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The State Theatre Company of South Australia is South Australia's leading professional theatre company. It is based in the Dunstan Playhouse at the Adelaide Festival Centre. The current artistic director is Geordie Brookman.^[1] It was established under the State Theatre Company of South Australia Act 1972.^[2]

Notable actors, writers and directors, working with the Company include Patrick White, Neil Armfield, Ruth Cracknell, Andrew Bovell, Judy Davis, Gale Edwards, Mel Gibson, Geoffrey Rush, Jim Sharman, Hugo Weaving and John Wood.

History

The South Australian Theatre Company (SATC) was established in 1965 under the artistic direction of John Tasker. The date of establishment as the state theatre company dates to the State Theatre Company of South Australia Act of 1972, an initiative of Don Dunstan. The name of the company was changed to its current name in 1980 as a reflection of this act. The director of the company in its inaugural year was George Ogilvie.

In 1974, the SATC became the resident theatre company of the newly built Adelaide Festival Centre, performing mostly in The Playhouse (later The Dunstan Playhouse, which is still the company's primary venue), and was the first state theatre company in Australia to hold its entire operations in one purpose-made building.

In 1977, Magpie Theatre was established as the youth arm of the company. It was lost in 1997, partially due to loss of funding after reconstruction of Arts SA.

Under the artistic direction of Jim Sharman, the company was renamed Lighthouse and became an ensemble theatre company with twelve actors: Robynne Bourne, Peter Cummins, Melissa Jaffer (replaced in 1983 by Jacqy Phillips), Alan John (also composer in residence), Gillian Jones, Melita Jurisic, Russell Kiefel, Stuart McCreery, Robert Menzies (replaced by Robert Grubb), Geoffrey Rush, Kerry Walker and John Wood .

From 1996 when she was Executive Producer, Chris Westwood subtitled the company Australian Playhouse, with the goal of presenting only Australian works until the end of the century. However, Westwood resigned under pressure at the end of 1997, and the company returned to a more orthodox season.

Directors

Artistic directors of the company include:
Prior to official conception as the state theatre company:

• 
  John Tasker (1965–67)


• 
  Leslie Dayman (1968–69)


• Peter Batey (1970–71)

After 1972:

• 
  George Ogilvie (1972–1976)


• Colin George (1977–1979)


• Kevin Palmer (Artistic Director), Nick Enright (Associate Director) (1980–81) (henceforth as The State Theatre Company of South Australia)


• 
  Jim Sharman (Artistic Director), Neil Armfield and Louis Nowra (Associates) (1982–83) (as Lighthouse)


• Keith Gallasch (1984–85)


• 
  John Gaden (Artistic), Gale Edwards (Associate) (1986–89)


• Simon Phillips (1990–93)


• Chris Westwood (Executive Producer) (1994–97)


• Rodney Fisher (1998–99)


• Rosalba Clemente (2000–04)


• Adam Cook (2005–2012)


• 
  Geordie Brookman (2012 - present)

Associate Directors

• Michael Hill (2006 - 2008)


• Geordie Brookman (2008 - 2010)


• Catherine Fitzgerald (2011)


• Nescha Jelk (2013 - present)

New works

Shows which have been developed by and/or have had their world premiere at STCSA include:

• 2016 - Things I Know To Be True by Andrew Bovell (co-production with UK's Frantic Assembly)


• 2009 - Metro Street by Matthew Robinson
  


• 2009 - Maestro by Anna Goldsworthy and Peter Goldsworthy
  


• 2008 - Architektin by Robyn Archer
  


• 2008 - When The Rain Stops Falling by Andrew Bovell (co-presentation with Brink Productions)


• 2007 - Lion Pig Lion by Marty Denniss


• 2006 - Honk If You Are Jesus by Peter Goldsworthy and Martin Laud Gray (winner of the 2006 Ruby Award for Best New Work or Event)


• 2004 - Euripides' Trojan Women adapted by Rosalba Clemente and Dawn Langman


• 2004 - Night Letters by Robert Dessaix adapted by Susan Rogers and Chris Drummond


• 2003 - drowning in my ocean of You by Fiona Sprott


• 2002 - My Life, My Love by Pat Rix


• 2001 - Holy Day by Andrew Bovell (winner of 2 Green Room Awards)


• 1986 - Dreams In An Empty City by Stephen Sewell
  


• 1985 - Beautland by Barry Dickins
  


• 1983 - Sunrise by Louis Nowra
  


• 1983 - The Blind Giant Is Dancing by Stephen Sewell
  


• 1983 - Netherwood by Patrick White
  


• 1982 - Spellbound by Louis Nowra
  


• 1982 - Royal Show by Louis Nowra
  


• 1982 - Signal Driver: A Morality Play for the Times by Patrick White
  


• 1978 - A Manual of Trench Warfare by Clem Gorman


• 1978 - Marx by Ron Blair


• 1976 - A Handful of Friends by David Williamson
  


• 1974 - The Department by David Williamson
  

In addition, the company supports new work through its annual Young Playwrights' Award (formally Young Guns competition) for writers under 25, offering dramaturgy and a professional reading to the winning script, and the Jill Blewett Playwright's Award for the Creative Development of a play script by a South Australian Writer, presented at Adelaide Writer's Week during the Adelaide Festival.

References

• Milne, G, 2004, Theatre Australia (un)limited, Rodopi Press


• 
  Peter Ward (1992). A singular act : twenty five years of the State Theatre Company of South Australia. Adelaide : State Theatre : Wakefield Press,. ISBN 1-862-54273-2.
  

External links

• State Theatre Company