Our History
Indians
12 Feb 1973
Venue
La Boite Theatre, Brisbane
Producer
La Boite Theatre
Director
Peter Clarke
Playwright
Arthur Kopit
Cast
The Company:
Colin Beasley
Eileen Beatson
Jennifer Blocksidge
Bille Brown
Roger Burke
Janie Christansen
Peter Clarke
Vicki Crozier
Vicki Dixon
Gil Dwyer
Rick Farley
Mary Foley
Ruth Fraser
Fred Freer
Paula Gampe
Prudence Gibbs
Julie Haseler
Paul Haseler
Graeme Hattrick
Lindy Henry
Max Hurley
Chris Johnson
Bob Johnston
Monica Kelly
Peter Kowitz
Helen Lyell
Ken McSwain
Debra McWirter,
Cathy Murphy
Errol O'Neill
Brian Pickering
Jonne Potter
Di Priest
John Rigano
Rodney Roper
Robbie Scott
Gary Silk
Paul Spendlove
Christian Steiner
Judith Thompson
Dianne Varley
Vicki Volkoff
Oyvin Yri
Costume Designer
Max Hurley
Set Designer
Max Hurley
Indians by Arthur Kopit directed by Peter Clarke. Program cover 1973.
Courtesy QPAC Museum
The 1973 season began with Peter Clarke's production of American playwright Arthur Kopit's Indians. With a cast of 44 and with complex artistic requirements, this production was ambitious in every way. It was described by Jennifer Blocksidge as “praised and criticised with more vehemence than any other staged during the year”.[i]
Writer: Christine Comans
[i] 1973 AGM Director’s Report, UQFL109.
#Gallery
The Indians company.
Courtesy QPAC Museum.
#Have any photos to share?
We'd love to see your photos of this show and publish them in our archive.
#Tell us your story
The Radical Times Archive is currently restoring a super-8 film of a street-theatre performance in King George Square called "INDIANS" (11' 07"). The event was staged on the opening night of the 1971 Warana Festival in Brisbane (on 25th September 1971).
A year and a half later, a production of Arthur Kopit’s play "INDIANS" was staged at the La Boite Theatre in mid-February 1973. I'm trying to determine if there is any connection between the two shows. Are the two performances related in any way, and if so, how?
You can view the film on Radical Times, see resources 3, and click on tile/thumbnail 2D
http://radicaltimes.info
—Peter Gray
I was engaged, as a musician, with La Boite in one production in 1973 or 74. I was playing clarinet and/or saxophone as part of a small ensemble. I remember coming to the premises one day - I think I'd had few days off, so I was back maybe before anyone else. The house was empty, I guess I wanted to find some part of my equipment or music sheets or something. I could see nothing, so had to navigate by fingertip exploration. Suddenly I stepped into - nothing! There was an opening in the floor upstairs, where we muso's were located during performance. I fell down I guess about three meters, to the ground floor. Shaken, but not wounded! Would you possibly be able to help me with the name of the play? It's so annoying to have forgotten. I've lived in Norway now for almost half a century, still playing the clarinet - which I learnt to use by QSO principal cl Rodney Jacobson, who also founded the Grevillea recording studio in Brisbane. I'd love to come & visit you one day, but fear it's too far away. All the best from Øyvin Yri, Oslo, Norway - formerly of Toowong & Moggill