Congratulations to Daniel Keene who scored the NSW Premier's Literary Prize for playwriting. 
In a very tough field (Andrew Bovell's When The Rain Stops Falling and Damien Millar's The Modern International Dead were both in the running) it's good to seem Keene, a Melbourne playwright often ignored in Sydney, get the gong.
It must be a good sign of the rising standards of playwriting when such a strong group of writers are in the mix. I share the sentiments about the lack of female voices. However Debra Oswald won it last year.
So congratulations to Daniel.
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
Serpent's Teeth Honoured
Posted by Nicholas Pickard at 12:45 pm
Labels: arts awards, Playwrights, Playwriting
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6 comments:
I have been a fan of Daniel Keene's writing for over 20 years, but am most surprised at this award - as I found it to be one of his most heavy-handed and "clunky" scripts. Perhaps it was just the production by a first time director which emphasized this : the staging of the first act was static and overly slow; the second act was distractingly "distancing" in its use of throat mikes and lighting effects. I attended the 1st preview on a $20 ticket and found myself front row centre. Weirdly, one of the cast - who I had previously directed in a very unhappy experience for us both - stared directly at me for at least half a minute in absolute silence before beginning a major monologue. (I'd love to know if this strange prolonged pause occurred at any other performances). Personal experience aside, I can't help but feel that this award was a case of Mr Keene being given long overdue recognition for his major body of work - rather than a deserved win for a great text.
Just a small correction. Sydney has been very nice to Mr Keene, in fact. This is his third NSW Premier's Award. And his sixth Premier's Award over all. He's hardly starved of this kind of recognition.
Hi Alison - however true, I feel that his work has been largely ignored by a vast majority of programmers, producers and directors in Sydney... Prizes etc etc is one thing - but plays are written to be performed not awarded.
True, but that's our loss, not his. Daniel knows very well that the kinds of plays he wants to write don't necessarily suit the main stage demands here. Luckily for him, there are other places with other kinds of main stages.
Is this not the moment to discuss the role of the playwright as raised by David Williamson in re state theatre companies ? If the STC under the stewardship of Nevin could commission plays such as Serpent's Teeth and the Kosky/Wright stunners, is it a good or bad thing for the company to now reject the work of Williamson (and his disciples like Tony McNamara) in an attempt to be different ?
Didn't I see a huge poster for The Removalists in the STC foyer? Is that really rejection?
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