CONTEMPORARY AUSTRALIAN THEATRE PRACTICE Ruby Moon Matt Cameron Stolen Jane Harrison GENERAL OVERVIEW AUSTRALIAN THEATRE

Audiences have always been able to relate to and identify with characters of Australian theatre, enduring realistic hardships relevant to the social era. Australian theatre portrays various Australians identities that will continue to relate to audiences while demonstrating the historical and social changes and progression, and show casing the unique wide range of identities that are Australian. During the early 1900 s play s usually mirrored the pastoral lifestyle of the stockman loner living off the land. However the 1930 s signalled an extension of the rugged loner identity to include the larrikin. Between the 1940 s and 50 s Australian theatre continued to change as a result of huge social shifts due to global events such as World War Two, materialism and urbanisation. The 1960 s created a window of opportunity for marginalised groups in society to be heard through theatre due to developments regarding issues of racism, multiculturalism and censorship. From the great classics to the new modern Australian identities represented through theatre; one point remains the same, and that is the Australian identity is forever evolving due to constant social changes and events, the demands of globalisation, pop and consume culture, and the mass media. From the stockman loner of the rugged land, to the Aussie larrikin, the Aboriginal freedom fighter, or the (more recent) city dweller, they are all Australian. Australian theatre paints a colourful and diverse picture of Australian people, history and culture and continues to do so today. RUBY MOON BY MATT CAMERON THE AUTHOR Matt Cameron, a Melbourne based director, playwright and screenwriter has produced many successful and critically acclaimed plays and performances. His most successful play Tear from a glass eye won the prestigious Wal Cherry Play of the Year Award and was produced by The Playbox Theatre in Melbourne and The Gate Theatre in London. Other popular and successful performances include Mr Melancholy, which won the ANPC/New Dramatists Award + In brief Matt Cameron describes Ruby Moon as a fairy taleas done by David Lynch. In terms of the state of the nation, it s not overtly a play about the war on terrorism or whatever, but, in some ways, the missing children tap in to that sense of unease or random terror. I d like play to resonate beyond a missing-child story to something that captures that sense of lurking fear that is perhaps the state of the nation at this time . CONTEXT Ruby Moon was first produced and performed by The Playbox and Neonhart Theatres, Melbourne in 2003. The play explores, and critically examines, many of the issues that concerned Australian society at this time. Chief amongst these were the themes of; Australian obsession with identity, suburban paranoia and the fear of child abduction. Australian society has, since its founding, struggled to construct a unique national identity separate from that of the British. The media is often saturated with heated and passionate arguments for and against; becoming a Republic, changing the flag, the National Anthem or playing God Save the Queen at the 2006 Commonwealth games. It seems as though Australian society cannot come to a consensus and solve the current identity crises, it appears that Australia needs to become finally and irrevocably separated from England, yet at the same time cannot bare to part from English traditions and ideals. Furthermore, Australian society, like all western societies, is plagued with issues of personal identity and body image.What does the typical Aussie look and sound like? What should the people of Australian aspire to? The typical image of an Australian has ch anged over the years, from the Bushman , to the Ocker to the Bronzed Sporting Hero . This identity is one that will always remain fluid and will always remain out of reach for a majority of people. These issues of identity which concern contemporary Australian society are explored and analysed in Ruby Moon. The play contains many different, and at times stereotypical, characters each of which represent specific identities present in contemporary Australia. Each of the indentities in the play is problematized and scrutinised by the audience and the other characters. By putting a critical spotlight on a varying array of identities in this manner Ruby Moon, inspiries its audience to question elements of their own identity. Theplaywrights note at the beginning of the play states that all characters are to be played by only two actors. Clearly this is another tool for the play s

exploration of identity an issue which concerns contemporary Australian society. The entire cast of male characters stemming from one actor could be a clever metaphor for Australia s national identity crisis. Sid s identity is separate yet a part of REay, just like Australia is separate yet a part of England. The context of the play is clear; Ruby Moon is written and performed for a society that is concerned about personal and national identities. Yet there are other issues dealt with in the play that help contextualise it in modern Australian society. One su issues is ch suburban paranoia. Australian society is one that has undergone multicultural, cosmopolitan society. For a majority of Australian s the suburban life is a dream realised, and with housing booms occurring in the capital cities, more Australians are flocking to t e suburbs h where they can build a McMansion and own a piece of the Australian dream. Yet it can be clearly seen through the rising and successful home security market that Australians do not feel entirely at ease in their new homes. Mistrust and conflict with neighbours are major issues affecting a large portion of Australian suburbanites. This suburban paranoia is also present in Ruby Moon and can be clearly seen in Pay and Sylvie s relationship with the other characters and the ideathat each has played a role in Ruby s disappearance; Sylvie: I still don t trust the other.. (Epilogue PG/ 57). The issue of suburban paranoia is also part of the contemporary context into which the play was written and performed. Perhaps the final contemporary Australian issue explored in Ruby Moon is one of child abduction. Australia has had a long andmacabre obsession with child abduction. This issue is one that is thoroughly covered in the media and one that remains in the back ofAustralia s collective mind. When forced to recollect the most heinous crimes in modern Australia most Australians could easily recall the mysterious and controversial disappearances of AzariaCahmberlain, Jayden Lescki and Ebony Simpson. These crimes are not easy to forget and are a unsettling and subtle undercurrent that pulls at Australia s subconscious. Ruby Moon with it s subtle yet sinister atmosphere taps into this fear of kidnapping that haunts contemporary Australian society. The themes and issues explored in Ruby Moon are relevant to contemporary Australian audiences. Ruby Moon deals with issues of national and personal identity, suburban paranoia and the fear of child abduction, these issues contextualise the play for the contemporary Australian audience. PLOT PROLOGUE The prologue begins with Ruby s disembodied voice, which seems to revive or animate characters of Ray and Sylvie. Ruby s words implant the fairy tale motif into the minds of the audience as the prologue slowly builds an image of the two main characters. At the commencement of this scene we see a stereotypical visage of a husband coming home from work and greeting his seemingly chaste wife. The characters pause as they try to figure out and remember the routine of their day. Gradually various clues and characters are introduced to the audience as Ray and Sylvie s conversation progresses. There is mention of Sid Craven, Sonny Jim, Dawn and the Wizard, and music can be heard coming from Veronica s place. The tone of this conversation becomes stilted and borders on dreamlike and the surreal. The audience gradually begins to realise that Ray and Sylvie have losttheir only daughter Ruby and are obviously trying to cope with the grief. What is unclear is the amount of time that has passed since the daughter s disappearance. At one point Sylvie receives a phone call from Ruby, although Ray, who is in the same room, cannot hear the phone ring. Ray o ffers to read from a large worn leather book, he recites a sensual and hypnotic poem which, as the audience later learns, is a meto nym for the story of their daughters disappearance. The story itself is part of the plot and could be viewed as a metaphor for the narrative structure of the play. Ray and Sylvie argue about using past tense when refereeing to their daughter s disappearance their tone suggests that they have done this on numerous occasions. Sylvia introduces a new piece of evidence a packagecontaining the arm from one of Ruby s dolls, a doll which eerily looks like Ruby. The packages origins are unknown as Ray and Sylviespeculate. Sylvie suggest that perhaps Ruby s being dismembered in a similar fashion, this is a deeply ironic comment as that is exactly what happens metaphorically as they inve stigate Ruby s life. Ray decides that the doll is the key to solving the mystery surrounding Ruby s Disappearance and initiates a door to door search. Sylvie Is keen on the idea and they split up and set off on the search. SCENE ONE Ray enters Dulcie s apartment. Dulcie is an elderly spinster and, as the audience is quickly shown, slightly senile. Dulcie dotes on an imaginary parrot, with which she carries on conversations. Yet Dulcie s mind and memory does not appear to be totally confused as she cearly responds to, and provides credible answers to, all of Ray s questions. Dulcie comments on Sylvie s mental and emotional state, and makes suggestive remarks about Sid Craven. Dulcie is convinced Ruby is dead and comments on Ruby s innocence, suggesting that she taught her parrot to swear profanely, and let it out of the cage. Dulcieprovides some information on the missing Gallows boy. Ray points out the similarities between two dissapearances Ruby s and Gallows s. Dulcie comments on the Ruby mannequin as she tells Raythat he should disponse of it, if he is to move on with his life. Dul ie then draws connection between Ruby s disappearance and the little Red c Riding Hood fairytale. Ray leaves, and it is assumed, retrieves the Ruby mannequin. SCENE TWO Rays enters bearing the Ruby mannequin. Sylvie treats it as it was Ruby herself and insists on changing it out of the wet dre She leaves ss. to fetch a dry dress,Ray caresses the mannequin and rips of one arm. Sylvie is alarmed and they replace the arm. Ray and Sylvie discuss Sid Craven. Ray cearly is concerned with his wife s behaviour and tells his wife that they must try to move on. Sylvie comments that there is nowhere to move on to. Sylvie insists that the mannequin be returned to it s position on the street. Ray is reluctant, but leaves carrying the mannequin.

SCENE THREE Sylvie visits Sid s apartment. Sid, a clown by day, is sitting in the dark, without his make up and brooding. He has blood onhis shirt which he claims is from being assaulted. Sylvie asks many questions about the doll and the time Ruby spent in Sid s apartment. Sid keeps making the seemingly innocent, but clearly inflammatory comment, that he played with Ruby (Pg. 17). Sid feels responsible for Ruby s disappearance and suggests that everybody is guilty, that everybody harbours dark thoughts. Sylvie asks Sid to recall the day Ruby went missing. Sid performs a pantomime of the aftermath of Ruby s disappearance. The audience is shown Sid s arrest and his subsequent brutal treatment by the police. Sid reveals that Ruby did visit him that day, and he paid her to run an errand, to visit Veronica Vale s apartment and ask her to sign a picture. Sylvie realises that Sid is slightly obsessed by Veronica and he frequently spies onher through his window. Sid recites a few lines of poetry that seem to be connected with the poem read in the prologue. Sylvie eaves with a w arning to Sid to stop putting make up on the Ruby mannequin. SCENE FOUR Ray and Sylvie sit in their room as someone knocks on their door. They assume the visitor is the Wizard, who is known to stare at the house and knock at all hours of the night. The audience learns the Wizard is the Gallows boy. Ray and Sylvie gore the knockin until Ray g, suggests that it may be Ruby. He leaves to open the door and returns with another package, this one contains a doll s leg. Both characters assume the Wizard has left the package. Ray is oddly reminded of moving Ruby s lip, sleeping body from the car after long car trips. His comments resonate in later scenes when the light of suspicion falls on him. Ray decides to take a walk, Sylvie comments on Veronica Vale and suggests that Vale performs a show, a striptease for all the men in the street to watch. Ray claims ignorance. Both characters leave to continue the door knocking appeal. SCENE FIVE Ray enters Vale s apartment and provides her with a show biz introduction, to which ale enters singing a slow love song. Vero nica flirts with Ray, her manner suggests that the two have been previously intimate. Ray seems embarrassed and asks her to shut her curtains so that they may have privacy. Vale leaves the curtains open and openly wonders whether Sylvie is watching them at that very mom ent. Ray questions her about Ruby. Veronica reveals that Ruby used to fetch her medicine from the chemist. Ray scolds her for not telling him of the arrangement. The audience learns that Veronica taught Ruby to sing, she suggests that Ruby, through her disappearance, has now earned the fame which she so wanted. Ray confesses that Sylvie is sleeping in Ruby s room and that both of them are now insomniacs. Veronica reveals her contempt fir Ruby and all things innocent. Veronica suggests that Ruby is responsible for her own disapp earance by wearing a particular red dress. Veronica kisses Ray, he resists her seductions and continues to question her. Veronica also insinuates, inadvertently, that she has seen Ruby dead. She reveals that she did see Sonny Jim digging up a wrapped bundle from the church yard. Ruby s disembodies voice revibrates at the end of this scene. SCENE SIX Sylvie pays a visit to Sonny Jim. This scene echoes Sylvie s scene with Sid Craven. Sonny Jim is sitting and brooding with arifle in his hands. Sonny recites and reanacts an action movie pro mo, he comments on his broad military knowledge. Sylvie asks him questions about himself, Sonny Jim speaks of his military exploits then launches into a diatribe about the lack of awareness of civilians .Sonny Jim introduces his dog to Sylvie. She asks about his mother, Sonny Jim speaks of his mother as if she has left on a trip, he reads a poem, which is obviously filled with hate and Oedipal Allusions for his mother. We later learn that Sonny Jim s mother has been dead forsome time. Sonny Jim reveals that his dog dug up Ruby s doll from the churchyard and that he himself was in his room the night of disappearance, a fact that can be confirmed by his mother. Sonny Jim reveals that the doll he and his dog dug up is now missing. SCENE SEVEN Sylvie starts off this scene skipping in a juvenile fashion. Ray quizzes her on information gleaned from Sonny Jim. Ray blames himself for Ruby s disappearance and admits he can no longer continue to live this way that he can t keep this up (PG. 33). Sylvie clai s that they m can resurrect Ruby if they miss her enough (PG. 33). Another package is found, this one contains the doll s torso and arm. The Wizard is seen casting spells outside their house. Ray leaves to speak with Ruby s babysitter. SCENE EIGHT