14 December 2022
A full-length theatre play giving traditional Commedia dell’Arte a modern spin has been awarded the 2022 David Carson-Parker Embassy Prize in Scriptwriting at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington’s International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML).
Written by Ella Yiannett as part of her 2022 Master of Arts folio at the IIML, the stageplay Dumbshow is described by its examiners as “a highly theatrical means of exploring our search through roles and rebellion to find out who we are” and “a fantastic, accomplished, and deeply layered piece of work that is fun, tragic, and inventive with great writing”.
The prize was named in honour of the late David Carson-Parker, who established the prize to support the Master of Arts (Scriptwriting). It continues to be supported by David’s partner Jeremy Commons through the University’s Development Office. The $5,000 prize is awarded annually to an outstanding Master of Arts (Scriptwriting) student at the IIML.
Dumbshow takes stock commedia clowning characters and turns their world upside down as traditional romantic lines are crossed, roles are questioned, and death is confronted in a frantic and comic scramble for the meaning of life.
“The IIML is a hugely special place—for me having nine months focussed on working hard at the thing I love, with lots of brilliant brains around me, was the biggest privilege,” Ella says.
“I can be a bit of a chaotic writer—no planning over here—which I thought might get quashed, but instead I was told it was perfectly valid and shown how to hone everything from there. The overriding message was always to write and be myself, whilst being given the tools to elevate my craft.”
An examiner of the winning script wrote: “I love the play’s darkly funny tone, evocative and inspirational set descriptions and design challenges which I can visualise resulting in a very beautiful and stylish show”.
Fellow Master of Arts student Kyan Krumdieck has won the Brad McGann Film Writing Award for his feature film script Comrade Andrei.
Named in honour of the late Brad McGann (writer/director of In My Father’s Den), the award is worth $4,000.
Comrade Andrei is an odd-couple drama set in post-earthquake Christchurch featuring the burgeoning relationship between Ollie, who is trying to find his feet in a shaky world, and Andrei, an undercover Russian spy.
Examiners described Comrade Andrei as a “an inventive daring and original story dealing with important themes” and “moving, touching, gripping, and suspenseful”.
“I’ve had this story rattling about for over a decade,” Kyan says. “Ken [Duncum], director of scriptwriting at the IIML, and my classmates helped me finally dig deep, work out what the hell to do with it, and bring it to life in ways I never could have without this supportive environment.
“For a long time I think I’ve approached screenwriting as a means to an end. Getting to actually focus on the craft of writing for an entire year, writing for the passion of it, has made me a bit of a born again writer. You still won’t be able to keep me off set, but I’d say my emphasis is now much more on the Writer in Writer-Director.”
For more information contact Ken Duncum at the International Institute of Modern Letters
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