From the time Neanderthals first sketched their drawings onto the walls of their caves, or ancient Egyptians started recording their history on papyrus sheets, or early tribes started telling stories around their campfires at night, the arts have been important to human societies. Cultural activities fill a need in humans and are one of the things that set us apart from animals.
As civilizations have developed, so have our art forms, so we can now enjoy orchestras, opera, Nobel-prize winning literature and Archibald prize winning portraits.
The arts interpret our landscape for us. They help us appreciate beauty, make sense of pain, shed light on the inexplicable. But we shouldn’t see the arts as something that only happens ‘out there’, in grand opera houses or concert halls or national art galleries. One of the important things about art is that it is everywhere. Every community has its practitioners, from visual artists to writers, actors, musicians etc. Most don’t do it for the money. They thrive on support and encouragement.
One initiative we have locally is YASSarts, a cultural tourism website that hopes to provide an inventory of arts and culture in the Yass Valley. Run by volunteers, it will include an events calendar to keep folk up to date on events in the region. (See last Wednesday’s Trib for more information.)
In the Yass Valley we are blessed with some notable artists, and some whose work will never gain critical acclaim. Culture isn’t only about winning awards. It’s about ordinary people tapping into their creativity and producing work that others can appreciate. Our lives would all be the poorer if these local groups did not exist.
I have been lucky enough to get an early preview of Yass Rep’s new show, and although the rehearsal I saw was far from the finished product, this production has the potential to give you a great night out.
Will You Still Love Me In The Morning is a fast-paced comedy with plenty of action (see also page 7). Two business partners each decide on a secret rendezvous with the other’s wife, only to discover they have both selected the same location for their trysts. And that location happens to be the house of their employee, who has offered them the use of his home while he is away on his honeymoon. Unfortunately, Jeremy’s honeymoon is not the ideal start to his marriage, and he brings his new wife Celia home in order to consummate their union. Mayhem results, as Jeremy (Lloyd Scroope) tries to keep his job and Celia (Bridgit Mitchell) tries to help him. Not to mention the shenanigans of the businessmen (David Sykes and Bernie Neill) and their partners (Tory Cox and Linda Swadling), and a lovely little cameo from Kim Turner.
The local thespians, led by director and all round fix-it man Winston Williams, have invested a significant amount of time and energy into this production, and with a season of three weekends, including one matinee, there will be plenty of opportunity to get to see it. It starts this weekend.
Here I need to declare my interest and add my hubbie is fantastic and the Trib cadet Lloyd Scroope is marvellous as they bring their respective characters to life.
Personal bias aside, this is a great chance to bring a little lightness into your life and support the local arts scene at the same time.
Make sure you don’t miss Will You Still Love Me In The Morning.
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