Out of the Bag

And Tomomi Makes Three. They say that things happen in threes, and now on heels of Natalie and Nicole setting off on overseas adventures, Tomomi is returning to Japan for an extended period. When asked about the motivation for her journey Tomomi said “I've had this strong urge for a while, and feel an inner calling to be in the land of my birth, speaking the language, and immersing myself in the culture of wonderful mystery”. During her time in Japan Tomomi hopes to share her gift of music through collaborations that will bring light into the world.

And the memories of PaperBag she will take with her - “the pleasure taking off my ‘masks’ and opening my heart and sharing my feelings with people …. the power of empathic listening and understanding that we all have something unique within us and through true heart connections, we engage with life….. and learning to flow with life by accepting 'offers' - saying 'yes' to lessons of life whether it be a pure delight or a blessing in disguise”. PaperBag wishes Tomomi the very best on her journey and hopes that she will return to the troupe in the not too distant future.

Audience Response. As playback performers we observe from the stage, we hear tellers’ comments about what did (and sometimes didn’t) work for them, and we chat with audience members over refreshments at the end of a performance. But how do audience members really respond to a performance and what do they take away with them? PaperBag decided to explore this question further by conducting its very first audience survey at our June public performance.

And what did we find out about those responses? Here are the top 10 words used by our audience members … Moving/Touching … Creative … Heartfelt/warming … Spontaneous … Healing … Confronting … Fun … Enlightening … Entertaining … Joyful. As you can see a playback performance is wide-ranging in the chords it strikes for people. And what’s in store at the September 10^th performance? There is only one way to find out, so why not join us at 3pm at the Lilyfield Community Centre.

PaperBag @ See Change Festival. From Saturday 27^th May to Sunday 11^th June the See Change Arts Festival will offer seventeen days of art, music, performance, food, wine, and family fun set against the magnificent backdrop of Jervis Bay. PaperBag Playback will be part of this festival offering both a daytime workshop and an early evening performance on Saturday 10^th June. We would love to see you there, or if you cannot make it perhaps you might know someone who could – so please let them know.

Farewell Natalie & Nicole. The call of new roles and adventures sees two of our bright young players heading overseas. After two years with Paperbag Playback, Nicole is leaving the troupe as she is expecting a baby and she and her partner have decided to return to South Africa to be closer to their families. Reflecting on her time with the troupe Nicole comments, "During my five years in Sydney, being a member of the Paperbag troupe was one of the highlights of my experiences. Not only did the playback theatre form open my world to new theatrical possibilities, but the warmth, acceptance, playfulness, and support of the troupe meant that I truly found a "home" in Sydney. I am so sad to be leaving the troupe, and will treasure all my memories, experiences, and times we've spent together. I hope that sometime in the future we will have chance to do playback again”.

Natalie too has been with Paperbag for the same time as Nicole, and is now taking off overseas to travel through Europe before settling in the UK where she will work for the next couple of years. Natalie recalls her time with PaperBag as a memorable and rich experience. “The playfulness, the sense of purpose, and the personal and professional growth that I have gained throughout my time with PaperBag will be packed into my bag and taken with me as I embark on my next adventure!” she said. All of us at PaperBag will miss them both very much, and we wish them all the very best for the next offers that life makes to them.

New Faces in PaperBag. Our February auditions discovered four new players for PaperBag – an impressive haul indeed. And equally impressive is the range of skills and experiences these new members bring to the troupe; theatre for social change, musical performance and composition, contact improvisation, edutainment, and physical theatre. So there’s a sneak preview of Bec, Eddy, Tully, and Warren. PaperBag looks forward to introducing them to you more fully over the coming months.

Familiar Face Returns. Sue Atherton has recently returned to PaperBag. More than a decade ago, Sue was captivated by impro and playback theatre while training with Sydney Drama Action. She was one of the foundation members of Paperbag in 1997 and conducted with the troupe through the late ‘90s. After a few years absence, during which time she trained in psychodrama, Sue returned to Paperbag mid 2005. With a Public Health background, she is especially motivated by the power and potential of Playback to build, to consolidate and sustain communities – and the connections within and between them.