Image: Image: Collider
Imara Savage seems to have a thing for great writers and grand themes. In 2011, she was the Director in Residence at Bell Shakespeare and has explored the dynamics of a toxic relationship in Sam Shepard’s Fool for Love. This time, Savage is tackling gender roles and societal expectations of women in Machinal.
In nine episodes the play follows various aspects of Helen’s life (aka the Young Woman). From her life at work with the boss she eventually marries, at home with her mother, to becoming a mother herself. Helen is restless and unfulfilled, until finding freedom in a love affair.
“Machinal is an expressionist text written in the 1920s, but the themes of alienation, modernisation and the search for self are still relevant today,” says Savage.
To convey these themes the play departs from its original setting. Instead, it has been designed with a “timeless retro feel” reminiscent of the 1950s. In addition, the sound and lighting for each episode is abstracted to represent a place that exists in the mind of the protagonist – a dream or nightmare state.
“Expressionist drama tells the story from the point of view of the protagonist,” explains Savage.
“In Helen’s case, the prism is one of disconnection and alienation from the mechanical world. It tells the story of a woman who battles against the machine or conformity and dares to ask the question: ‘Isn’t there more to life than this?’” (MP)
Nov 21-Dec 7, Sydney Theatre Company, Wharf 2 Theatre, Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay, $30, 9250 1777, sydneytheatre.com.au
