Stage by Stage
This section looks the history of various theatres past and present.
Written by Cheryl Threadgold
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Cheryl Threadgold AustraliaSince 2005 Cheryl has been the honorary theatre writer/reviewer/review coordinator for the 'Melbourne Observer' newspaper, and presented the non-professional theatre report on 3AW for six and a half years. She convenes the Bayside U3A Writers Group, and casts and directs the writers' radio plays for broadcast on 88.3 Southern FM.
Personal involvement in amateur theatre commenced in1958 in a play titled 'A Must for Dolly' (a sequel to 'Man and Superman' by George Bernard Shaw) written and directed by J. Beresford Fowler at the Arrow Theatre, Middle Park.
After working in ABC Television behind the scenes for 29 years, more recent amateur theatrical activities include performing, directing, choreographing, writing full-length productions and short plays, publicity, adjudicating, committee and front-of-house.
A love of amateur theatre inspired Cheryl to undertake a PhD research project with Swinburne University of Technology to explore the history and culture of the theatrical arts sector in Victoria. Her self-published book In the Name of Theatre: the history, culture and voices of amateur theatre in Victoria is based on the award-winning thesis and won the 2020 Collaborative Victorian Community History Award.
Written by Robert Taylor
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Robert Taylor AustraliaRobert Taylor is a NIDA graduate (Technical Production) who was Playbox Production Manager from 1987–90 and Administrator from 1991–5. His Lighting Design for The Mourning After (1996 Beckett Theatre) toured extensively in 1997. From 1995–2014 he was General Manager of The National Theatre in St. Kilda.
Written by Elisabeth Kumm
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Elisabeth Kumm AustraliaElisabeth is a founding member of the Victoria Theatres Trust. Her series Pets of the Public was a regular feature of On Stage from 1999 to 2005, looking at “forgotten” nineteenth century performers. She continues to contribute articles for the THA website, and from 2018 has been editor of the THA Newsletter. As a theatrical historian and biographer she assisted Viola Tait with her book on pantomime – Dames, Principal Boys…and All That (published by Macmillan in 2001) and also worked with her on her memoirs I Have a Song to Sing (published by THA in 2018). Elisabeth has also undertaken research for the Riley/Hailes Scrapbook and JCW Scene Books projects. Most recently she has been working on the Falk Studios album project including acting as editor of The Falk Studios book (published by THA in 2021).
Written by Elisabeth Kumm
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Elisabeth Kumm Australia
Elisabeth is a founding member of the Victoria Theatres Trust. Her series Pets of the Public was a regular feature of On Stage from 1999 to 2005, looking at “forgotten” nineteenth century performers. She continues to contribute articles for the THA website, and from 2018 has been editor of the THA Newsletter. As a theatrical historian and biographer she assisted Viola Tait with her book on pantomime – Dames, Principal Boys…and All That (published by Macmillan in 2001) and also worked with her on her memoirs I Have a Song to Sing (published by THA in 2018). Elisabeth has also undertaken research for the Riley/Hailes Scrapbook and JCW Scene Books projects. Most recently she has been working on the Falk Studios album project including acting as editor of The Falk Studios book (published by THA in 2021).
Written by Jasna Novaković
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Jasna Novaković AustraliaJasna Novaković was a theatre critic for Radio Yugoslavia before migrating to Australia. She completed her PhD Thesis on the dialectic of myth and reality in Dorothy Hewett’s plays in 2006. Her articles and essays on Hewett can be found in Overland, Double Dialogues, Australasian Drama Studies journal, Southerly, and in Hecate’s AWBR. Jasna’s latest essay titled ‘Dorothy Hewett’s Moral Philosophy’ is published in the book Remembering Dorothy, edited by Joe Flood and Marilla North, Deluge Publishing with Yarnspinners Press Collective, 2024.
Written by Jasna Novaković
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Jasna Novaković Australia
Jasna Novaković was a theatre critic for Radio Yugoslavia before migrating to Australia. She completed her PhD Thesis on the dialectic of myth and reality in Dorothy Hewett’s plays in 2006. Her articles and essays on Hewett can be found in Overland, Double Dialogues, Australasian Drama Studies journal, Southerly, and in Hecate’s AWBR. Jasna’s latest essay titled ‘Dorothy Hewett’s Moral Philosophy’ is published in the book Remembering Dorothy, edited by Joe Flood and Marilla North, Deluge Publishing with Yarnspinners Press Collective, 2024.
Written by Elisabeth Kumm
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Elisabeth Kumm Australia
Elisabeth is a founding member of the Victoria Theatres Trust. Her series Pets of the Public was a regular feature of On Stage from 1999 to 2005, looking at “forgotten” nineteenth century performers. She continues to contribute articles for the THA website, and from 2018 has been editor of the THA Newsletter. As a theatrical historian and biographer she assisted Viola Tait with her book on pantomime – Dames, Principal Boys…and All That (published by Macmillan in 2001) and also worked with her on her memoirs I Have a Song to Sing (published by THA in 2018). Elisabeth has also undertaken research for the Riley/Hailes Scrapbook and JCW Scene Books projects. Most recently she has been working on the Falk Studios album project including acting as editor of The Falk Studios book (published by THA in 2021).
Written by Jasna Novaković
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Jasna Novaković Australia
Jasna Novaković was a theatre critic for Radio Yugoslavia before migrating to Australia. She completed her PhD Thesis on the dialectic of myth and reality in Dorothy Hewett’s plays in 2006. Her articles and essays on Hewett can be found in Overland, Double Dialogues, Australasian Drama Studies journal, Southerly, and in Hecate’s AWBR. Jasna’s latest essay titled ‘Dorothy Hewett’s Moral Philosophy’ is published in the book Remembering Dorothy, edited by Joe Flood and Marilla North, Deluge Publishing with Yarnspinners Press Collective, 2024.
Written by Elisabeth Kumm
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Elisabeth Kumm Australia
Elisabeth is a founding member of the Victoria Theatres Trust. Her series Pets of the Public was a regular feature of On Stage from 1999 to 2005, looking at “forgotten” nineteenth century performers. She continues to contribute articles for the THA website, and from 2018 has been editor of the THA Newsletter. As a theatrical historian and biographer she assisted Viola Tait with her book on pantomime – Dames, Principal Boys…and All That (published by Macmillan in 2001) and also worked with her on her memoirs I Have a Song to Sing (published by THA in 2018). Elisabeth has also undertaken research for the Riley/Hailes Scrapbook and JCW Scene Books projects. Most recently she has been working on the Falk Studios album project including acting as editor of The Falk Studios book (published by THA in 2021).
Written by Jasna Novaković
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Jasna Novaković Australia
Jasna Novaković was a theatre critic for Radio Yugoslavia before migrating to Australia. She completed her PhD Thesis on the dialectic of myth and reality in Dorothy Hewett’s plays in 2006. Her articles and essays on Hewett can be found in Overland, Double Dialogues, Australasian Drama Studies journal, Southerly, and in Hecate’s AWBR. Jasna’s latest essay titled ‘Dorothy Hewett’s Moral Philosophy’ is published in the book Remembering Dorothy, edited by Joe Flood and Marilla North, Deluge Publishing with Yarnspinners Press Collective, 2024.
Written by Frank Van Straten
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Frank Van Straten AustraliaOver the years Frank has amassed a vast collection of Australian theatre memorabilia. He was director of the Victorian Arts Centre Performing Arts Museum from 1984 until 1993. For 15 years Frank researched and presented ABC Radio's popular Nostalgia feature over Melbourne's 774. He contributes historical articles to many theatre programs and journals. His books include National Treasure: The Story of Gertrude Johnson and the National Theatre (1994), The Regent Theatre: Melbourne's Palace of Dreams (1996), Tivoli (2003), Huge Deal: The Fortunes and Follies of Hugh D. McIntosh (2004), Florence Young and the Golden Years of Australian Musical Theatre (2009), Her Majesty's Pleasure (Her Majesty's, Adelaide. 2013), Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne: The Shows, The Stars, The Stories (Australian Scholarly Publishing, Kew, 2018), and Hanky-Panky: The Theatrical Escapades of Ernest C. Rolls (2020).
