Virtual Intimacy - Asia TOPA
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ASIA TOPA CO-COMMISSION
ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE AND
VICTORIAN COLLEGE OF THE ARTS PRESENT
Virtual
Intimacy
VERY THEATRE AND ACTNOW THEATRE
WORLD PREMIERE
12–15 MARCH
MARTYN MYER ARENA
VICTORIAN COLLEGE OF THE ARTS (VCA)
THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
70 mins
Performed in English and Mandarin
Restricted to ages 18+
1
Co-Director Edwin Kemp Attrill Queer hookup culture goes under the
microscope in this new performance work.
Co-Director Tung-Yen Chou
Virtual Intimacy explores our relationships
Actors with technology and the ways it shapes our
Jason Marsiglia connection with others.
Shih-Yi Tseng
Developed with artists from South Australia and
Dramaturg Teddy Dunn Taiwan alongside queer community participants
Lighting Designer in Melbourne, the show interrogates the world
Rachel Lee through digital footprints left behind – steps
Dazai Chen taken, the Facebook friends made, Instagram
photos shared and number of hookups – on the
Sound Designer Hai-Ting Liao search for “virtual intimacy”.
Videography Chien-Yu Liu A unique performance experiment suitable for
APP Developer Samantha E. Schaffer English and Mandarin speakers, Virtual Intimacy
explores queer stories of coming out, love, loss
Technical Director Ray-Pei Yu and finding community through technology.
Stage Manager
Jacinta Anderson
Chi-Chun Feng Virtual Intimacy has been co-commissioned
by National Theater & Concert Hall, Taipei
Script Collaborator Chi-Chun Feng and Asia TOPA. It is supported by Arts Centre
International Producer Rhen Soggee Melbourne through Asia TOPA, National Culture
and Arts Foundation, the Department of Cultural
Executive Producer Po-Shan Wu Affairs Taipei City Government, the Government
of South Australia through Arts South Australia,
Marketing Coordinator Caitlin Ellen Moore
ACMI and a Playking Foundation Travel Grant.
Interns
Joe Dias
Hui Zhao Free Artist Talk
Sunday 15 March
Community Members 12.30-1.30pm
Cameron Magusic MPavilion
Evander Wan
Jessi Lewis Speakers
Jin Chong Tung-Yen Chou and Edwin Kemp Attrill
Kevin Chai
Scotty So
Ping Wen
2
ACTNOW THEATRE VERY THEATRE
ActNow Theatre is a South Australian Very Theatre is a Taiwanese multi-artform
theatre company that tailors socially organisation, creating performance, video art,
conscious performance projects. It works and exhibitions, funded through the resources
with professional artists to engage diverse of its partner company Very Mainstream Studio.
communities in conversations around Very Theatre takes new media as its core and
challenging, contemporary issues. Its projects focuses on creating interdisciplinary works
have been critically acclaimed, commended with a strong emphasis on narrative and text,
in South Australian Parliament, and highly which strive to envision new ways of seeing and
praised by audiences, participants and experiencing performance. Very Theatre has
community organisations. won multiple awards and performed throughout
Europe and Asia.
actnowtheatre.org.au
vmstudio.tw/vmtheatre
Photo: National Theatre and Concert Hall (NTCH) Kris Kang
3We both run theatre companies, intimate experiences, but they prompted us
we’re both workaholics. to ask: In an increasingly virtual world, how is
intimacy changing?
We’re both gay men, and single.
Queer culture has paved the way for mainstream
We’ve both created work about Grindr and
society through a technology-based sexual
online dating.
liberation, with the popularity of online dating
That is – we create work based on our singleness. and apps such as Grindr. Virtual Intimacy’s
world is one of abundance and ambivalence
But we’re also very different – particularly in the – of multiple voices and multiple narratives,
work that we create. juxtaposing the hyper sexualised ‘meat market’
Community has been at the heart of this piece at of gay hookup culture with the ethereal,
every stage in the development of this work – in ephemeral relationships of intimacy in online
Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Taipei. spaces. Created as a bilingual work between
Australia and the new queer centre of Asia,
As well as community, it’s about us as Taiwan, it is about the future of queerness and
individuals. The first week of development – of relationships in the Asian century.
the first week Yen and I met – we went to a gay
beat in the Melbourne parklands, a nude party Edwin Kemp Attrill & Tung-Yen Chou
at a pool hall and a gay sauna. These were not (co-directors)
Photo: National Theatre and Concert Hall (NTCH) Kris Kang
4EDWIN KEMP ATTRILL TEDDY DUNN
Co-Director Dramaturg
Edwin Kemp Attrill is a South Australian theatre Teddy Dunn is an independent director and
maker. He is the founder and Artistic Director dramaturg who graduated from Flinders Drama
of ActNow Theatre and the former Artistic Centre in 2015 with First Class Honours and
Director of the University of Adelaide Theatre a University Medal. He has a keen interest
Guild. Edwin’s work focuses on interactive in new Australian and international plays
theatre and participatory storytelling, exploring and adaptation.
social justice themes. As a community arts
practitioner, Edwin works with people with
disabilities, prisoners, LGBTIQ communities, SHIH-YI (DEAN) TSENG
young people, refugees and migrants, with Actor
organisations including Urban Myth Theatre of Dean Tseng graduated in Theatre Performing
Youth, No Strings Attached Theatre of Disability, from Taipei National University of the Arts
Tutti Arts, Company @, Flinders University, (Taiwan) in 2010. His performance experiences
Vitalstatistix, Feast Festival and NIDA Open. He include: The Monsters (Young Theatre
holds a Diploma in Theatre Arts through Victoria Artist’s Competition at 2014 WuZhen Theatre
University and a Graduate Certificate in Arts Festival) and Allez (the Young Theatre Artist’s
and Community Engagement through Victorian Competition at 2015 WuZhen Theatre Festival).
College for the Arts. Edwin was the recipient Both were competition finalists. Zuò Zuò Tea
of the 2013 Channel 9 Young Achievers Award House (Taipei Free Art Fair in 2015) won the
for Career Leadership, 2015 Geoff Crowhurst Critics’ Choice Award for best performance
Memorial Award at the South Australian and was invited to Macao City Fringe Festival
Ruby Awards and 2018 Australia Council Kirk and World Stage Design in 2017. He has also
Robson Award. performed in Come Together (Kuan-Du Arts
Festival in 2016), Chaos In Chronicling (Young
Stars, Taipei New Vision in 2016), Macbeth: Paint
TUNG-YEN CHOU
it, Black! (Sibiu International Theatre Festival in
Co-Director
2017) and Unspeakable (Immersive Theatre X
Tung-Yen Chou holds a MA in Scenography with Live Exhibition in 2017.) Still Air won best play
distinction from Central Saint Martins College of of Taipei Fringe Festival in 2016, was nominated
Art and Design in London and a BFA in Theatre for the TaiShin Arts Award in 2016 and was
Directing from Taipei National University of the invited to Bangkok International Performing
Arts (TNUA). He is the founder and director Arts Meeting (BIPAM) in 2018.
of Very Theatre and Very Mainstream Studio.
Focusing on theatre and moving image, he
makes interdisciplinary works of performance, JASON MARSIGLIA
installation and music video. The latest Actor
international co-production with Culture Yard Jason Marsiglia is a performer, writer and
in Denmark, Chronicle of Lightyear –Taipei, festival producer, with a passion for theatre and
Copenhagen, premiered at Taipei Art Festival performance poetry. He studied performance
and presented at Ars Electronica Festival, at the Adelaide College of the Arts and has
Linz, in 2018. He is currently working on Facing completed a Bachelor of Communications and
Cities which premieres at Noorderzon Festival Media. Jason represented South Australia at
in the Netherlands in 2020. the 2015 and 2016 National Poetry Slam held
at the Sydney Opera House. In 2017, he was a
part of the collaborative team that devised and
performed in ActNow Theatre’s Zero Feet Away.
He has also created theatre works for Adelaide
Fringe, including The Market (2014) and Prince
Pipsqueak (2016).
5JUI-PEI YU RACHEL LEE
Devisor & Set Design Lighting Designer
Jui-Pei Yu is a freelancer and graduated from Based in Melbourne and her hometown Singapore,
the Department of Drama at Taiwan University, Rachel Lee is an emerging artist and lighting
and from the Institute of Performing Arts Design designer. Her design credits include: Forgotten
and Practice at Central Saint Martins College, Places (Citizen Theatre, 2019), Red Stitch’s
University of the Arts London. He is engaged Ulster American (Brett Cousins, 2019); The Three
in theatre, dance, film, television, exhibition Graces (The Anchor, 2019); The Honouring (Jack
activities, music festival concerts and other Sheppard, 2019) and Blood Quantum (Ngioka-
art scenes, working in space design, technical Bunda Heath, 2019) at The Yirramboi Festival
planning and set drawing of cultural projects. 2019; World Problems (Emma Hall, 2019); Rent The
Musical (Take The Mic Australia, 2018); associate
lighting designer on Moral Panic (Double Water
DAZAI CHEN Sign, 2018), Fallen (She Said Theatre, 2018); Truly
Set & Lighting Designer Madly Britney (Stage Mom, 2019); Baby Bi Bi Bi
Dazai Chen graduated from the Department (Flesh Coloured Panties, 2018); Romeo Is Not The
of Drama at Taiwan University, majoring in Only Fruit (dir. Jean Tong, 2017-2019); Tandem
computer lighting design. In 2016, he began (Gravity Dolls, 2018) Bread Crumbs (On The Fence
his career in lighting design. His works Productions, 2017); and several 2018 Melbourne
include drama, dance, opera, musicals and Fringe productions, including Born to Achieve:
entertainment. Recently, he has focused on A Little Sister Proves Her Big Sister Wrong and
the development of science and technology, Lou Wall’s Drag Race. Rachel has completed
integrating traditional theatre lighting and internships with Nigel Levings, Nick Schlieper and
computers, using lamps, lasers and images to Paul Jackson. She is also part of 2019 Melbourne
create new experiences of visual art in new Theatre Company’s Women In Theatre Program
media, constructing the imagination of this and works closely with Western Edge Youth Arts
generation and the future. (WEYA) on various productions.
CHI-CHUN FENG PO-SHAN WU
Collaborator/Technician Producer
Chi-Chun Feng graduated from the School Po-Shan Wu graduated from the Department of
of Theatre Arts, Taipei National University of Diplomacy, National Chengchi University in 2014.
the Arts, with a major in Playwriting. She has He previously held positions as a promoting and
worked as a stage manager and worked with planning executive at Taipei Digital Art Center
several theatres, dance and music groups across and Taipei Digital Art Festival, as a marketing
Taiwan. In recent years, she has completed executive at Arts Taipei; and as leader of the
several creative theatre works including: Ever Digital Art Foundation International Exchange
Never in 2015, Still Air in 2017 and participatory Group. Since 2017, his focus has shifted from
interactive performance work P.T.O (Please Turn visual arts to performance arts. He is currently
Over) in 2018 in collaboration with Chien-Han freelancing and working as Executive Producer
Hung and Ya-ting Kang. Currently, Feng is a for Very Theatre and Move Theatre.
freelance artistic creator.
RHEN SOGGEE
Producer
Rhen Soggee is an arts manager interested
in contemporary, multicultural, inter/multi-
disciplinary and participatory arts to affect
social change through the arts, specifically
with multicultural, intersectional, feminist
and queer agendas.
6CAITLIN ELLEN MOORE was awarded Excellence in Acting at the 2017
Marketing & Development Coordinator Mansfield Festival for his performance as Dimitri
Papavasilopoulos in The Stanley Parkers by
Caitlin Ellen Moore is a writer, activist, freelancer Geraldine Aron. He has been awarded a number
and general noise maker. A global citizen who’s of Victorian Drama League and Lyrebird acting
lived in Asia, Africa, the UK and the South awards. Joe has a Master’s degree in Applied
Pacific, she is now based in Adelaide, South Linguistics and Management. He has taken a
Australia. Previously, Caitlin has been the SA break from completing his law degree to study
Outreach Coordinator for Oaktree, the Access Directing at VCA.
and Diversity Assistant for the Adelaide Fringe
and worked with Radio Adelaide as hosts for
both Global Generation and Film Fatale. As SAMANTHA E. SCHAFFER
a writer she has written for StudentEdge, The App Developer
Ladies Network, This is Radelaide and OnDit,
Samantha E. Schaffer is an American artist and
and she dabbles in spoken word poetry.
software developer based in Adelaide. Their
Currently, she is the co-host and producer of
passion is exploring the intersection of art and
Radio Adelaide’s Pride and Prejudice and Thirty
technology, as well as minimising its barriers
Minute City. As a freelance producer, Caitlin
to entry to help others do the same. A current
creates podcasts under the name Wickedly
Creative Consultant with Carclew, Sam is also
Good Productions, including a highly praised
an independent game developer. Sam creates
podcast about alcoholism, addiction and mental
art-games that blur the line between gaming
health within the arts scene titled WHY AM I
and poetry. In their free time, they can be found
LIKE THIS?!
wandering around taking photos, playing too
much Pokemon Go, and judging you.
HUI ZHAO
Intern
COMMUNITY MEMBERS
Hui Zhao is an enthusiastic translating intern
Special thanks to all the community members
who joined Virtual Intimacy from her Master’s
that have joined Virtual Intimacy across
program placement and has continued to work
workshop programs in Adelaide, Melbourne and
with the project past her placement. She loves
Taipei in the development of this work.
fitness, language and Japan.
A huge thank you to the following community
members who will be joining us on stage for the
JO DIAS premiere of this work, following a series of lead
Intern up workshops.
Jo Dias is tri-lingual, being born in Melbourne, The production values your generosity in
of Portuguese heritage and having majored in contributing, both in time and sharing your
Mandarin at university. He trained as an actor experiences, and how those experiences have
on three different continents: in Australia at helped to shape and sharpen the focus of
Deakin University (Rusden) and Victorian this work.
College of Arts (VCA), in China at Nanjing
University of the Arts, and the United Kingdom Cameron Magusic
at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. In Evander Wan
China, Joe performed mainly in Mandarin for Jessi Lewis
TV programs and commercials, and wrote/ Jin Chong
co-presented a weekly bi-lingual radio show Kevin Chai
introducing Australia, which was also broadcast Ping Wen
in Japan. In Australia, Joe has performed in over Scotty So
20 plays and pantomimes, portraying a wide
variety of dramatic and comic characters. He
7ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE
PO Box 7585 MELBOURNE VIC 3004 Australia
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info@artscentremelbourne.com.au
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VICTORIAN ARTS ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE Pam Soriano,
Program Coordinator
CENTRE TRUST EXECUTIVE TEAM
President Chief Executive Officer Alicia Kish,
Ian Carson AM Claire Spencer AM Marketing Campaign Manager
Frankie Airey Deirdre Blythe Kara Bertoncini, Advisor, Media
and Communications
Paul Barker Leanne Lawrence
Greta Bradman Fiona Poletti David Geoffrey Hall,
Leigh Johns OAM Melanie Smith Marketing Specialist
Andrew Myer AM Beau Vigushin Katie Macdonald-Whelan,
Ian Roberts Richard Zimmermann Marketing Assistant
Nora Scheinkestel
Helen Silver AO ASIA TOPA TEAM Laura Hale,
Logistics Coordinator
Stephen Armstrong,
SIDNEY MYER FUND Creative Director Fred Chuang &
Bec McGuinness,
Chairman Kate Ben-Tovim, Associate Producers
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Trustees Simeon Moran, PROJECT TEAM
Sally Lindsay Executive Producer Chloe Weavers,
Andrew Myer AM Producer
Tam Nguyen,
Sidney Myer AM
Creative Producer Glenn Dulihanty,
Dr Sadiah Boonstra, Production Manager
Curator Public Program Suzanne Robson,
Senior Advisor, Media
and Communications
PRESENTING PARTNER
Asia TOPA is a joint initiative of the Sidney Myer Fund and Arts Centre Melbourne
and is supported by the Australian and Victorian governments.
Conditions of entry
Arts Centre Melbourne welcomes everyone to enjoy our spaces. For our full Conditions of Entry visit artscentremelbourne.com.auYou can also read
