Written by Micharne Cloughley
Presented by the Friends of the National Library
National Library of Australia
Tuesday 30 August 2016
Report by Samara Purnell
The
Fellowship requires the recipient to use the National Library's material in
their creative process, resulting in a work suitable for a professional forum.
Cloughley
has written a play, "My Strong Female Ego", based on the oral
interviews of historian Hazel de Berg with Australian women who were considered
feminists or pioneers in some way.
"My
Strong Female Ego" is currently in final draft stage and is to be
performed, conversationally, by two women. Cloughley's idea is that it will, in
its finality, be used in a school education setting.
From
the moment Cloughley began speaking, her passion for this project was palpable.
She appears to have a genuine love for these female characters, their lives and
their plight and her nervous and excited anticipation in presenting her work
was clear.
Cloughley
spoke briefly about her creative process and about translating verbatim theatre
into something cohesively presentable on stage. She spoke also of the
importance of audio interviews and the importance of poetry.
She
had been inspired after living in America, to explore what "Australian
Identity" meant, as a feminist. Cloughley identifies personally with these
women with regards to feminism.
Hazel
de Berg had conducted 1290 interviews over 27 years. In this work, Cloughley
uses audio snippets to introduce her ladies, whose stories and opinions are
then recited by actors Karen Vickery and Amanda McGregor, affectations
included, as they stand together, as if in an interview or conversation with
each other. Cloughley narrated from the side of stage.
Initially
the dialogues were rather disjointed but the later segments became more of a
debate, with some lengthy monologues, between various historical characters on
things such as feminism itself and mothering. The views expressed ranged from
fully-fledged feminism to less “radical” ideas on successfully integrating with
men.
Amongst
the "heroines" we were introduced to through Vickery and McGregor,
was May Gibbs, who explained that her illustrated cards were originally created
to be sent from home to the soldiers off at war.
We
met Ruby Rich, who, in her words, has "A drawer full of famous women"
and believed that "We have not paid our debt to the past unless we leave
the future indebted to us". Rich is credited with setting up a society for
promoting sex education to women, the forerunner of what became the Family
Planning Clinic.
Nellie
Woolaston explained how she successfully turned road-kill into tactile books
for blind children, during the 60's and 70's and the satisfaction she had of
seeing them engage with and enjoy books in a way not previously possible for
them.
Nancy
Bird Walton explained how she became a pioneering aviator, despite her father's
pleading that she not pursue flying, as he "Couldn't afford to keep an
injured daughter". Walton informed her father this made no sense, as her
mum had five other kids should anything happen to her.
And
Norman Lindsay's wife, Rose, was introduced through stories of her antics as a
live model and of her relationship with Lindsay.
The
protagonists, for the most part, spoke matter-of-factly, but certainly don't
downplay their achievements or ambitions. There were some delightful quotes,
some sad moments, and much humour.
For
all their bravery, steadfast determination, achievements and rewards, these women just want to be heard. "And they have been", Cloughley assures them, in
tears, as she thanked her wonderful actors. “My Strong Female Ego” attendees
had just been privy to an informative and important piece of work, which would
be a wonderful addition to an academic curriculum.