The late community theatre icon Gordon Streek was a force in the Illawarra arts world, and one of his former mentees is determined to ensure his passion for community lives on.
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Mr Streek, who founded Shellharbour's Roo Theatre, died from cancer in late 2021, leaving behind a collections of thousands of historic and modern books, plays and texts.
The collection has been entrusted to Dire Theatre Company founder and former Roo Theatre thespian Adam O'Brien, who has big plans to ensure Mr Streek's legacy is a gift that keeps on giving.
Mr O'Brien is converting part of his Gwynneville art space The Forge into a free drop-in library to house Mr Streek's thousands of books, open for the whole community to enjoy.
"I promised Gordon's partner I would continue Gordon's community-mindedness," Mr O'Brien said.
"I think he [Gordon] would take great joy in knowing that his life's collection of literature, the thing he loved, doesn't get buried with him, and that he will live on with it."
Mr O'Brien first met the Roo Theatre founder at the Shellharbour community theatre, and as Mr O'Brien got older, he said the pair developed a friendship.
"He was one of my mentors - I took away from him [that] the best thing you can do in the arts is to be brave," he said.
In his years operating Shellharbour's iconic Roo Theatre, Mr Streek made it "a home for the disenfranchised", ensuring young people who may not have 'fit in' still felt seen and understood, Mr O'Brien said.
"He really wanted people to feel safe - he took them under his wing."
Now, Mr O'Brien hopes to keep the late thespian's legacy alive, creating a space where anyone can access the "eclectic" collection of more than 2000 works.
"There is such a wide variety - the majority of it is plays, instruction manuals on acting, theatre making, modern plays as young as 2021, and some of the oldest classics from the 20's and 30's," he said.
The library still needs shelving, and the books need to be digitally catalogued, but Mr O'Brien is raising funds through Gofundme to help create the perfect space.
The drop-in library will launch at the end of February, he said, and will be open a few days every month, and by appointment.
You can donate to the project here.
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Rosie Bensley
Illawarra Mercury trainee journalist and newest recruit.
Illawarra Mercury trainee journalist and newest recruit.
