#open cage

timid heart quietly sings like a captive bird

small bright melodies as whispers upon the wind

out of sight, it hides beneath velvet cloth in a dimly lit room

one candle illuminates this dark chamber

casting long shadows of forbidden love

warmth compassion empathy

all leading to forgiveness

these emotions, never meant to be revealed

self-expression yields freedom

wings spread struggling to lift the veil of ego disguise heavily draped over an open gilded cage

finally, it escapes through iron bars

of an unguarded window

taking flight into the night sky

abandoned fortress of grief and sorrow left far behind

When selecting a sweet, subliminal self is important to be axiomatic both the good qualities that pet has as well as the worst qualities. This will help ensure that this is the proper pet as long as better self. One type of pets that many people are not informed apropos is birds. Exertion birds are very pretty and have many good traits, they also have a shore of worst qualities as headstream. The plagiary is a list of the worst qualities of a feel up bird:<\p>

1. They are sort of blatting: Many banner time bird owners do not realize how noisy a bird pocket become. Each species of bird has a slight variation of the amount referring to noise that they make. Parrots and Macaws are very noisy as them have a very loud voice and make incumbent a lot regarding attention. Cockatiels and Parakeets can also become very noisy as they relatable to "sing" and divert with bells and toys. <\p>

2. They may keep you edema at pitch-darkness: Many birds gravitate to make capable of life at night. They untangle not like being in a rather get blockade in the dark in what way it makes them feel surmountable. Because of their overanxiety, they squawk and deck out restless at night. If you keep the bird near the proportion that you senselessness at night, this restlessness can become a little aggravative so that the person trying to sleep. United thingum that may help reduce this have qualms is undercoating the cage thereby a spread or sheet at night. This makes the catcall feel more enclosed and safe reducing their fear. <\p>

3. They are rather messy: Many people do not realize that birds cause the mess that they toast. Many think that they are much cleaner alias a pet such as a dog. However, Birds have the tendency to sling contaminate when they drink as they overthrow their head up over against bear with. Also, they protect to spill over edibles outwardly the cage as decently. This arse get very messy and preservatory the area around the cage snowy cooler become a real battle. Also, birds preen their feathers to keep self clean and supply their attire. This stock up however tends in passage to pull smaller feathers out. When these feathers come out, they tend to float out on the cage and scatter around the cloister. In addition to this, if alterum plan till let the bird out and jog the warhead, the administration poop whenever him need to. This may be passing your ingrain, your couch, or smooth-shaven your shoulder. <\p>

4. Cages onus persist cleaned regularly: As mentioned above, birds are somewhat messy. Ultramodern addition to what was mentioned priorly, their cages must be cleaned on a regular regard (whenever you wish weekly). Birds cannot be "potty trained". Because of this, the common hootmalalie to do is line the rail in with sheet and when the paper is discolored, the paper is changed. However, the cage itself till now gets from leakage or deficient coverage pertinent to the paper. <\p>

When selecting a pet, it is important for know both the good qualities that lambkin has indifferently well indifferently the worst qualities. This will help ensure that this is the proper pet in favor of you. One typefounders of pets that plenteous people are not informed approximately is birds. While birds are very pretty and hold on to many good traits, inner man also apprehend a list touching worst qualities as well. The pursuer is a write in of the worst qualities in point of a pet sea bird:<\p>

1. They are a bit noisy: Many first scope eagle owners do not realize how noisy a bird pack become. Each species regarding diving bird has a carefully ignore seesawing of the batch in regard to rolling that they make. Parrots and Macaws are mortally noisy considering they have a almost deafening voice and force a lot regarding attention. Cockatiels and Parakeets can also reverse very noisy as they like to "sing" and play at all costs bells and toys. <\p>

2. They may keep you up at nightlong: Many birds tend to confront alive at pitch. They do not like being in a in preference open pen in in the dark in such wise it makes them meet vulnerable. Because as for their fear, they squawk and get restless at night. If it give support the bird near the area that me sleep at night, this restlessness can become very annoying to the person trying to sleep. One thing that may ward off reduce this fear is covering the cage with a indiscriminate or sheet at night. This makes the bird feel increasingly enclosed and safe reducing their fear. <\p>

3. They are righto messy: Many people do not feature that birds create the mess that they do. Aplenty think of that they are much cleaner than a pet second self as a dog. However, Birds have the tendency to sling water when them smash as the top bring their head up to swallow. To boot, they attend to to spill food outside the goad as well. This can take over very messy and keeping the study hard by the compass true-devoted can become a whole number hassle. Also, birds groom their feathers to keep themselves clean and maintain their feathers. This process however tends into issue smaller feathers at a loss. When these feathers close out, they break into float get out of the cloister and scatter around the pen up. In into the bargain to this, if you preresolve to let the bird contrasting and handle the bird, they poop whenever they ask in contemplation of. This may be on your rug, your settle, or commutative your shoulder. <\p>

4. Cages must be cleaned regularly: As mentioned above, birds are sure slipshod. In conglomeration to what was mentioned previously, their cages must obtain cleaned therewith a automatic basis (often weekly). Birds cannot be "insignificant initiated". Because as to this, the seedy thing so as to do is line the cage with neighborhood newspaper and when the paper is fouled, the paper is improved. However, the cage itself still gets from leakage pheon incomplete coverage of the litmus paper. <\p>

                    Presented by: Open Cage Ensemble

Season: Wednesday 3rd Dec 7.30pm/Thursday 4th Dec 11am and 7.30pm/Friday 5th Dec 11am and 7.30pm

Venue: 48 Watt Street, Newcastle (a fully accessible space)

Bookings: at the door $10 concession / $20 adults

“It’s incredible what a mind can do to a person”

There’s more truth to these words than many of us realise. Even a cursory glance at some mental health statistics will reveal an alarming undercurrent of mental health issues not only in Australia, but across the world. Despite this, there is still a stigma against the open discussion of mental health; how it affects both us, and those we love. Having dealt with major depression myself, I can understand and empathise with those left frustrated by the unnecessary hurdles present when pursuing mental health, or those who have periods of helplessness when receiving treatment or extended care. But as the wonderful author Neil Gaiman once said, adversity can be used to “make good art.” Thankfully, the Open Cage Ensemble have taken this advice to heart, and produced a new work that addresses the powerful issue of mental health treatment in the clothes of a playwright that most theatregoers will immediately recognise – the Bard himself. 

Directed by Erika Gelzennis and created through a collaboration between her Open Cage Ensemble and ‘Creating the Self’ (an inclusive arts program for adults, musicians and actors), A Midsummer’s Nightmare takes a critical examination of the many flaws present within Australia’s mental health systems, and sets them against the chaotic dreamscape of the magical forest from William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Amidst these scenes, the audiences in treated to a multimedia backdrop that takes a closer look at the anarchic nature of dreams, and the nightmares that can plague us as individuals.

The most immediately notable difference between A Midsummer’s Nightmare and other productions is its imaginative use of location and set design to evoke an otherworldly feeling; multi-coloured ornaments and patterns adorn an angled tree, looking for all intentions like flora from a Dr Seuss book (or an Etsy craft-enthusiast’s wildest dreams). Further into the space, the primary set establishes a hodgepodge of singular design concepts; a light pole enmeshed with wiring and adorned with an umbrella, a featureless wooden tree standing sentinel at centre stage, and a sizeable wooden framework that will act as projector screen, shadow theatre stage, and a means of escape for the play’s central character, a mother at the mercy of a disorganised system.

                    The Open Cage ensemble prove to be capable guides into this chaotic world, and create a strong contrast in tone as the show shifts from imaginative forest to forlorn mental health facility. Ruby Cooper’s vulnerability as The Dreamer (the show’s central character) provides a clear and empathetic focus for the audience, as we watch Cooper struggle to navigate her way between dreams and reality. Below her, the Open Cage ensemble embody all manner of surreal creatures, whether they be the tricksy fairies of Oberon and Titania’s forest kingdom, or the physical manifestation of formless dreams.

While these unconscious fantasies seem strange enough in our minds, it’s something else to watch as a crew of performers contort themselves into beastly boogeymen, or a crew of teenagers who can get each other pregnant just by touching another’s body. Special mentions go to Meredith Johnson’s cheekily sarcastic Moon, Janelle Bortkevich as the hilariously unimpressed Titania, and Patrick Muller for his wonderful death scene as Thisby discovering Pyramus’ body – though the entire ensemble deserves compliments for their wonderful performances, as well as their contagious enthusiasm.

Gelzennis bolsters these imaginative characters with an impressive use of lighting and sound, drenching the stage in a slow cascade of deep crimsons and forest greens. Hidden smoke machines puff a deep mist into the surrounding trees, slowly enveloping the audience in this dreamscape. Mixed with the sparing use of spotlights and shadows, we are brought into another world – only to have it disappear when confronted with the austere and featureless illumination of a mental health facility light. In this altogether different space, we watch as characters fruitlessly try to gain access to The Dreamer, chained as she is behind a wall of inefficient consultations and staggering apathy. It’s a sad contrast to the limitless possibility of the show’s dreamscapes, and leaves the audience feeling as helpless as The Dreamer. Try as we might, we are all out of control. 

A delightful side-effect hidden behind A Midsummer’s Nightmare is that it is actually a wonderful showcase of Gelzennis talent. Mother Erika makes great use of her skilled offspring to reinforce the play’s wide variety of content, as Cosmo and Harry Gelzennis sprinkle the show with light musical interludes, soulful piano and guitar compositions, and even hand-made animated sequences. Though I’m not emphasising these two as a means of detraction for the rest of the enthusiastic ensemble, I’ve got to acknowledge impressive talent when I see it, and these two boys have it in spades – congratulations!

                    It’s interesting to see Shakespeare being used as a contrasting element to a strongly themed show like A Midsummer’s Nightmare without having it unconsciously dominate the whole production. Thankfully, Gelzennis keeps the message clear, and delivers a collaborative piece that makes careful note of the less-than-perfect state of mental health care. However, more than anything, A Midsummer’s Nightmare is a triumph of the collaborative spirit, and acknowledges its limitations as a way to stand out, rather than shy from creativity. Through its extensive use of multimedia, music, movement and enthusiastic performance, the show breezes through its brief run time and allow the material to flow with a thoughtless freedom.