It won't happen overnight!

Vagabonds & whores (in a very Gay production)
'The Beggars Opera', 18th c

In 18th century England it was the interpretation of a work that was far more important to an audience than who wrote it or even appeared in it.  They believed the many strident disagreements and frequent controversies surrounding works of art were as important as the work itself.

These interpretations threatened the status quo or establishment of the day, which is why anything new was ridiculed by those who were threatened the most by their implications. This in turn is the reason why right up until the 19th century the theatre was seen as the profession of vagabonds and whores. It was important to keep it in its place while people wrestled with the momentous changes taking place within European society at the end of the 20th century. 

Dame Pat Evison in 'Happy Days' by Samuel Beckett
Downstage 1965

The establishment of Downstage made a huge impact on society back in the 1960s. Not simply because it was the first or only professional theatre in New Zealand, but because it began a process of looking at the world from another perspective, an act of courage and the beginning of a new cultural identity.

At Downstage we have extended the meaning of creation beyond just the invention, fabrication or handiwork of getting a show to the stage.  We understand that a work of art is not created overnight but over time. 

Nor is it a book to be read or a picture to be looked at and commented on; it is a live performance; not a thing but an event.  Within the performing arts the work is the production as a whole - the actual realisation and interpretation of the work and its relationship to an audience and the ensuing conversations it generates.

Jack Shadbolt and Eli Kent in'The Intricate Art of Actually Caring'
Downstage 2009 & 2011

A singular outing will not usually be enough to generate heat.  Productions need time to simmer, so we embrace the re-working and re-staging of productions.  In each case we’ve found the return season has developed into a richer brew, and attracted a larger audience base than the first outing. 

Lately we’ve been keenly aware of the need to enliven discussion and debate over the relevance of our productions to contemporary life - like the audiences of 18^th Century England who revelled in hotly debating the art of their time.

An ongoing conversation between artists and audiences?  This is what it means to create a masterpiece.