La Boite Theatre Company
La Boite Theatre Company is a major Australian theatre company, based in Brisbane. It is the second largest theatre company in Queensland,[1] after Queensland Theatre Company. Established in 1925, it occupies an important place in Queensland’s cultural history. It is known for its bold contemporary approach and its development of new Australian work. Its declared mission is to "produce and present exhilarating theatre that is alive to the present, extends and inspires artists, and invigorates the hearts and minds of audiences".
La Boite is funded by the Queensland government through Arts Queensland.
La Boite is based at Brisbane’s Roundhouse Theatre, Australia’s only purpose-built theatre-in-the-round. Located in the Creative Industries Precinct of the Queensland University of Technology in Kelvin Grove. It seats 400, or 340 in thrust staging. The company moved into this new venue in February 2004, leaving its smaller theatre-in-the-round building in Hale Street, Milton, where it had been since 1972.
The Artistic Director is David Berthold, who took up his role in November 2008[1][2]. Previous Artistic Directors include Sean Mee (2000-2008) and Sue Rider (1993-2000).
La Boite's Programs
Apart from its main season of productions, La Boite runs a number of creative development and participation programs.
La Boite Indie, begun in 2010, is a curated season of four independent productions, each of three weeks. The space is offered rent-free to independent theatre companies and artists, and La Boite contributes financial, technical, marketing and artistic assistance. It has become a much-needed new platform for independent work in Brisbane.
La Boite Scratch, new in 2011, is a platform for low-tech public showings of works in the early stages of development. Five new La Boite Associate Artists are charged with curating a program of ten works, each shown over two nights in La Boite's Rehearsal Room. In 2011, these artists are playwright David Burton, performance educator and director Emma Che Martin, contemporary performance-maker and producer Genevieve Trace, performance-maker Sarah Winter, and dancer and choreographer Liesel Zink.
La Boite Learning & Participation program creates opportunities for people to take part in theatre making. The company offers 32 weeks of acting master classes for adults, school holiday workshops for young people aged 6-18, professional development workshops for teachers, curriculum-based workshops for school students, internships for tertiary students and recent graduates, and corporate learning workshops for those in business.
La Boite's Ambassador program is a year-long program for almost 200 high school and tertiary students. Ambassadors attend all productions for free, meet with creative teams, enjoy free workshops through year, learn about La Boite programs, and take a leadership role in introducing the work of La Boite to their peers, schools, and families.
2011 Season
- The Gruffalo's Child based on the picture-book by Julia Donaldson (5-23 January)
- Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare (12 February-20 March)
- boy girl wall by The Escapists (30 March-17 April)
- Statespeare by Nellie Lee (28 April-6 May)
- Edward Gant's Amazing Feats of Loneliness by Anthony Neilson (20 May-12 June)
- Ruben Guthrie by Brendan Cowell (8 October-13 November)
La Boite Indie
- Michelle Miall presents Colder (22 Jun-10 Jul)
- Dead Puppet Society presents The Harbinger (13-31 July)
- Umber Productions presents Water Wars (3-21 Aug)
- The Danger Ensemble presents The Hamlet Apocalypse (24 Aug-11 Sept)
2010 Season
- The Gruffalo based on the picture-book by Julia Donaldson (11-29 January)
- Hamlet by William Shakespeare (6 Feb-14 March)
- Stockholm by Bryony Lavery (28 April-22 May)
- The Chairs by Eugene Ionesco (5 June-4 July)
- I Love You, Bro by Adam J A Cass (17 July-8 August)
- Engine by Janis Balodis (25 August-12 Sept)
- Gwen in Purgatory by Tommy Murphy (27 Sept-24 Oct)
2009 Season
- The White Earth by Andrew McGahan (23 Feb-21 March)
- Blue Love devised and choreographed by Shaun Parker (28 April-9 May)
- Statespeare (19-29 May)
- Oodgeroo by Sam Watson (30 June-11 July)
- The Pineapple Queen by Norman Price (28 July-8 August)
- The Kursk by Sasha Janowicz (1-12 September)
History
La Boite was founded in 1925 as the Brisbane Repertory Theatre Society. It is one of the oldest, continuously operating, theatre companies in Australia. In 1972, the company changed its name when it opened a new theatre, La Boite Theatre, a 200-seat theatre-in-the-round in Hale Street, Milton. It remained in this theatre until 2004, when it moved to The Roundhouse Theatre.
La Boite has made a journey from 1920s community theatre company to one holding a key position in Australia’s professional theatre landscape. In 1976, it employed its first professional Artistic Director, establishing a record of achievement in creative leadership and professional development within the Queensland theatre culture. In 1993, the Company completed its transformation to a fully professional enterprise and is now one of Australia's major theatre companies.
References
- ^ a b Sorensen, Rosemary (2008-10-09). "Berthold to Direct La Boite". The Australian. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
- ^ Turner, Tonya (2008-10-17). "David Berthold follows his instincts to head La Boite". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 2008-10-19.