Black Box @ The Bakehouse is a program run by Bakehouse Theatre. Successful applicants receive free venue hire, production support and some funding for their show.

I want to make a submission to 'The Fallen Tree' by Christine Croyden but I need to have a cast and production team lined up before submitting an application. Submissions close on 29 November 2012 and I would be able to inform everyone of the outcome by early January 2013. The performances would be over two weeks between July and December 2013 but I could not confirm specific dates or organize a production schedule unless our application is successful and we are selected as part of the program.

If we are successful, the production would be done on a profit-share basis, with any proceeds left after Bakehouse are paid their percentage and production expenses are covered being divided equally between all members of cast and crew.

Here is the synopsis of ‘The Fallen Tree’ taken from the Australian Plays website.

‘The Fallen Tree’ is a non-naturalistic contemporary tragedy. The drama revolves around three characters: a motherless girl, Hannah, her stepfather, John and a female neighbour, Claire. It is set in a bushfire ravaged rural community where the residents suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome.

For Claire the desire to place blame or find a reason for the fires is still palpable as she struggles in her marriage to a much older man. Claire was a friend of Hannah’s mother (deceased) and now feels responsible for her friend’s teenage daughters, who have been left with the property to manage and no one to take care of them. The older girl, Hannah, is an isolated and independent free spirit, who is trying to move on, however her guilt is holding her back ––as a child she witnessed the ongoing sexual abuse of her younger sister, Lily, by their stepfather but remained silent. Hannah now lives with Lily, who has developed anorexia and requires constant care and supervision.

Through a series of flashbacks we see Hannah and Claire being manipulated by the charismatic stepfather, who eventually undoes himself. The penultimate scene of the play reveals an act of violence, which although brutal and criminal is suggestive of hope, regeneration and solidarity in the face of abuse.

Audition scenes are available upon request.