Alternative Media Group

THEATRE: INTERSECTION

Author:

Tara Parsons

Posted:

Monday, 23 August 2010

Have you ever considered the park bench you sit on or the bus shelter you wait at could also be somebody’s home? If not, Intersection may just get you thinking. Presented by Milk Crate Theatre, Australia’s only theatre group dedicated to working with homeless people, Intersection is a roving performance spanning Sydney’s homeless hotspots. Part Greek tragedy, part interactive dialogue, this unique production sees professional actors and artists working alongside people who have experienced life on the streets. Artistic Director Beck Ronkson said the inspiration came from the idea that urban sites can be many things to many people. “The show was originally conceived out of looking at how stories were hidden in the streets around where we worked – how you can walk in a particular location and not realise its significance to someone else.”

But if your idea of good theatre is sitting in front of a stage while sipping on a glass of chardy, this play may be a tad out of your comfort zone. Audiences literally follow the action of the two main characters, James and Sally, as they travel through the streets after meeting in a crisis shelter at the beginning of the play.

“It’s pretty gritty and raw, but at the same time it is also big, brash and beautiful,” Ronkson explained. “Unlike a stage set, the spaces bring their own quality to the work, they have their own histories and they are also real, functioning spaces. You get this wonderful intersection between fiction and reality. It’s not artificial and that adds an extra layer to the work.”

And it is not just this collision of fiction and reality that makes Intersection such an apt title. The play focuses on life’s crossroads, and how we deal with those moments in life when everything changes – themes that everyone, from the most disadvantaged to the most privileged, can relate to.

So, put on a pair of comfy shoes, grab a scarf and hit the streets for what promises to be a real diamond in the rough.

Aug 26 & 27, Sep 2 & 3, Start @ 348A Bourke Street, Surry Hills, $30, milkcratetheatre.com.au

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