Mother May We

Mother May We, Mel Ree’s debut solo show, plays at the SBW Stables Theatre from 28 September - 8 October 2022 as part of the Griffin Lookout program, celebrating the best of independent Sydney theatre. Big in the spoken word scene, Mel is the creative powerhouse and host of Revolution Renegade – a space for BIPOC Queer Excellence. A regular curated night for the community to gather, hold space, heal and nourish the soul.

A poetic call to healing, Mother May We delves deep into the mind and heart of a first-generation Australian woman, the daughter of a black mother. Her intergenerational pain and trauma are brought to the surface when she learns of her mother’s death and is faced with the pain of the difficult relationship they shared. Blaming her mother for her problems she sets about trying to process the loss whilst dealing with her turmoil and everything that comes with it.

Set under the gaze and power of a full moon, Mother May We opens a portal for grief and trauma to heal and invites the viewer into the depths of her anguish. How can she heal from the pains of the past now that her mother isn’t here? How can she love herself when the person she is, came from the person she hated?

Stage Whispers: What inspired the creation of Mother May We?

Mel Ree: I have the privilege of having intimate friendships with outrageously kind, deeply empathetic artists, mostly POC, a lot from Sydney’s Inner West queer community and Western Sydney who all share a similar early life experience to mine; we are diaspora, the first to do/achieve/be many things in our family’s histories, our mothers migrated from a third world country, they carried with them intergenerational trauma, that trauma affected every part of our childhood. I have come to be in awe of the type of person these circumstances create. We all have a certain madness and deep gentleness, painful childhoods carve a depth of humanity gifted to those who have walked hand in hand with pain through all the milestones of adolescence and adulthood. I already had the intention of exploring our stories then at the beginning of this year I lost my father, who I hadn't seen in 20 years and so I married these two worlds together. 

Stage Whispers: How does your process of writing for theatre differ from your process of writing poetry?

Mel Ree: I’ve never been the type to follow rules - call it a blessing, call it a curse, call it survival, this process of writing for theatre is a new exploration for me where my irreverence for structure is both exciting me and haunting me in those final moments before I fall asleep, my subconscious asks, ‘Is this too outlandish? Will they get it? Is it entertaining? Am I insane or a genius?’ In poetry I feel free, I am avant garde and raw, the true essence of Mel Ree. In this new undertaking I am learning to consider the audience as much as myself, to craft a journey not a moment. I feel like writing is being in labour; the labour pains for a theatre script are longer and the birth requires a wider channel to force through a baby that has more fat, more bones, more life. 

Stage Whispers: How have you found the rehearsal process for this piece?

Mel Ree: It’s hard! Urgh, I wanted to direct myself. I felt no one else would know my story better than me. Thank goodness I have Jackson Used as a dramaturg to guide the actual story. I am fearless, maybe too fearless, I need to be reigned in. Also, I’m a massively social creature - I love people, I love to play, I love to connect. In this version of my performance journey I am holding all the truth on my own, something I am beyond capable of. I trust this timing; I am meant to be here doing a solo show at this point in my life, but yeah, looking forward to another version where I have playmate/s on stage. 

Stage Whispers: Can you tell us a bit about the people you collaborated with to write the script?

Mel Ree: Initially I interviewed a few of my crazy talented friends who are artists, who share a similar story to me, similar mother experiences to me; they are musicians, models and writers, but after the death of my father earlier this year my intuition told me to be more specific in my story telling. My specific story is our collective story. The energy and stories they shared with me are still part of the process, part of the birth and life of Mother May We. 

Stage Whispers: What’s one artistic/cultural/creative experience that has changed your life and your artistic practice?

Mel Ree: About 4 years ago I went to a poetry event held by Word In Hand - my sisters from Black Birds Theatre company were featuring. I decided to perform a poem for the first time ever. It was there I met Candy Royalle, a poet, a fierce performer and leader, a revolutionary. She offered to be my mentor. She looked me in the eyes and said, ‘Keep Rising sister, I’m watching, and I’m here’. I felt enamoured by who she was choosing to be; I felt a resonance in my soul that said, ‘That’s me’. She passed away 6 months later and her legacy lives on in every stage I step onto. 

Stage Whispers: What should audience members expect from Mother May We?

Mel Ree: You know when you see a staunch coloured woman walking down the street, chest high, an air of drama, afro stretched to the skies, laughter spilling at the end of every breath, you feel her confidence, her sexuality, her danger and you wonder, ‘what would it be like to be her for a day?’ Expect to find out. 

SEASON DETAILS

SBW Stables Theatre – 10 Nimrod Street, Darlinghurst

DATES: Wednesday 28 September – Saturday 8 October

PERFORMANCE TIMES: Monday to Saturday at 7pm; Saturday at 1pm.

BOOKINGS: https://griffintheatre.com.au/whats-on/mother-may-we/