Petra Kalive Welcomed As New MTC Associate Director

Melbourne Theatre Company has welcomed Petra Kalive as the Company's new Associate Director.

Joining MTC after five years as Artistic Director of Union House Theatre, and previously directing Beached, Melbourne Talam and Hungry Ghosts for the Company, Petra brings with her extensive experience as a director, writer and dramaturg of new works for the stage.

In making the announcement, MTC Artistic Director & CEO Brett Sheehy AO said, 'Over the past eight years, Petra's frequent work with MTC has been an invaluable contribution to our programs, and has illustrated her capacity to contribute more broadly in our artistic endeavours. I am delighted to see her progression to Associate Director and look forward to working together this year and as we begin to plan future seasons with the artistic team.'

Through her previous work with MTC, Petra also directed In the Kingdom of Cha for MTC's Cybec Electric playreading series and was Assistant Director on MTC's Constellations. In 2020, she is directing the forthcoming production of Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes.

Petra Kalive said, 'I am absolutely delighted to be working in this new capacity at Melbourne Theatre Company, continuing the conversation I have been having over the last few years about new work and voices on MTC's stages. I am passionate about Australian writers and a diversity of stories on our stages and feel very privileged to be in the position I now find myself. I simply cannot wait to get started.'

Petra's other recent work as a director includes the new Australian musical My Brilliant Career, the much-acclaimed Taxithi, which had two sell-out seasons at fortyfivedownstairs, Mirror's Edge and her own work Oil Babies at Northcote Town Hall. Her acclaimed adaptation of Peter Goldsworthy's novel Three Dog Night toured nationally in 2009. She has also directed for Arena Theatre Company, Complete Works Theatre Company, St Martins Youth Arts Centre, and La Trobe and Monash University performing arts programs. Petra was Dramaturg at Red Stitch from 2009 - 2012 and Assistant Dramaturg at Malthouse Theatre in 2010.