35mm: A Musical Exhibition
Little Triangle
November 2023, Flight Path Theatre
MUSIC AND LYRICS Ryan Scott Oliver
BASED ON ON PHOTOGRAPHY BY Matthew Murphy
DIRECTOR AND DESIGNER Alexander Andrews
MUSIC DIRECTOR Jeremy Kindl
ASSISTANT MUSIC DIRECTOR Nikolas Zielinski
PRODUCER Rose McClelland
STAGE MANAGER Hannah Ribbons
LIGHTING DESIGNER Paris Bell
SOUND TECHNICIAN Daniel Baykitch
SOUND TECHNICIAN Andy Wang
PROMOTIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Bryan Ruiz
POSTER AND PROMOTION Alexander Andrews
With each click of the camera, life is captured, forever.
With each click of the camera, life is captured, forever. Enter the world of 35mm: A Musical Exhibition, where photography and music collide to capture moments frozen in time. Inspired by the photographs of Matthew Murphy, the song-cycle tells a collection of stories through music. Ryan Scott Oliver weaves together a range of musical styles, from rock to pop, folk to jazz, each song inspired by a different photograph. The images and songs are windows into the lives of the characters, exploring themes of love, loss, and the human experience. Traditionally performed by five actors, with no narrative arc, the text is adapted for a cast of nine, with elements that allow the characters’ relationships to evolve throughout the eighty-minute show.
A reunion of friends unfolds—a tapestry of creation, love, searching, connection, and dreams. The Seeker and The Maverick entwine in a dance of love and change, one craving the new, the other seeking comfort in the known. The Sage intervenes, her intentions unclear, yet skillfully she shepherds them away from collision. The Dreamer discovers The Angel, each finding something new in the familiar. The Lover introduces The Adventurer to the group and adventure unfurls. In the eleventh hour, The Queen emerges, upheaving her court and shaking us to our core. The Observer, loved by all, sees, collects, and captures. Their secret moments are caught and held, suspended in time—a gift to look back on. Ah, the wonders of memory, especially when nudged along by a photograph.
CAST
Mikayla Burnham, Nina Carcione, Jack Dawson, Nina Leiva, Izzy Hanly, Brodie Masini, Oli McGavock, Aaron Robuck, Jenna Woolley
Director’s Note
I am fascinated by artists—how they think, how they create, how they manage their neuroses. I explored these Big Hows in a handful of shows with Little Triangle. In Sunday in the Park with George, I followed a painter and his mission to see, to record, to connect the dots. With Merrily We Roll Along, I joined three friends as they looked back on lifetimes of artistic dreams, both fulfilled and failed. The Wild Party introduced me to Queenie, a dancer in vaudeville searching for a life beyond the dusty shadows of the ghostlight. Then came NINE, the story of a filmmaker, of a man teetering on the brink of disaster brought on by an artist’s worst nightmare: Creative Block. What did I learn from these shows, from George and Frank and Charley and Mary and Queenie and Guido? To connect, to dream, to search, to create. And to keep on creating, even when things get tough. That is, to borrow a phrase from God, the art of making art. I have found myself, once again, exploring art through the eyes of the artist. 35mm: A Musical Exhibition delves into the world of photography—a form with its own set of rules and principles, but the same underlying pursuit of connection and creation.
Why this show, why now? Because art is not merely a form of expression, it lives at the very centre of our existence, it is working together to create something out of nothing. In a world that often races forward too swiftly, 35mm invites us to pause, to reflect, and to appreciate a moment frozen in time—a moment when a group of artists came together to create something worth stopping for. The relationship between photography and music in this show is a celebration of the spirit that defines this process. Photography pauses, while music plays on.
As Little Triangle’s twelfth production, 35mm is a special one. It stands as an example of the power of collaboration and the bold exploration of unconventional storytelling that we love so much. While mainstream narratives dominate big theatres across the country, independent theatre provides a sanctuary for unique voices to be heard, and 35mm exemplifies this vibrancy and potential. By embracing different perspectives in the rehearsal room, we breathe new life into familiar stories of love and loss, challenging traditional ideas and expanding the canvas of representation. 35mm is a testament to the universality of the human experience.
Collaboration is the lifeblood of this production. It’s no secret to anyone who has worked with me or has su!ered through an explanation of Why and How and What I do, that I take this practice very seriously. And it’s not a choice, it’s the only way I can do it. This show, more than the others, epitomises the beauty of working together. I enter the rehearsal room with a frame, or a vision, and it’s the actors who fill it in and bring it to life—it’s George’s canvas, Guido’s stretch of film. Not that I can compare myself to either, but the rehearsal room is the best place to pretend, isn’t it? It’s a place to experiment, to create something greater than any one of us could achieve alone. Together, we have shaped this narrative, breathing new life into every song, every moment. This collaborative spirit is what transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, and I am grateful to have embarked on this journey with such a talented and dedicated team of artists.
