Deidre Rubenstein

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Deidre Rubenstein
Born
Deidre Rubenstein

(1948-02-28)28 February 1948
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Education National Institute of Dramatic Art
Occupation(s)Actor, dramatist, playwright
Years active1966–current

Deidre Rubenstein (born 1948) [1] is an Australian screen and theatre actress, dramatist and playwright, well known for her performance in Australian soap operas and main stage dramatic roles.

Contents

Early life

Rubenstein, who is Jewish, [2] graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in 1967. [3]

Career

Television and film

Rubenstein has worked in television comedies, drama, mini-series and TV movies. [4] In 1970 she appeared in an episode of Homicide . She played a recurring guest role in Prisoner (1979–80), as terrorist Janet Dominguez.

She had leading roles in 1990 film Breaking Through and 1985 miniseries Palace of Dreams , the latter for which she won an Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress.

In 2004 Rubenstein played the scheming Svetlanka Ristic for twelve episodes of the soap opera Neighbours . [4]

She has appeared in further guest roles in 1980 miniseries Water Under The Bridge , medical dramas G.P. and MDA , Mercury , comedy series Introducing Gary Petty , The Secret Life of Us , Kick and police dramas Blue Heelers and City Homicide .

Rubenstein also has appeared in Australian feature films Siam Sunset (1999), Hey Hey It’s Esther Blueberger alongside Keisha Castle-Hughes and Essie Davis (2008), Salvation with Wendy Hughes (2008) and Force of Destiny alongside David Wenham (2015).

Theatre

Rubenstein's career in the theatre includes work with several major Australian companies, including the Nimrod Theatre Company and Melbourne Theatre Company. [5]

In 1993, she had a solo show called What's a Girl to Do?, [6] where she performed poems written by contemporary Australian female poets. [7] It was later performed by Rubenstein at The Stables Theatre in Sydney (1994) and at the 1995 Edinburgh Festival. [8]

This show inspired her to do another solo show using work commissioned for her, work that was written to be performed live. She was awarded a Victorian Government Women Artist's Grant and commission contemporary writers to produce the performance pieces that were later produced in a book called Confidentially Yours. The first performance was in the Playbox Theatre Centre, C.U.B Malthouse, Melbourne on 11 February 1998. The writers commissioned to produce the work that became Confidentially Yours were Janis Balodis, Andrew Bovell, Nick Enright, Michael Gurr, Daniel Keene, Joanna Murray-Smith and Debra Oswald. Andrew Bovell wrote a pair of stories for the show that he later used in the script for the film Lantana .

In 2005, Rubenstein performed in Menopause the Musical , a comedy breaking down the taboos about menopause. [9] with Caroline Gillmer, Susan-Ann Walker and Jane Clifton. Rubenstein as 'The Dubbo Housewife', explored the stereotypes and madness of that time in a woman's life.

In 2015, she played Gertrude Stein in the musical Loving Repeating - a Musical of Gertrude Stein in Melbourne.

Audiobooks

Rubenstein has produced a significant body of work as a narrator of audio books and has won several awards in this field. [10]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleType
1990 Breaking Through AnnFilm
1991 The Girl Who Came Late (aka Daydream Believer)Trish SchultzFeature film
1996 Inner Sanctuary PeggyFeature film
1999 Siam Sunset Celia DroonFeature film
2000The CallingMartha O’ConnorShort film
2001Like Mother Like Son: The Strange Story of Sante and Kenny KimesLas Vegas JudgeTV film
2002 Secret Bridesmaids' Business RuthTV film
2004 Josh Jarman Theatre ActressFeature film
2008 Salvation Gloria’s CoachFeature film
2008 Hey Hey It’s Esther Blueburger Mrs FleisherFeature film
2011 Underbelly Files: The Man Who Got Away UncreditedTV film
2015Force of DestinyMiriamFeature film
2023 The Rooster Mrs PoulsonFeature film

Television

YearTitleRoleType
1970 Homicide JaneTV series, 1 episode
1978–1980 Prisoner Janet Dominguez TV series, 5 episodes
1980 Water Under the Bridge LaineyTV series, 3 episodes
1982 The Mike Walsh Show Guest (with Tony Taylor)TV series, 1 episode
1985 Palace of Dreams Chana MendelMiniseries, 10 episodes
1988 Australians NanceMiniseries, 1 episode
1988 Rafferty's Rules Peggy GuestTV series, 1 episode
1988 A Country Practice Helen MorrisTV series, 2 episodes
1989 E Street Louise BakerTV series, 1 episode
1989 G.P. Iris GrimshawTV series, 3 episodes
1996 Mercury Steffi PetrakisMiniseries, 2 episodes
1997–2003 Blue Heelers Helen Delaney / Magda LapenscuTV series, 2 episodes
2000 Introducing Gary Petty NancyTV series, 6 episodes
2001–2002 BackBerner PsychologistTV series, 2 episodes
2002 The Secret Life of Us Nathan’s MumTV series, 2 episodes
2002 MDA Dr FallowsTV series, 1 episode
2004 Neighbours Svetlanka Ristic TV series, 12 episodes
2007 Kick Reva FeinmannMiniseries, 1 episode
2008 Saddle Club Rosemary CrossTV series, 1 episode
2008 City Homicide Cheridah LapstoneTV series, 1 episode
2021 Superwog AgnesYouTube series, 1 episode
2024White FeverGrandma CoralTV series, 1 episode

Theatre

As actor

YearTitleRoleType
1966Two Programs of Short Plays: The PierSecond Girl Jane Street Theatre, Sydney
1967Camille and PerdicanDame Pluche UNSW, Old Tote Theatre, Sydney with NIDA & Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust
1967 Point of Departure Cashier / Mother UNSW, Old Tote Theatre, Sydney with NIDA & Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust
1967 Three Men on a Horse Hotel Maid UNSW, Old Tote Theatre, Sydney with NIDA
1967 The Schoolmistress UNSW, Old Tote Theatre, Sydney
1967 The Winter’s Tale Perdita UNSW, Old Tote Theatre, Sydney with NIDA
1968; 1969 The Boy Friend Hortense Canberra Theatre, Phillip Street Theatre, Sydney, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne with Harry M. Miller
1969The Rise and Fall of Boronia Avenue Jane Street Theatre, Sydney with NIDA & Old Tote Theatre Company
1970 Cat Among the Pigeons Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre with MTC
1970 Philadelphia, Here I Come! Russell Street Theatre with MTC
1970 The Caucasian Chalk Circle Tractor Driver / Ludovica Russell Street Theatre
1970 A Doll’s House Canberra Theatre, Russell Street Theatre with MTC
1970Day of Glory Russell Street Theatre with MTC
1970 The Devils Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1970Son of Man Russell Street Theatre with MTC
1970 The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1970; 1971 All's Well That Ends Well Diana Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre, Octagon Theatre, Perth with MTC
1971 The Government Inspector Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1971 The Philanthropist Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1971 Galileo Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre with MTC
1971The Contractor Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre with MTC
1971 The Recruiting Officer Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1971 The Trial of the Catonsville Nine Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1971; 1972 The Man who Shot the Albatross Mary Putland Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre, Elizabethan Theatre, Sydney, Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide with MTC
1975The Enchanted ForestSt James Playhouse, Sydney with PACT Youth Theatre
1979The Twenties and All That Jazz Queensland Theatre
1979The Ripper ShowJane Sharpe Playbox Theatre, Melbourne with Hoopla Theatre Foundation
1980The Bride of Gospel PlaceDelia Jane Street Theatre, Sydney with NIDA
1980 The Dybbuk Frade Jane Street Theatre, Sydney with NIDA
1980You and the Night and the House Wine Nimrod Theatre, Sydney (also Playwright)
1980; 1981 Catch a Rising Star Melbourne Theatre Restaurant
1981 Three Sisters Natalya Ivanova Nimrod Theatre, Sydney
1981A Couple of Strangers Nimrod Theatre, Sydney (also Devisor)
1981 Cloud 9 Edward / Betty Nimrod Theatre, Sydney
1981 Tales from the Vienna Woods Alfred's Mother / Various characters Nimrod Theatre, Sydney
1982 Candide The Baroness Seymour Centre, Sydney, Melbourne
1982Burn VictimDeidre Nimrod Theatre, Sydney (also Writer)
1982VariationsFran Nimrod Theatre, Sydney
1983 Top Girls Nimrod Theatre, Sydney
1983 As You Like It Nimrod Theatre, Sydney
1986 Mixed Doubles Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC for Sydney Festival
1986 Wild Honey Seymour Centre, Sydney
1986 She Stoops to Conquer Mrs Hardcastle Seymour Centre, Sydney with Nimrod Theatre Company
1986 The Merchant of Venice Seymour Centre, Sydney with Nimrod Theatre Company
1986 All's Well That Ends Well Circus Style Performer Seymour Centre, Sydney with Nimrod Theatre Company
1987 Trumpets and Raspberries State Theatre Company of Northern Territory
1987 Les Liaisons Dangereuses Matron Seymour Centre, Sydney with Nimrod Theatre Company
1988 Absurd Person Singular Jane Hopcroft Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA
1989CurtainsNorthside Theatre, Sydney
1990 Once in a Lifetime Sydney Opera House with STC
1991 Morning Sacrifice Miss Charlotte Bates Russell Street Theatre with MTC
1991Heroic MeasuresNadia Ginzburg Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company
1992Petrov: The Musical Melbourne Concert Hall with Victorian Arts Centre
1992No Going Back Russell Street Theatre with MTC
1992A Month of SundaysMrs Baker Russell Street Theatre with MTC
1992When She Danced Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1993Blood MoonAnna Theatreworks, Melbourne
1993; 1994; 1995What's a Girl to Do?Solo show Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company, Stables Theatre, Sydney, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh for Edinburgh Festival (also Devisor) [6]
1993; 1994; 1995Dorothy Parker SaysSolo

show || Fairfax Studio, Melbourne, Mietta’s, Melbourne, Stables Theatre, Sydney, Queanbeyan School of Arts Cafe with Victorian Arts Centre (also Creator)

1994 Song of Songs Melbourne Athenaeum with Theatreworks
1994Falling from GraceMaggie CampbellAustralian national tour with STC, Playbox Theatre Company & Queensland Theatre
1995The Head of MaryThe Prostitute / ShikuzaTokyo International Arts Space for Tokyo International Festival, Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company
1996My Father's FatherMarta Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC
1996 Broken Glass Sydney Opera House with STC
1997 The Winter’s Tale Paulina Canberra Theatre, Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Athenaeum with Bell Shakespeare
1998Dream KitchenVoice Over Artist (recorded) Universal Theatre, Melbourne
1998; 2002Confidentially YoursLorna / Various characters Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Butter Factory Theatre, Wodonga with Playbox Theatre Company (also Devisor)
2001 The Seagull Polina Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC
2002 Life x 3 Inès Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC
2003 Birthrights Margaret Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC
2003 Bye Bye Birdie Mrs Mae Peterson State Theatre, Melbourne with The Production Company
2003 Bat Boy: The Musical Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne with Loudmouth Productions
2004Night LettersInnkeeper / Rachel / Patricia Highsmith Queen's Theatre, Adelaide, Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company & STCSA for Adelaide Festival
2005 Menopause the Musical The Dubbo Housewife Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne with GFour Productions, McPherson Inc & Lascorp Entertainment
2005The World's WifeMrs Midas / Mrs Aesop / Mrs Faust / Medusa / Circe / Mrs Rip Van Winkle / Salome / The Kray Sisters / Pope Joan / Mrs Beast Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC
2006 The Clean House Virginia Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC
2007The GloryReading Fairfax Studio, Melbourne
2007 The History Boys Mrs Lintott Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC
2008 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Big Mama Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC
2008Gala Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
2009 August: Osage County Mattie Fae Aiken Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC
2010 Richard III Duchess of York Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
2010Life Without MeAlice Jarvie Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
2011 Dear World The Countess Aurelia Melbourne Recital Centre with Magnormos
2011 Circle Mirror Transformation Marty Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
2012 The Glass Menagerie Amanda Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA
2012His Girl FridayMrs Baldwin Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC
2013 A Murder is Announced Dora Bunner Sydney Theatre, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne
2013ThursdayVarious charactersNorwood Concert Hall with English Touring Theatre & Brink Productions for Adelaide Festival
2015Loving Repeating – a Musical of Gertrude Stein Gertrude Stein Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne with Vic Theatre Company for Midsumma Festival
2015 North by Northwest Roger's Mother Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC
2015; 2016 Ladies in Black Miss Jacobs / Mrs Crown Playhouse, Brisbane, Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with Queensland Theatre
2016VioletMabel / Alice Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne with Blue Saint Productions
2016 My Fair Lady Mrs Pearce Sydney Opera House, Lyric Theatre, Brisbane, Regent Theatre, Melbourne, Capitol Theatre, Sydney
2018 A Doll’s House, Part 2 Anne MarieSouthbank Theatre with MTC [11]
2019 Shakespeare in Love Queen Elizabeth Canberra Theatre, Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC
2022AdmissionsRoberta Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
2023 Escaped Alone / What If OnlySally / Fs Southbank Theatre, Melbourne

As crew

YearTitleRoleType
1980You and the Night and the House WinePlaywright / Director Nimrod Theatre, Sydney
1981A Couple of StrangersDevisor Nimrod Theatre, Sydney
1982Burn VictimWriter Nimrod Theatre, Sydney
1988You and the Night and the House WinePlaywright Riverina Playhouse, Wagga Wagga
1993; 1994; 1995What's a Girl to Do?Devisor Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company, Stables Theatre, Sydney, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh for Edinburgh Festival
1993; 1994; 1995Dorothy Parker SaysCreator Fairfax Studio, Melbourne, Mietta’s, Melbourne, Stables Theatre, Sydney, Queanbeyan School of Arts Cafe with Victorian Arts Centre
1998; 2002Confidentially YoursDevisor Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Butter Factory Theatre, Wodonga with Playbox Theatre Company

[12]

Awards and nominations

YearWorkAwardCategoryResult
1986 Palace of Dreams Australian Film Institute Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini Series Won [13]
1996Deidre RubensteinWomen Artists GrantsVictorian Government initiative to encourage emerging women artists living and working in VictoriaHonoured [14]
1998Dreamtime Alice by Mandy Sayer TDK Australian Audio Book Awards Narrator Award for Unabridged FictionWon [15]
2001The Architect by Jillian Watkinson Vision Australia Library AwardsAdult Narrator of the Year Award (joint award with James Wright)Won [16]

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ "Australian Library Collection". Libraries Australia. Retrieved 8 August 2007.
  2. ↑ "Jewish writing on stage". The Australian Jewish News. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  3. ↑ "NIDA Graduates". NIDA. Archived from the original on 5 February 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2007.
  4. 1 2 "IMDb Filmography". 30 June 2007.
  5. ↑ "Deirdre Rubenstein as "The Dubbo Housewife"". 2 February 2005. Archived from the original on 30 August 2007.
  6. 1 2 "What's a Girl To Do? By Deidre Rubenstein". Playbox theatre Center General Information. Archived from the original on 31 August 2007. Retrieved 8 August 2007.
  7. ↑ Rubenstein, Deirdre, ed. (1998). Confidentially yours (Australian Drama – 20th Century). Melbourne: Currency Press, Sydney, in Association with Playbox Theatre Centre, Monash University. p. iv. ISBN   0-86819-553-7.
  8. ↑ Rubenstein (1998). p.iv
  9. ↑ "Flushed with Success". The Age. Melbourne. 31 January 2005.
  10. ↑ "Bibliography in Louis Braille Audio Books". 30 June 2007. Archived from the original on 27 June 2002.
  11. ↑ "Deidre Rubenstein on playing Anne Marie".
  12. ↑ https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/2703
  13. ↑ "From the cutting room floor: November 1986 Filmnews". Filmnews (Sydney, NSW : 1975 - 1995). 1 November 1986. p. 4. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  14. ↑ "News Release: Women Artists Honoured". 6 May 1997. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  15. ↑ "Medial Release: TDK Australian Audio Book Awards celebrate 10 years of excellence". 11 November 1998.
  16. ↑ "Louis Braille Audio Award List". 30 June 2007. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013.
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