''The Dreamers'' is a

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * Pla ...

written by Jack Davis, set in

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

. He wrote the play to influence public opinion and bring about improvement in

Aboriginal Australians Aboriginal Australians are the various Indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, such as Tasmania, Fraser Island, Hinchinbrook Island, the Tiwi Islands, and Groote Eylandt, but excluding the Torres Strait Islands ...

' lives.

Characters

The play features the following characters: * Worru - an old Aboriginal man * Dolly - Worru's niece * Meena - Dolly's daughter(age 14) * Shane - Dolly's son(age 12) * Roy - Dolly's husband * Eli - a cousin * Peter - Dolly's son (age 18) * Darren - a white boy, (age 12 approx.)

Plot

The play is about how Aboriginal family, the Wallitches, go through everyday life. The story takes place over a period of six months in the home of the family. The play maintains an elegiac tone throughout for a tribal past, for a people one physically and spiritually in harmony with their world.

Performances

It was first performed on 2 February 1982 by the Swan River Stage Company at the

Dolphin Theatre The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Perth, the state capital, with a secondary campus in Albany and various other facilitie ...

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

. Although first performed in 1982, the play is contemporary and can be understood in a current context. The play continues to be restaged by a range of companies, particularly companies with an indigenous focus.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dreamers, The Indigenous Australian theatre 1982 plays Plays by Jack Davis