All My Sons to Open Eternity Playhouse

Darlinghurst Theatre Company Director Glenn Terry today (June 25, 2013) announced that the inaugural production in the company’s new home, the Eternity Playhouse, will be Arthur Miller’s All My Sons.

“We’re thrilled that our inaugural production at the Eternity Playhouse will be one of the most celebrated plays of the twentieth century, All My Sons,” said Terry. “We believe a theatre ought to be a vibrant, inspiring and welcoming place, and our new home, the Eternity Playhouse, will be just that.”

Opening in November, the repurposed Burton Street Tabernacle, features stunning architecture and brand new state-of the-art facilities.

All My Sons will be directed by Iain Sinclair (Our Town, Blood Wedding). Marshall Napier (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) leads a cast including Toni Scanlan, Briallen Clarke, Robin Goldsworthy, Anthony Gooley, Andrew Henry and Meredith Penman.

All My Sons catapulted Arthur Miller into the ranks of America’s greatest playwrights. It is a compelling and heartbreaking story about family ties, patriotic duty and personal greed. Iain Sinclair said, “All My Sons is one of the most moving pieces of theatre ever written. It shows a very different side to the Arthur Miller who went on to write Death of a Salesman and The Crucible. It is a piece that requires actors with enormous emotional range and fortitude of spirit and I feel very honoured to open the Eternity Playhouse with such an extraordinary company and fiercely pertinent play.”

Set in 1947 in mid-west America, All My Sons tells the story of an all American family torn apart by a shameful secret. Joe Keller is a proud family man, successful business owner and local hero. But when he places the family’s prosperity above the lives of others, there are devastating consequences for all. Arthur Miller masterfully builds intrigue and suspense in this provocative portrait of life in post-World War II America.

All My Sons will preview from November 1, and open on November 5. The 2014 Darlinghurst Theatre Company season will be announced later in 2013. The Eternity Playhouse is located on the corner of Burton and Palmer Streets at 39 Burton Street, Darlinghurst.

www.darlinghursttheatre.com

ALL MY SONS

By Arthur Miller

Director: Iain Sinclair

Production: Designer Luke Ede

Sound Designer: Nate Edmondson

Lighting Designer: Nick Rayment

Cast Briallen Clarke, Robin Goldsworthy, Anthony Gooley, Andrew Henry, Marshall Napier, Meredith Penman, Toni Scanlan

SEASON DETAILS

Previews 1 - 3 November

Season: 6 November - 1 December, 2013

Performance Times Tues - Sat 8pm, Sun 5pm, Sat mat 3pm (23 & 30 November)

Ticket Price Adult $43/ Conc & Groups $38/ Under 30 (Tue-Thu) & Previews $30

A $2 booking fee applies per ticket for online and phone bookings

Bookings www.darlinghursttheatre.com or 02 8356 9987 (9.30am-5.30pm weekdays)

ETERNITY PLAYHOUSE

Opening in November 2013, the Eternity Playhouse is set to become a prominent and iconic theatre destination in Sydney. This 126 year old heritage listed building is currently being restored and renovated by the City of Sydney into a state-of-the-art theatre and new home for Darlinghurst Theatre Company.

The former Baptist Tabernacle was named in honour of Sydney identity, Arthur Stace who became known as “Mr Eternity”. It was in this very church that Stace heard the sermon that inspired him to anonymously chalk “Eternity” on the city’s footpaths for over 30 years.

Darlinghurst Theatre Company has worked closely with the City of Sydney and architects Tonkin Zulaikha and Greer to create a technically advanced theatre that is also welcoming, accessible and intimate. With its stunning architecture and iconic place in Sydney’s history, the Eternity Playhouse will be a remarkable and very special place to see live theatre.

HISTORY AND RESTORATION

The former Baptist Tabernacle was built in 1887 and is typical of the Victorian Free Classical architectural style applied to religious buildings of that time.

The Burton Street Tabernacle operated as a Baptist Church in the heart of Darlinghurst from 1887 until 1996. This was an area besieged by crime and was home to the infamous Tilly Devine, Kate Leigh and razor gangs of the 1920s and 30s. Despite this the Tabernacle remained a loyal place of worship for many Sydneysiders over the decades. It was also the source of inspiration for the iconic “Eternity” chalk art by Arthur Stace.

In 2004 when the City of Sydney purchased the Tabernacle, it was in need of significant repair and following much community consultation it was decided that the building would be transformed into a theatre. In 2008 restoration work commenced to bring the 126 year old heritage listed building back to its former glory. Restoration work included repairs to the roof structure and the laying of new Welsh slate tiles to match the originals, restoration of the original decorative timber ceiling and stain glass windows, re-pointing of brickwork and general repairs. The original Baptismal Font, which was used for full immersion baptisms, has been retained underneath the theatre stage.

In 2009 Darlinghurst Theatre Company was selected by the City of Sydney to be the managing company of the new theatre due to the company’s history of supporting and collaborating with Sydney artists. The City of Sydney commenced construction in October 2010 and in December 2011 resolved to rename the Tabernacle in tribute to Arthur Stace.

Environmental building initiatives incorporated into the design include energy efficient lighting, photovoltaic cells on the roof, rainwater collection and reuse, and crowd responsive air conditioning. Reclaimed materials from the original building have been adapted and incorporated into the new design as much as possible. The raked foyer ceiling is made from recycled timber from the original church floor and wood panelling from the original choir stalls will form feature panels on the interior foyer walls.

ARTHUR STACE

Arthur Stace, also known as “Mr Eternity”, is an iconic Sydney identity renowned for anonymously chalking the word “Eternity” on Sydney’s footpaths for over 30 years. The WWI veteran and reformed alcoholic attended services at the Burton Street Tabernacle and it was there that he heard the sermon that would ultimately change the course of his life. On 14 November 1932 Rev. John Ridley’s rallying cry that he wished that he could “shout eternity through the streets of Sydney” inspired Stace to take to the streets with a piece of chalk.

Over the next 30 years Stace would set out from his home in Pyrmont in the early morning and handwrite “Eternity” on Sydney’s footpaths in his perfect copperplate script. Workers arriving in the city would see the word freshly written, yet his identity remained a mystery and the man who wrote “Eternity" became something of a Sydney legend. Stace was eventually caught in the act and his identity was revealed in an article published in the Sunday Telegraph on 21 June 1956.

Stace died of a stroke on 30 July 1967 at the age of 83. It is estimated that he wrote the word “Eternity” on Sydney’s streets more than half a million times. While his chalk markings have long left the city streets, Stace’s legacy lives on in the imagination of Sydneysiders, inspiring an opera, renowned artworks, and celebrations for the Millennium in 1999 and the Sydney Olympics in 2000. And now of course there is now another tribute to the famous pavement scribe with the opening of Sydney’s newest theatre, the Eternity Playhouse.