Wartime escape inspires drama
PLAYWRIGHT Elise Hearst’s latest play, The Sea Project, is a tale of memory, migration and love inspired by the World War II experiences of her Polish grandmother.
The play is introduced poignantly: “Things are washing up on the shore. Suitcases, spectacles, hair – and then Eva. She has lost all but the memory of her name and how she takes her tea. And she’s missing a finger.”
Eva has to face life in a new world without the knowledge of the customs and memories of the past.
Hearst drew on the experience of her grandmother when she wrote The Sea Project, which had its Sydney premiere at SBW Stables Theatre, Kings Cross, on September 8.
“Her family fled from Lodz and made their way to Lithuania and ended up in Shanghai during World War II,” says Hearst.
“My grandmother was 19 at the time and the family was only able to get one visa to Australia. Since her sister was married and her brother was too young and her parents were together, she was sent to Sydney on her own.
“The rest of the family was supposed to follow on the next boat, but then Pearl Harbour was bombed, so she had to live in Australia by herself for the next five years.”
In The Sea Project, Eva is rescued by Bob after being washed up on the beach and before long he falls in love with her. When the mysterious Maciek appears, Bob is terrified he will steal Eva away. And Eva is haunted by a past she can’t remember and what Maciek may reveal.
“The play has a lot of mythical elements – I use a lot of imagery and metaphors in my writing,” says Hearst, who was born in Melbourne and attended The King David School and Bialik College. After completing her secondary school studies in 1999, she took a year off and travelled to Israel, Europe and America.
“When I came back to Melbourne, I auditioned for all the drama schools because I wanted to be an actor, but was rejected by all of them,” she recalls.
“So I studied creative arts at Melbourne University and it was there that I discovered playwriting and really loved it.”
After completing her degree, she decided to go to London in 2006 and gain experience.
“The theatre scene in London is so vibrant,” she says. “I took part in the Royal Court Theatre’s Young Writers’ Program, which was a great experience for young writers. I got to see a lot of shows and met Tom Stoppard.”
“After returning from London, I submitted my script for Dirtyland, a play I had written while overseas, and it was included in the 2009 National Play Festival.
“It was a huge achievement as only six scripts from all over Australia were selected and that was really the start of my career.”
In 2010 she was employed with the Griffin Theatre Company in Sydney, although it did not require her to leave Melbourne.
“They were happy to take me on as a ‘remote’ residency and I travelled to Sydney a few times during the year as well as writing a couple of plays for Griffin.”
Hearst wrote The Sea Project a couple of years ago when she took part in an emerging writers program at the Melbourne Theatre Company.
“It has been through a few drafts since then, as well as a week-long development in Tasmania, where it was tightened up before being staged in Launceston earlier this year.”
The Sea Project is at SBW Stables Theatre, Kings Cross until September 29. Bookings: www.griffintheatre.com.au
REPORT by Danny Gocs
PHOTO of playwright Elise Hearst.
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