A conversation with Minola Theatre about their experiences working in THE DPS LAB

Next up on my local artists segment I will be interviewing three independent theatre companies and collectives who have been working with Dead Puppet Society on professional developments as a part a professional development program called THE DPS Lab. First up was the Naughty Corner Collective, then came The Fizzy Rascals and now it's time for Minola Theatre. Minola Theatre is a collaboration between Kat Dekker, a director, creative facilitator and Queensland Theatre Associate Teaching Artist, and Bianca Butler Reynolds, a writer, performer and academic who holds a PhD in playwriting and Jungian psychology from QUT. Minola Theatre was founded by Kat and Bianca in 2019 as a home for 'timeless stories told for now', with a focus on empowered female voices and locally relevant narratives. Minola Theatre has produced five successful productions to date, with two more works currently in development. More information about the company and creatives can be found at minolatheatre.com.au. Here's what they had to say...

VIRAG: From my previous experience of seeing work by your company/collective(s), I can remember that your niche so to speak of work doesn't always reside in the realm of visual theatre. What has it been like to potentially move between different styles and disciplines and delving into a form of theatre which you may not have had much experience in before?

BIANCA: Minola Theatre's background is very much in text-based theatre, so branching out into visual theatre has definitely been a learning curve. As the resident playwright of the company, I (Bianca) have had to think very differently when preparing the production script -- putting dialogue in the backseat rather than behind the wheel. And Kat, our resident director, has not only had to think about how to place performer bodies in space, but also how these bodies can work alongside -- and be integrated with -- technologies we've never used before.

As we learned from our Dead Puppet Society mentors early in the Academy process, visual theatre is an incredibly diverse beast, and each company involved in the Academy has locked into different technologies and languages for their storytelling. Our piece, Selkie & Luna, leans heavily into light and shadow as a design conceit. We've had to learn shadow puppetry, which is equal parts exciting and terrifying! Since the Minola core team is just the two of us, we've brought on additional artists for this project (Frances Marrington, James Elliott and Eleonora Ginardi), who have outstanding skills in physical theatre, design and construction. They've been an incredible asset to us as we've learned to work in this new, more visual way.

VIRAG: What has the creative process been like for each of your respective works? And what was it like developing your ideas with the guidance of the team at Dead Puppet Society?

First up, the team at DPS are amazing and we've loved their support and encouragement throughout this project!

Our process for this work has been very different from our typical way of working, as it is not only our first official creative development as a company, but also our first foray into uniquely visual work. For our previous productions, Bianca would either write a new script or present an existing script to me (Kat), and this would be the basis for the project; it would be the sacred element, which doesn't change, while we get playful working around and with it. In working with DPS, we came into the process with a strong story informed by a centuries-old myth, but the script, the style, and the details of which sections we'll be sharing at the showing have been in constant evolution throughout the process. Our ideas have evolved and been informed by the DPS devising process (including lots of new things in the worlds of storyboarding and prototyping) and the script has remained a fluid object that constantly updates in response to what is discovered in the rehearsal room.

Working this way has been exciting and challenging, and we've gained huge strides in new knowledge and skills from the process. One of our favourite concepts from the process and DPS - which will inform all our productions moving forward, text-based or otherwise -- is the idea that a show's design conceit should directly reflect the thematic argument of the work. In other words, 'This is the claim your piece is making; how do your design choices visually reinforce that?' It's not something either of us had consciously articulated before, but it makes so much sense when you think about it.

VIRAG: What has been like working in a rehearsal room again collaboratively? I imagine that after co-vid lockdowns and restrictions it's been a huge relief.

We're delighted to have Minola up on its feet again! We kept ourselves busy (a.k.a. sane) during lockdown by remotely recording and releasing an original audio drama, Begotten, which is available on our website and via podcasting platforms. We're so glad to have done that, but there's nothing like actually being in the same room together, creating and exploring. Since restrictions eased, we've actually been pretty flat out -- participating in the DPS Academy, running workshops, applying for funding and festivals, and developing new work for the future. In a strange way, it's the busiest we've ever been! We both get so much pleasure out of making theatre, and using theatre as a tool for teaching and wellbeing. It's that pleasure, and that hope of building a sustainable brand into the future, that keeps us going when we're pulling 12-hour days and messaging each other with ideas at all hours.

VIRAG: What does the next chapter look like for this works you've made? What do you hope to do with these works in the future?

We very much hope that THE DPS LAB showing on November 4 is just the start for Selkie & Luna. We're showing Powerhouse audiences a 20-minute taster of a full-length work, and we would be thrilled if industry representatives who see that showing take an interest in Minola Theatre and throw their support behind the development of a full-length version. The Selkie myth is close to our hearts, both as individuals and as a company, and we wanted to use this amazing opportunity with DPS to share the story with the community, because we believe it can really impact people's lives. Even though it's an ancient myth, there is a feminist empowerment narrative deeply interwoven in Selkie's journey, which has never felt more relevant than in the age of #MeToo. Times change and cultures rise and fall, but there are some ideas -- some archetypal human themes -- that withstand all of that evolution. The right of women -- the right of all people -- to stand in their own power and be the hero of their own narrative: that's timeless, and it's a message that's needed here and now.

VIRAG: Lastly, how can we support your companies and collectives during these times? Any upcoming works we should look out for?

Minola Theatre is a little company with a big heart, which is currently running on a tiny bit of a cash flow and a whole lot of hard work. We'd be grateful for any support the community can offer us, and there are a number of channels through which that support can come. (1) Buy a ticket to the DPS LAB showing at Brisbane Powerhouse on November 4. Come see Selkie up on her feet, and imagine how she might look rocking a main house stage! Tickets are available via the Powerhouse website. (2) Download our audio drama, Begotten, from our website (minolatheatre.com.au), or listen to it episodically via your favourite podcasting platform. The website download allows you to make a little donation to help us cover costs, which we would massively appreciate. (3) If audio-only drama is not your thing, come see Begotten performed live! We're thrilled to have a performance slot in the inaugural Wynnum Fringe festival, which is happening on Brisbane's bayside on November 13-15. Begotten is playing at 5:30pm on Saturday 14 November at Winston ChurchHall in Wynnum, featuring an amazing lineup of local female talent. Tickets are available via the Wynnum Fringe website. (4) Follow Minola Theatre on Facebook and Instagram, to stay in the loop with all our upcoming shows, workshops and exciting announcements. Look for the little orange logo of the cat holding the beehive! That's us -- Kat and Bee -- and we'd love to have you as part of our Minola community.