Sydney Theatre Group
You can't beat a WOMAN.
In 1987, one year after the Older Women's Network began, a small group of older women travelled to Canberra to highlight the invisibility and concerns of older women. In a presentation of songs and skits on the lawns outside Old Parliament House, they drew attention to the fact that older women were no longer content to remain invisible and silent about their lives and political concerns. This was the beginning of the OWN Theatre Group. Our Theatre Group is currently made up of fourteen women between the ages of 65 and 79, most with no previous stage experience.
The aims of the Theatre Group are to present a positive image of ageing; to educate, inform and entertain; to give older women the opportunity to explore their talents and participate in all aspects of theatre work, and to enjoy life to the fullest.
While the issues addressed in our skits and songs are serious, our Theatre Group is well known for original, feisty and satirical performances. The cast write the lyrics and scripts, presenting topical issues in a different and effective way to audiences of all ages each year at conferences, seminars, forums and community events.
Our repertoire includes:
- Women Centre Stage
- Devised for the 1990 Premier's Forum, features a 30 minute look at a-day-in-the-life-of an (invisible) older woman.
- Showing Our OWN Age
- Devised for the 1991 Premier's Forum, features 30 minutes of skits about surviving the health system.
- Our OWN Time of Life
- Devised in 1992 for International Day of the Elderly, features 15 minutes of skits and songs sending up media portrayals of older women.
- Our Say
- Devised for the 1994 Premier's Forum, features a 15 minute send-up of Hospital Casemix and its impact on older women.
- Superwoman
- Devised in 1995 for a national women's conference, features a 15 minute critique of superannuation and its effects on older women.
- International Year of the Older Persons Show
- Devised for the 1999 Premier's Forums, features the lived experiences of older women and emphasises the importance of intergenerational connections. The length of his show can be varied to accommodate different time slots.
- WOW!
- Devised in January 2000, features 30 minutes of skits and songs which highlight current issues that concern older women. Issues include hospital waiting lists, nursing homes, GST and banks.
- Doing Our OWN Thing
- Devised in 2001, focuses on fairies, banks, volunteering, mutual obligation, reconciliation and multiculturalism!
- Older Women on Show
- Created in April 2002, is focused on government decisions and ethics, peace, and company directors who assist their companies to go down the gurgler!
Performing groups have more recently been formed in Wagga Wagga, Newcastle and the Illawarra region. These local groups offer opportunities for older women to exercise and develop their skills in an atmosphere of support and plain good fun. Through their performances, they encourage audiences to recognise and comprehend the many issues that can negatively affect the lives of older women.
For more information, please phone the Coordinator on or email the OWN NSW office.
tel: 02 9247 7046
email: info@ownnsw.org.au
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