The Dramatic Difference: Heathers the musical pays it forward

Posted on 25 September, 2018

Content warning: DV 

13 years ago, Canberra local, Richard Block discovered community theatre during a particularly turbulent period in his life.

According to Richard, this experience was pivotal in turning things around. “It was the welcoming and supportive culture of the Canberra theatre community that actually got me through,” he explains.

Richard later decided that he wanted to create for others what he had experienced, so in 2015 he took his gratitude and a passion for all things theatre and founded the Gungahlin based community theatre company Dramatic Productions. Dramatic Productions’ mantra is one of generosity, gratefulness, inclusiveness and recognition, something Richard is extremely proud of.

Central to the objectives of Dramatic Productions is also its commitment to a high level of community engagement and ‘giving back’. And not just in theory. Richard produces two shows a year and in an initiative started in 2017, commits 10% of the ticket sales to local charities. This year, twelve charities will benefit, each being allocated a performance.

Credit: Captured Moments

Richard’s innovative interpretation of community theatre appears to be infectious. Masonicare has announced that it will match the funds raised during Dramatic Productions’ Canberra premiere of the hilarious Heathers The Musical in October. This will take the potential of Richard’s fundraising initiative for this year to something in the vicinity of $36,000.

“Heathers is a first for Canberra,” explains Richard. “And the stellar cast and team will deliver a hilarious, edgy, and outrageous experience set in high school 1980’s USA. It’s something not to be missed. It also addresses themes of bullying, self-esteem, sexuality and violence and encourages conversations that need to be had. Its message of hope around the ability of people to change their perceptions and attitudes for the better will have people wanting to come back and see it again.”

When considering hope, one of the charities proudly supported by Heathers this year is The Tara Costigan Foundation. Also founded in 2015 after the brutal murder of young mother Tara, the Foundation’s mission is to raise awareness of family and domestic violence and to help break the cycle of abuse. The Foundation operates the Tara’s Angels service, a free of charge, post-crisis service offered to survivors who are ready to rebuild their lives.

The Tara Costigan Foundation are particularly in need of support this year, as they face the prospect of closing due to a lack of funding. According to Chair Nathan Costigan, “We need something to help us help families ”. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that around 7,700 Canberra women are experiencing either physical and sexual violence or threats of physical and sexual violence each year. There hardly seems then, a more compelling reason to give as much ‘something’ as the community has to give.

It is this faith in the power of community that informs The Tara Costigan foundation’s philosophy, together we are strong. Something reiterated by Catherine a 55-year-old Melbourne University honours and ANU PHD graduate, and Senior APS public servant who is also a survivor of significant domestic abuse.

“Underneath the story of terror, shame, emptiness and disempowerment, domestic violence is also a story of strength, and something our children can be proud of,” says Catherine. “Because we have survived. We are the heroines in our own and our sisters stories.”

On Saturday 13 October at 8 pm in the Gungahlin Theatre, the community as a whole has the opportunity to support Tara’s ongoing legacy of hope and strength, and the celebration that is survival.

It’s not likely that Richard imagined leveraging the power of a ticket purchase to pay so much forward when he took a leap of faith 13 years ago. However, because of that leap, community theatre is again taking the opportunity to turn things around. And is humbly taking its place in continuing the legacy of strength, survival and life, that was and is the story of Tara Costigan.

Heathers the Musical runs from Friday 12 October until Saturday 27 October at the Gungahlin Theatre. Tickets can be purchased here. The Tara Costigan Foundation will also be running a Facebook competition for a group ticket prize.

Photography: Captured Moments. Images supplied.