You might recall a post a few months back in which I wrote about being involved in a theatre production called WITNESS, which ran from 5-22 May at The Blue Room here in Perth. My PhD supervisor, Serge Tampalini, was also our director and designer, and he brought me on board for some behind the scenes experience towards my PhD project (a transmedia projected based on Shakespeare's The Tempest). Initially, my role was as stage manager - quite a leap for someone who has never been involved in any kind of theatre outside of a high school production of Macbeth. But then it was proving difficult finding someone to fill the role of sound designer. Now it just so happens that my background is in audio engineering, having nurtured a long-standing love of music and sound through high school, completing an audio engineering qualification through SAE back in 2000, and DJ'ing on the hardcore/hard techno circuit for a couple of years (a handful of small gigs. Heaps of fun, but no big deal).

So, in my naivety, I mentioned this to Serge... and I suddenly found myself as stage manger-cum-sound designer. He probably would have said yes to a tone-deaf, yodeling martian by that stage, so many kudos must go to him for taking a punt based solely on my word that I could do the job. My stage managing abilities, on the other hand, are a whole other story. Many, many thanks to Pip Rundle, my 'assistant' stage manager (read: person who actually did all the work that matters), who had way more experience than me and really should have been credited with the role rather than helping me fumble my way through.

[ the set at The Blue Room, prepped and ready to go ]

So imagine my surprise when our producer and leading lady Lesley-Anne Philps emailed to say WITNESS had been nominated in two categories in the 2010 Blue Room Theatre Awards: one for Best Production, the other  the Judges' Choice Award for Outstanding Single Element of a Production - for my sound design, of all things. I mean, I was fairly happy with my work, and the rest of the cast and crew seemed happy with it, but I never expected to be nominated for anything, and to be honest, I was too ignorant to know The Blue Room even held an awards ceremony.

They tell me the ceremony is a red carpet affair and to dress accordingly - and here's me without a single thread of any colour carpet to wear! 

So anyway, the awards ceremony is Monday 6th December at The Blue Room. I couldn't find a link on their site for the list of nominees, so here it is, direct from the official email:

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After much deliberation by The Blue Room Theatre judges, and a record number of Members' Choice votes, the 2010 Blue Room Theatre Award nominees can now be revealed...

Judges' Choice (outstanding single element of a production)

Jessica Craig-Piper, Jack & Jill - Writing

Seth Merlo, Witness - Sound Design

Allan Girod, When Harry Met Harry – production and performance from creation to realization

Mondo di Corpo, The Myth of Julian Rose – overall design concept and execution

Sam James, No Door On Her Mouth - Video Art

Blue Stone Award (Best Individual Performance)

Steve Turner, October

Dawn Albinger, No Door on her mouth

Hanna Cormick, The Last Man to Die

Allan Girod, When Harry Met Harry

Best Production Team

Aleela Creatives, Mummy Loves You Betty Ann Jewel

Mondo Di Corpo, The Myth of Julian Rose

Weeping Spoon Productions, Love Songs for Future Girl

Last Man To Die, The Last Man to Die

Best Publicity

When Harry Met Harry, flaming locomotive

Mummy Loves You Betty Ann Jewel, Aleela Creatives

The Myth of Julian Rose, Mondo Di Corpo

Love Songs For Future Girl, Weeping Spoon Productions

Red Cross, The Wet Weather Ensemble

Audience Development

flaming locomotive, When Harry Met Harry

Mondo Di Corpo, The Myth of Julian Rose

Side Pony Productions, The Pride

Biggest Bar Tab

Gasp, Hook in Eye Productions

Jack & Jill, Jessica Craig-Piper

Red Cross, The Wet Weather Ensemble

Best Production

The Pride, Side Pony Productions

Witness, UJAMAA

The Last Man to Die, Last Man To Die

Members' Choice

When Harry Met Harry, flaming locomotive

The Myth of Julian Rose, Mondo di Corpo

The Pride, Side Pony Productions

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Best of luck to all the nominees!!

My cozy corner (lighting desk in foreground), up behind the desk in the set shot above. I also ran the projections in conjunction with sound. Also, gaffer tape. Lots of it. And those mic cables still fell down every night.

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UPDATE: We didn't win in either category, but congratulations to Allan Girod for his Judge's Choice win, and to The Pride for Best Production.