DIRECTING

2024

A BALLOON WILL POP*

*AT SOME POINT DURING THIS PLAY

Written by Andrew Macmillan

Presented by East and Under Theatre Co.

Image by Brendan Mattress

GALLERY

Elijah has been doing some reading, and has some stuff to get off their chest. There’s only one problem. Well there’s a lot of problems, but this specific problem looks like a balloon, and Elijah has no idea where it came from, or what it means. A Balloon Will Pop at Some Point During This Play is one person’s quest to understand why our problems feel so huge, especially when science tells us we’re missing 95% of the Universe… Oh wait… that might have something to do with it.

There are protests, conspiracy theories, black holes, time witches and very big conversations on the side of a bridge. It’s an existential one-man dark comedy show about a lot. And there’s a balloon.

This Play is a one-act show exploring the perils of hunting for certainty. It asks what we know about ourselves, what we know about our universe, and whether it’s worth trying to know anything at all. We all find uncertainty uncomfortable, and we cling to so many different things to try and avoid it. This play asks you why.

A man with curly hair and a beard holding a red balloon, with a large red circle behind him, against a black background.
A man with curly hair and a beard wearing a black suit, black shirt, and black tie, holding a pitchfork in front of a large red circle and a smaller red balloon against a black background.
A person silhouette standing in front of a large red neon sign that reads 'WRONG YOU F***S', with a single balloon tied to a small table in a dark room.
Man dressed in black with a black tie and red lining on his jacket, standing with arms outstretched and shouting in front of a large screen displaying a map of the world with a man's face.
A man with curly hair and a beard, dressed in a black suit, is holding a red balloon. Behind him, there is a projection of Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man.
A man in a black suit and tie holding a switch or remote, with an intense expression on his face, standing in front of a large red heart-shaped balloon against a dark background.

2022

HELLO STRANGER

Presented by The Drawer Productions

Image by Brendan Mattress

GALLERY

Elijah has been doing some reading, and has some stuff to get off their chest. There’s only one problem. Well there’s a lot of problems, but this specific problem looks like a balloon, and Elijah has no idea where it came from, or what it means. A Balloon Will Pop at Some Point During This Play is one person’s quest to understand why our problems feel so huge, especially when science tells us we’re missing 95% of the Universe… Oh wait… that might have something to do with it.

There are protests, conspiracy theories, black holes, time witches and very big conversations on the side of a bridge. It’s an existential one-man dark comedy show about a lot. And there’s a balloon.

This Play is a one-act show exploring the perils of hunting for certainty. It asks what we know about ourselves, what we know about our universe, and whether it’s worth trying to know anything at all. We all find uncertainty uncomfortable, and we cling to so many different things to try and avoid it. This play asks you why.

A woman in a wedding dress and a man in a suit pose together against a black background. The woman wears a white veil and lace dress, while the man is dressed in a maroon suit with a blue tie. Both have lipstick marks on their faces.
A young woman with brown hair and a young man with curly hair standing against a dark background. The woman is behind the man, embracing his shoulders, and both are smiling.
A woman leaning against a wall, illuminated by red lighting.
A woman with dark hair and dressed in black with white accents displays a distressed expression, illuminated by red and purple lighting, touching her face with both hands.
A woman with dark hair, face painted with black crosses, in a dark setting with blue lighting. She covers her mouth with her hand, which has black makeup or paint, and looks intensely at the camera.
Two women in costume, one dressed as a nurse with a red cross hat and stethoscope, the other with makeup and tattoos, against a dark red background.
A woman with dark hair and blue face makeup, with black markings on her forehead, covers her mouth with her hand, looking upward with a blue-tinted lighting.
Two women, one a nurse and one a patient, in distress in a dark room with a red glow, a nurse's white cross hat in the background.
Two young adults, a woman with short brown hair and a man with curly hair, hugging and smiling against a dark background. The woman is leaning on the man's shoulder, and they are holding each other's faces with their hands.
Group of six people in costumes posing happily in a cozy, decorated room with a small sofa, a table with two vintage phones, and a lamp, suggesting a Halloween or themed costume gathering.
A young woman with brown hair and bangs, wearing a pink t-shirt and a beige overall skirt, standing barefoot in a hallway with natural light.
A man with long, wavy hair and a slight mustache, wearing a plaid shirt and a dark jacket with a furry collar, standing in an indoor setting with wooden and concrete walls.
A bride in a wedding dress and veil smiling in a narrow hallway, surrounded by disembodied hands wearing gloves, reaching towards her.
A bride and groom sharing a kiss in a small, tiled room, with the groom holding the bride's face and the bride wearing lace wedding dress and veil.
A woman standing in a doorway, surrounded by outstretched hands wearing gloves, with sunlight casting shadows on the wall.
A woman with dark hair and makeup, painted face with a cross on her forehead, holding her hand covered in dark makeup near her face, under blue lighting.

SHAZZAS

Named after a fictional elderly woman who lives upstairs in my home, ‘Shazzas’ is a monthly event where artists are welcome to showcase works-in-progress.

As an event, Sharias has served as a testing site for design concepts, constructed from second-hand materials collected from op-shops, reverse garbage, and curbside collection.

GALLERY

A person with blonde hair, glasses, and headphones around their neck sitting on a chair in front of chiffon curtains with colorful string lights, holding a smartphone.
A man standing on a stage with a microphone, holding a tablet, in front of a backdrop featuring illuminated Detroit city skyline art with multicolored lights, pink curtains, and a small round lamp on a stand.
Decorative fabric with cut-out tree pattern hanging in front of a backlit wall with a sunset sky, leaves, and trees silhouette visible through the cut-outs.
Decorative illuminated cityscape silhouette with colorful patterns on black panels, flanked by large speakers at both sides, set against a yellow curtain backdrop.
Indoor gathering seen through a sheer curtain with colored lights, people sitting and talking at a table, decorated with string lights, plants, and ambient lighting.
A man sitting on a chair, gesturing with his hand, in front of two guitars hanging on a curtain, with a wooden floor.
Woman standing against a colorful background with abstract patterns, wearing a long dress with circular patterns, eyes closed and a serene expression.
Person sitting cross-legged on green mat with a laptop, surrounded by lighting effects that resemble a painting or digital art, with curtains and wall art in the background.
A large, decorative beetle artwork with a black outline and blue interior, featuring yellow star-shaped eyes, hanging on a beige curtain.
A woman with blonde hair is posing with a smile in front of a golden backdrop, wearing a beige dress with colorful circle patterns, and standing next to a decorative gold and black panel.
An art installation with illuminated black silhouettes of skyscrapers made of what appears to be wood or metal, behind a white sheer curtain. The backdrop is dark with a reddish glow, and the display is placed on a wooden floor.
Young woman singing into a microphone on stage with a decorative backdrop of multicolored lights and an abstract city skyline design. She is wearing a long, light-colored, floral dress.
A colorful quilt hanging on a rack between two red velvet curtains, above a brown rug on a wooden floor, with hanging string lights and green leafy vines on the ceiling.
A tree branch with teal paper leaves hanging in front of cream-colored curtains, with green foliage on the ceiling and wooden floor.
A small stage setup with a gray chair on a round gray rug, flanked by flower arrangements on wooden tables, in front of cream curtains with orange organza drapes, and a ceiling decorated with black vine-like designs.
A large white decorative panel with various cutout shapes, mounted on a wooden stand in a garage or workshop.
Indoor nail salon setup with a sign reading 'Shazz Nail Salon,' a table with nail polish bottles, a lamp, a potted plant, and bowls of cotton balls; background has curtains, string lights, and hangers with clothing.
Group of people sitting in front of a stage with a large robot beetle artwork on backdrop, under string lights and leafy ceiling decoration.
A person lying on a bed with a colorful, artistic backdrop behind them featuring various shapes and patterns. The lighting gives a warm, pinkish hue.
A young woman with glasses, light blonde hair, wearing a sleeveless top and baggy pants, standing at a microphone, reading from her phone, with colorful decorative panels and lights behind her.
A decorative backdrop featuring cutout silhouettes of trees in front of multicolored lighting, created with curtains and paper cutouts, set in an indoor setting with surrounding plants and draped fabric.
A young man sitting at a small table with a flower arrangement, holding papers, in front of a background designed to look like stacked pencils with labels '2B'.
A white rectangular doormat with a cut-out pattern resembling tree branches, placed on a dark wooden floor, with part of a cat visible on the top right edge.
A colorful, illuminated quilt hanging in a room with black curtains on either side. A cat sits on the wooden floor casting long shadows due to the light from the quilt.
An altar setup with three chairs, surrounded by flower arrangements, with a white curtain backdrop illuminated with yellow and pink lighting.
Two people sitting at a table in front of a colorful concentric circle projection on a dark background.