Young people who are a little dismissive about theatre and its place in the ultra sophisticated modern world do well to see Ride On’s production of THE STORY OF MARY MACLANE BY HERSELF at Kings Cross’s SBW Stables Theatre. Live theatre can be so exciting and challenging, and Ride On’s (joint Artistic Directors Tanya Goldberg and Bojana Novakovic) current production delivers on this promise.
On Anna Cordingley’s impressive stage, set in the early 1900’s and featuring a golden proscenium, the green curtains open to reveal Tim Rogers, standing to the right of the stage, acting as the show’s spruiker, calling out to everyone, Roll up, Roll up to see the newest show in town, the Mary Maclane show, as performed by one of Australia’s finest actresses, Bojana Novakovic.
After this brief introduction, its show-time big time! For the next 75 minutes, it’s an Evening With controversial Canadian American feminist writer Mary Maclane (1881-1929), known as the Wild Woman Of Butte (Montana), whose frank, provocative, self-focused writing style is now regarded as a precursor to the modern world’s obsession with blogging and social networking.
Maclane’s first book, THE STORY OF MARY MACLANE, written by her at the tender age of 19, was a sensational read, immensely popular with young women, and sold some 100,000 copies within the first month.
Cordingley’s set features a small portrait of Napoleon (Maclane was a great admirer) hanging off one of the stage walls. More significantly, the portrait of Maclane that comes across is of a fierce, intelligent and intensely emotional young woman. She pleads with the audience, ‘do you know how hard it is to feel everything everything’?!
After Maclane’s blazing early success she proclaimed herself, with zero modesty, a genius! She was a rebel with a feminist cause, didn’t believe in middle class values, and for her times bravely declared herself bisexual. Yes, a character she most certainly was, and it is great that Novakovic has chosen to bring her story to the spotlight.
Maclane shares the stage with three fellow players who are her biggest supporters. Tim Rogers (composer) plays guitar, Dan Whitton is on bass and Andy Baylor plays violin, with all three supplying vocals, and with their music underscoring Maclane’s story. When her’s spirits sag, it’s her musicians that bring her back in front of her audience.
Ride On’s current production is a touring one, following on its premiere production in the Beckett theatre at Melbourne’s Malthouse Theatre late last year.
A hot ticket, Tanya Goldberg’s current production plays the SBW Stables Theatre, 10 Nimrod Street, Kings Cross until Saturday 12th May, 2012.
(c) David Kary
Tags: THE STORY OF MARY MACLANE BY HERSELF, SBW Stables Theatre, Ride On Theatre Company, Tanya Goldberg, Bojana Novakovic, Tim Rogers, Dan Whitton, Andy Baylor, Brett Boardman, Sydney Arts Guide, David Kary