http://reviews.media-culture.org.au/
Brisbane’s Kooemba Jdarra Indigenous Performing Arts Company is a theatre troupe that was established to be a creative outlet for Australian aboriginal actors and artists. What makes this troupe special is that they perform a combination of modern stories and traditional aboriginal stories. Founded in 1993, the theatre company allows unique opportunities for actors of Australian aboriginal background to break into the theatre industry, while educating theatergoers about the aboriginal culture, legends, and history.
The Mack, one of the troupe’s recent offerings, is a play penned by Sam Watson. The story is centered around a family with aboriginal roots experiencing traumatic events. There are also components of aboriginal traditional beliefs in the work. In addition to learning about the typical struggles of modern-day aboriginal people, the audience is also exposed to aboriginal mythology and the way it is central to the culture and the way they experience life.
Whispers of this Wik Woman is another example of a performance by Kooemba Jdarra. This piece is adapted from Fiona Doyle’s book and details the journey of an Australian woman who is unsure about where her identity truly lies, in traditional aboriginal culture or the culture of European Australia.
The performance Skin Deep explores themes of black and white identity. The play, written by Dallas Winmar, juxtaposes the lives of one black woman and one white woman against each other over several vignettes that represent the progression of their lifespan. This play serves to present an empowered vision of indigenous Australians and bring the problems of racial inequality back into focus.
These plays allow for the open and honest expression of aboriginal needs and issues, and also allow Kooemba Jdarra to fulfill their mission to give aboriginal Australians an artistic voice. This troupe is a vital part of Australia’s theatre scene and adds a much-needed creative element that has the capability to serve Australian society for the greater good.
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