Library to capture a legacy

The founder of Shellharbour’s Roo Theatre Company, Gordon Streek, was an icon of the Illawarra theatre scene, a close friend of many and an inspiration for young actors.

His outstanding professional theatre productions are celebrated and cherished, with one of his popular works, Wild: The Rainforest Musical, held at the National Library of Australia.

Over several decades working in community theatre, Gordon influenced many emerging theatre-makers, including Adam O’Brien, now the owner of The Dire Theatre Company, based at The Forge in Gwynneville.

Adam was 10 years old when he enrolled in a drama class that Gordon taught at Roo Theatre. His teacher became his mentor, playing a key role in Adam’s formative years and adult life.

Gordon’s passing in 2021 was a devastating loss for the theatre community and, in his honour, Adam is now creating a library from Gordon’s vast collection of plays so that his knowledge and legacy will live on in the Illawarra.

“The promise I made was, I’ll happily take them [the plays], I’ll make sure that they survive, but I’ll also make sure that they are available to anybody who wants to learn from them,” Adam said.

Adam’s commitment to keep the plays accessible is his way of giving back to the community the same opportunities Gordon offered him. Gordon instilled in Adam many of his philosophies surrounding the creation of art and community theatre.

“He used to tell all of us young people coming through the theatre that it is so important to be brave when it comes to your art. And that’s something that I keep with me now. It’s a big part of why I do what I do”

The Dire Theatre’s company ethos is to “incite change without fear” and thanks to Gordon’s mentorship, Adam works to remain truthful in the art he makes.

He said that performance is such a personal medium because it must start from ‘within you, where you can’t lie’ and that can be a challenge when it is exhibited so publicly. He believes it is important to honour Gordon and people like him, who offer so much to our community.

“Their memory and the lessons they teach are more valuable than the work we are producing.”

Adam is in the process of uploading the plays to an electronic database, and once that is complete The Forge will have visiting hours for the drop-in library one weekend each month, where members can sit and drink coffee, read the books or borrow them to take home.

To visit the drop-in library, keep an eye out for updates on The Dire Theatre Company’s website and Facebook