A powerful play about the grief of Aboriginal people and the hope of reconciliation is now showing at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre.
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The 7 Stages of Grieving written by Deborah Mailman and Wesley Enoch is being presented in the lead up to Reconciliation Week and runs until Saturday May 27.
In this one-woman show, actress Chenoa Deemal spins poignant true stories of different people from different mobs, tales of tragedy mixed with celebrations of survival.
“I just hope it opens up another level of conversation around [reconciliation], there just needs to be more indigenous voices,” Deemal said.
The production tells the stories of seven different aspects of grief; encompassing family funerals, black displacement, the impact of European wars and other stories.
The design elements are based on the environment of Deemal’s youth: the rainbow coloured sands, the tropical rainforest, and the artworks of the local people.
Deemal has been touring with the production since 2015 with audiences ranging from school students to grandparents and a mixture of reactions.
“There was one girl that came and she had growng up close to an Aboriginal community and wasn’t aware of the history of Indigenous people,” Deemal said.
“She came to the show said: ‘I have to rethink my opinion on history and how I’ve thought about Aboriginal people most of my like’.
“So there’s been reactions like that.”
The 7 Stages of Grieving, running IPAC until May 27. For ticket information visit: www.merrigong.com.au