The whole world is on show for Brisbane’s La Boite Theatre 2023 season.
There are four world premiere productions as well as a full slate of new Australian works throughout the season – it’s the first programmed by new Artistic Director Courtney Stewart.
Her appointment in the role sees her return home to Brisbane from Sydney – and represents something of a full-circle moment too: Courtney's professional stage debut was in 2017 as part of 'Single Asian Female'.
Courtney’s passion for new Australian writing as well as her role as Artistic Director for the nation’s oldest theatre company shines through in 2023. Here, we speak to her about the new role, and what she's got up her sleeve for La Boite's 2023 season.
This is your first season as Artistic Director/CEO for La Boite. Tell us, first of all, what drew you to this company.
The first play I ever saw was at La Boite – in high school my incredible drama teacher, Michelle Crouch, used to take us to the theatre all the time. I then went and studied at QUT and had dreams of being on stage at La Boite, finally realising this dream in 2017 with the premiere of 'Single Asian Female'. I’ve always felt so at home at La Boite.
How did the role come to be, for you?
I found out about the role from a beautiful friend of mine, Dr. John Saunders, who sent me a link to the job application and he told me I should apply for it. I remember I was at Sydney Opera House seeing 'La Boheme', and I saw his message during interval, and I felt butterflies in my stomach at the thought of applying for it – really I applied because I knew I wanted to be an Artistic Director one day, and knew I’d learn so much from the process of applying. It felt surreal as I moved through the recruitment process, but I had so many people encouraging me along the way.
What goes into putting a season of theatre together? Where do you begin?
I had to move very quickly as I started the job at the end of July last year and we needed a season for 2023. So I did a deep dive into the works La Boite had been developing over the last two years to see which works were ripe for production. I had been talking to Sydney Theatre Company about 'The Poison of Polygamy', and immediately suggested they co-produce the show with La Boite when they found out I got this job. But really – it’s a lot of reading, and then looking at what plays really fit within the vision you have for the company – figuring out what plays and works are going to amplify your message is key.
What do you hope to bring to La Boite during your tenure?
I want to play a part in re-birthing the Australian voice. I hope to increasingly uncover and reveal untold stories from the voices of the oppressed and underprivileged. I want to make space for our artists and audiences to challenge assumed 'truths', and dismantle the idea of a unifying whole where we all need to think and look alike. I want to do this by providing a platform for the Traditional Owners of the land, the Other, the Stranger, and the Rejected.
And tell us a bit about La Boite’s 2023 season. What can audiences expect?
In 2023, we premiere four diverse new Australian works. We spotlight a voice from the Kabi Kabi (Sunshine Coast) and Butchulla (Fraser Coast) communities, explore the adoptee experience in Australia, interrogate the origins of the Chinese diaspora, and we celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community. Three of these plays were initially supported through La Boite’s development programmes and it is gratifying and imperative that these new voices are given a full production on the Australian mainstage.
As a whole, what does the 2023 La Boite season represent to you?
Our season is fresh, energising, and exciting. It’s about profiling a diverse range of perspectives, and drives right into La Boite’s vision to be the country’s most diverse theatre company.
Why do you think theatre is such an important and effective art form?
There is something transformative about sitting in a space with other people and sharing in the experience of live storytelling. I believe storytelling promotes cultural awareness, gives you space to interrogate moral and spiritual values, and individual and collective responsibility. Storytelling has a powerful ability to heal – and I think when you mix storytelling and resistance you can bring behaviours into focus and ideas into action. It’s a deeply political act for me.
When your typical La Boite audience member leaves one of the 2023 shows, they should feel ______.
I want people to feel energised and wildly entertained. I want people to feel like they’ve shaken off any feelings of indifference. I want people to feel like they’ve participated in something meaningful. I want to change the world one play at a time.
La Boite Theatre's 2023 season opens with 'The Poison Of Polygamy’.
