One in every three Australian women have been physically assaulted since the age of fifteen.
This incredibly alarming statistic has prompted Brisbane-based actress and producer Emma Skelton into action. Emma, along with Rhianne Blackler and dynamic ensemble of all-female, Brisbane creatives, have teamed up Director Catarina Hebbard to produce 'Dolores'. New York Playwright Edward Allan Baker's intimate one-act play follows Dolores (played by Emma) as she arrives at her sister's doorway unannounced, desperately seeking assistance from a woman who desperately needs her to leave.
‘Dolores’ is part of Brisbane’s Anywhere Festival – which provides passionate performances in a non-traditional theatrical atmosphere – and is sure to tug at the heartstrings of every viewer. The play looks at the uncompromising world of domestic violence, and tackles the big issues of gender discrepancy, victimisation, and the polarising ways women respond to such issues.
Seeking to challenge the audience’s view on repercussions of domestic violence, and how individuals view victims of abuse, the gritty subject matter is beautiful, dignified, and utterly captivating. Emma delves deeper:‘Dolores’ has been called a “memorial for domestic abuse victims”, however the context screams 'deliberative action'. How do you want viewers to frame the production?
I don't completely agree that the play is a memorial nor is it deliberative action... it's not as straightforward as that. Perhaps it is a mesh of the two? While it is issues-based, the play is also a story about family, love, strength and survival. We want our audiences to be not only challenged, but entertained and moved. We hope the play offers an opportunity to share different perspectives on DV and how it is dealt with by those who are living with it.
What ideas and questions do you hope will eventuate after viewing?
We would love to hear people talk, to hear people share and to start to recognise the signs and ask for ways they can make change or help people in need. DV is everyone's problem, it's not just a women's issue and violence can only thrive in silence. We hope audiences will feel compassion for the story's protagonists and that compassion will drive them to act and to speak out on this issue.
How do you think theatre helps spread awareness? Is there anything particular to theatre allowing the audience to grasp and deal with emotional and confronting themes more effectively?
Creating awareness is part of the reason we do what we do. If people can see something of themselves on stage or recognise a person, place or situation then they will relate to the work and in many cases it can serve as a wake up call or a shake into action. Theatre is a shared, communal experience. There is a sense of connectedness to both the actors and the other audience members that can't be experienced through other mediums. It's this feeling of connection our modern, fast-paced world can feel lacking in and so theatre has the capacity to engender a feeling of openness and belonging in its audience members. In theatre, it is often possible to engage with the artists themselves or other audience members, to discuss the themes that the work deals with and to share personal experiences and insights in a social context.
'Domestic violence’, and ‘domestic abuse’ are used inconsistently across different jurisdictions. Do you think this hinders appropriate action to stop the epidemic?Not at all, we don't use them enough. Violence, family or domestic all say the same thing. The language we use to describe the act doesn't hinder action. It's the way we look at the victims and the reasons for the abuse/ violence that does. We need to change that thinking, not necessarily the language.
In January, Rosie Batty said in her valedictory speech that family violence was an “epidemic”, however former Labor leader Mark Latham said that a number of surveys showed incidents of domestic assault were no worse than they were 20 or 30 years ago. What is your response to that?
I don't think he has done his research – but regardless of that, why is that OK anyway? Why is any level of assault acceptable to anyone? It's talk like this that is damaging and diminishing the actual act – by saying it's no better or worse than before doesn't make it right!
In 2012 the ABS found that 1 in 4 Australian women experienced at least one incident of violence from an intimate partner (that's 25.1 per cent) since the age of 15. Something has to be done to rectify that. Sourced from ABC's Fact File on DV.
Why do some people vehemently do their best to help, yet in the play Sandra ignores the problem altogether? Are there ‘Dolores’ and ‘Sandra’ archetypes?
Without giving too much away Sandra is dealing with her own things. The play highlights the reality that families are challenging and one of the first things you read about victims of DV is they are isolated from their support networks by their partners. Not all DV is physical – this too is a very important message of the play. We are certainly not approaching the characters as though they are archetypes – we hope to present Dolores and Sandra as imperfect, fleshed-out women with unique personalities and ways of coping with what life has handed them.
What can you tell me about Edward Allan Baker? He is quotes as saying: “I write about people born to brick and asphalt, who don't have bad days, they have bad years.” What do his words mean to you and the production?
We have been in touch with Edward and he is a very straight down the line writer, he tells it like it is and he doesn't want his work romanticised or softened. It was important to him we not play the characters as victims, stating "I don't write about victims, I write people fighting their last fight, knowing that if they lose, there goes there last strand of dignity." This advice was particularly poignant for us because it is how we hope audiences will feel about women who live with violence after seeing the show. When survivors are asked "why didn't you just leave?", that's code for “it was her fault". This is absolutely incorrect and a sad reality of how our society minimises the problem.
Catarina Hebbard’s directional influences, how successful was she at helping you find Dolores?Catarina has come from an acting background herself and her respect for the acting process engenders a strong sense of trust and safety in the rehearsal room. She has a keen, inquiring mind demanding extremely detailed textual analysis and a deep respect for the work of the writer. Her approach has absolutely helped me to find Dolores and, more importantly, to trust my instincts about who Dolores is and what drives her. It has been a real joy and privilege to have her guiding this piece, she has created a truly collaborative working environment.
Do you view Australian society itself as a victim of domestic violence?
Yes I do, we have a culture that accepts vulgar and violent attitudes to women and where men hold a sense of entitlement towards women. What starts as schoolyard banter devolves into sexist jokes and rigid gender stereotypes allow violence to thrive – but they don't just victimise women. Young men are often driven by peer pressure to prove themselves as 'manly' and this can lead to violence. We invite women and men alike to join this conversation and to work together to make change.
'Dolores' performs Taylor King Gallery 5-15 May as part of Anywhere Festival which runs 5-21 May.
