Can you explain why design is such an important feature of the work? Joe: In the kind of white Australian that Merlynn and I have adopted as our home, religion and real life seem to occupy these very separate spheres. So spiritually and the way we conduct our everyday business kind of happen in separate spaces, and that has an implication not just in life but in aesthetics and in the world around us and our public spaces. Whereas in the world that we come from, spiritually is everywhere in life and so the same gods that created the universe are in direct control of like your grades or whether or not you’ll win the lottery. And so again, that also has an impact on aesthetics. We’ve grown up in this place where the characters that we see on our altars and in our temples are the same characters that we see in comic books and theme parks and on the street. And so, there is this sense of this street spirituality that has an aesthetic that is about a look, a style and a sound and a way of being that we really are excited to bring to the stage. That really isn’t normally seen here.
What do you love about LEGENDS ? Joe: I think what I love the most about the work is that it’s kind of like heavy and explores a lot of difficult subject matter and thinks deeply about art and culture and where we are as people and migration. But it also has this deeply ridiculous, very silly side that I find so heartwarming and poignant. And I think the juxtaposition of those things coming at each other almost non-stop throughout the work makes for something unique in terms of what it’s making you think about and how it’s making you feel. Merlynn: I also love the content that we explore in the work. Because not only have I not personally made a work like that before, I don’t think I’ve actually seen this kind of content or this kind of aesthetic on Australian stages before. So, getting to be part of a dynamic team that makes this work is really, really exciting and I can’t wait to see the production.
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