It was much more than a case of “I Will Survive” this morning when Orana Steiner School Year 11 and 12 students performed their original play of the same name today to launch the “Come Alive” Festival of Museum Theatre at the National Museum of Australia. 

Inspired by Ron Muncaster’s extraordinary “Lucille Balls” Mardi Gras dress that can be found in the Eternity Gallery display at the museum, the 40 minute play is a history of homosexuality in Australia, looking at attitudes, police brutality, the AIDS epidemic and the Mardi Gras celebration of tolerance, gay and lesbian pride and the spirit of equality.

In a Q&A following the performance, the students explained what the development process had meant to them, one of them saying it had inspired her to write a 4,000 word essay on gay marriage rights for her politics course.

The play concluded as student Piri Goodman, dressed in the Lucille frock, recreated by five Orana students, led a lively dance to the old disco song, “I Will Survive,” of course.

The play was the first of many productions to be seen in the week-long program of FREE performances.

Other ACT schools involved were St Clare’s College,Canberra College, Narrabundah College, Gungahlin College, Merici College,Dickson College, Burgmann Anglican School and St Francis Xavier College, whose works can be seen at noon and 6pm throughout the week.

Among the objects and subjects explored in drama were a wooden toy car, surfing legends, the Eureka Stockade, the Sideshow alley exhibition in the Eternity gallery,the phenomenon of the Min-Min lights, (the basis of several plays) bushfire stories, Ned Kelly’s Jerilderie letter, Azaria Chamberlain, the Tichborne Claimant Case, Burke and Wills, Ben Hall, the Trans-Australian Railway and Kalgoorlie’s minefields.

Come Alive: Festival of Museum Theatre 2012, at 12 noon and 6pm daily until November 2 in the Visions Theatre, National Museum of Australia.

PROGRAM:

TUESDAY October 30, 12 noon, DicksonCollege,Merici College and Burgmann Anglican School

6pm Dickson College and Merici College

WEDNESDAY October 31, 12 noon Orana Steiner School

6 pm Orana and Burgmann AnglicanSchool

THURSDAY November 1, 12 noon, Gungahlin College and St.Francis Xavier College

6 pm Gungahlin College and St.Francis Xavier College

FRIDAY  November 2, 12 noon, Canberra College, Narrabundah C.  St. Clare’s C

6pm Canberra College,  Narrabundah C,  St. Clare’s C.