matt – Hugh Parker
Jake – Chris Pitman
Drew – Lucas Stibbard
Stage-hand – Alexis West
Production
Director – Nescha Jelk
Set and costume design – Victoria Lamb
Lighting designer – Ben Hughes
Composer – Busty Beatz
Fight choreographer – Duncan Maxwell
Stage Manager – Gabrielle Hornhardt
Sound – Andrew Howard
Access Information
Straight White Men is performed in the Space Theatre of the Adealide Festival
Centre. Access is trhough the Dunstan Playhouse foyer.
If you would like to use the audio description service, please make sure you request
it when booking tickets through Bass.
To attend the pre-show touch tour, please meet in the Space foyer one hour prior to
show time. Headsets will be available during the touch tour and from the foyer up
until the performance starts.
The Space theatre is guide dog friendly and there are accessible toilets in the
venue. One is close to the Space foyer and another is between Door 1 and the
stairs to the Art space.
When planning your trip to the venue, please note that the Adelaide Festival Centre
car park has disability parking spaces, which can be booked through Bass, by
calling 131246.
The car park provides lift access to both levels of the car park for your convenience.
To obtain a disability car park you must have a disability-parking permit displayed in
the window of your car.
There are also two disability parks in front of the Festival Theatre and two disability
parks in front of the Drama Centre, which are available on a first-in basis. Again, a
disability-parking permit must be displayed in the window of your car.
Train – the Dunstan playhouse is a short walk from the Adelaide Railway Station.
Tram – the tram stops on North Terrace by the train station.
This completes this audio introduction. It has been produced by Carol WellmannKelly and Jo Ankor for Access2Arts. For more information on audio described
performances please contact Access2Arts using the email address
[email protected] or speak to the audio describer at the theatre.
Introductory Notes Audio Description: Straight White Men
Access2Arts 2016