By Luke Voogt
“Letting the electricity of the city go and reconnecting with the country can be a really difficult thing,” says Yorta Yorta-Murani woman Andrea James.
“There’s a message in that for everybody, not just Aboriginal women,” she told the Indy between rehearsals of her new play.
Winyanboga Yurringa recountd the true-life tales of six Aboriginal women who left the city to reconnect to the land and each other, James said.
“It’s very intimate – audiences are really privileged to come and join us for a day and a night.
“The reason I love working in theatre and not film, it’s a real-life experience – it’s so empowering and beautiful.”
James wrote the play based on interviews with Aboriginal friends.
“I had to interview these women who I admired and who sometimes even intimidated me.
“These women are fiercely protective of their family and their cultures but very open with their time and their hearts.”
One of the storylines is based on Bindi Cole, a celebrated Wathaurong artist and photographer whose video portraits also feature prominently in the production’s design.
James drew inspiration from the indigenous 1980s television mini-series Women of the Sun.
She was commissioned to write an episode for stage that captured the experience of the contemporary Women of the Sun.
But when the idea fell through James decided to develop the episode into a full-length play.
“I had this little play in my back pocket,” she said.
“There’s such a need to get our stories out there and have our faces on stage and on screen.”
The play made its Victorian debut at Geelong’s Deakin University Theatre on Wednesday night, with two further performances on Friday and Saturday nights.
