Elisabeth Easther

Last updated

Elisabeth Easther
Born1970 (age 53–54)
Nationality New Zealander
Occupations
  • Actor
  • broadcaster
  • journalist
  • playwright
Years active1993–present
Known for
Parent Shirley Maddock

Elisabeth Easther (born 1970) is a New Zealand actor, broadcaster, journalist and playwright. She played Carla Crozier on New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street from May 1995 to July 1996, and has since had a varied career in television, radio, journalism and playwriting. Her play Seed won the Adam NZ Play Award for Best Play in 2014.

Contents

Early life and education

Easther is the daughter of Shirley Maddock, New Zealand's first female television producer and pioneering broadcaster, and her husband Michael Easther, general practitioner. [1] She attended Waikato Diocesan School for Girls. [2]

Easther initially planned to study law at university, but ended up graduating from Victoria University of Wellington with a Bachelor of Arts in theatre and film. [2] She subsequently attended drama school Toi Whakaari and graduated in 1992 with a Diploma in Performance. [3] [4] [5]

Television and radio career

Easther's first notable acting role was in 1994 as the costume actor of a dinosaur called Victoria on the Australian children's television show Johnson and Friends . [3] [4]

Easther played the villainous character Carla Crozier on New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street , from May 1995 to July 1996. [3] The character was notable for being the show's first murderer, [6] and featured on one of the show's highest-rated episodes of all time, which aired on 31 May 1995 and was watched by nearly a quarter of the New Zealand population. [7] In February 2021, Easther returned to Shortland Street to play Crozier (now Dr Carla Summerfield) on a short-term contract. [8]

She has continued to act on television and in commercials, including playing the supporting role of Fran on the show Outrageous Fortune in series 3 and 4, [9] and appearing on sketch comedy Funny Girls in 2016. [10] Since March 2008 she has been a regular host on weekly radio show The Week That Was with fellow radio personality Te Radar for Radio New Zealand. [11] Easther has also done voice-over work for the Power Rangers Jungle Fury television series [3] and commercials for Whittaker's chocolate and Sky TV. [2] She was the voice-over artist for the character The Maven in an update to the video game Path of Exile released in January 2021. [12]

In 2018, Easther was the host of a remake of Islands in the Gulf, New Zealand's first documentary series, that had been produced and hosted by her mother in 1964. Easther visited islands in the Hauraki Gulf that her mother had visited and re-interviewed surviving interviewees. [13] [14] Reviewer Greg Bruce, writing in the NZ Herald , described it as a "a loving homage to the original", and "classic Kiwi heartland television set in an increasingly expensive bit of Auckland's waterscape". [15]

Writing career

Easther has written a number of plays, including Raw and Salt. [16] Her play Famous Flora, about dress designer and brothel-owner Flora MacKenzie, was staged at Auckland adult entertainment venue the White House in November 2014. [17] [18] The NZ Herald review praised Easther's creation of "two incarnations of Flora", both as an older "fiercely independent woman with a shrewdly realistic understanding of the human condition", and her younger self "as a youthful entrepreneur who has embraced the liberation of gender roles and is swept up in the live-for-the-moment spirit of the war years". [19]

Easther's play Seed, about four women's experiences of pregnancy, won the Adam NZ Play Award for Best Play in 2014, as well as Best Play by a Woman Playwright. It was described by the judges as "highly entertaining, funny and sophisticated". [2] It premiered at the Basement Theatre in Auckland in June 2014, [20] and was subsequently performed at the Circa Theatre in Wellington from 17 January to 14 February 2015. [21] The NZ Herald review described Seed as a "sophisticated, witty and very contemporary meditation on the timeless processes of procreation". [22] In July 2018, a production toured New Zealand as part of an Arts On Tour NZ event, [23] including performances in Auckland, at the BATS Theatre in Wellington, at the Isaac Theatre Royal in Christchurch and at a number of regional theatres. [24] [25] [26]

Easther has written extensively as a journalist for the NZ Herald since 2012, [27] as well as a book critic on radio and in print since 1993. [28] She edited an anthology of fiction, non-fiction and poetry about New Zealand birds called Bird Words, published in 2017. [29] The anthology features NZ authors such as Denis Glover, Hone Tuwhare, Janet Frame and Easther's mother, Shirley Maddock. [30]

Related Research Articles

Amanda Billing is a New Zealand actress best known for her role as Doctor Sarah Potts on New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivia Tennet</span> New Zealand actress, dancer and choreographer

Olivia Tennet is a New Zealand actress and dancer best known in her home country for her role as Tuesday Warner on the nightly medical drama Shortland Street, along with several roles in television and theatre. Outside of New Zealand, she is best known for her roles in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), Power Rangers RPM (2009), and the independent film Blood Punch (2013).

Miriama Te Rangimarie Smith is a New Zealand film and television actress who has played roles in various TV shows such as Xena: Warrior Princess, Karaoke High and Shortland Street. Her best-known roles, however, were the role of Moz in the third season of The Tribe, and also the role of Elsa / Principal Randall in the 2004 Power Rangers series, Power Rangers Dino Thunder. She was one of the three judges on the first season of entertainment show New Zealand's Got Talent that aired on Prime TV in 2008. She starred as Brady Trubridge on the TVNZ 2 drama series Filthy Rich.

Paolo Rotondo is a New Zealand director, writer and actor of stage and screen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robyn Malcolm</span> New Zealand actress

Robyn Jane Malcolm is a New Zealand actress, who first gained recognition for her role as nurse Ellen Crozier on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street.

Sarah Thomson is a New Zealand actress, known for playing roles in two series of the Power Rangers franchise, for her role in New Zealand's longest running soap opera, Shortland Street, and for playing a lead role in puppet show The Moe Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victor Rodger</span> New Zealand playwright

Victor John Rodger is a New Zealand journalist, actor and award-winning playwright of Samoan and Pākehā heritage. Rodger's play Sons won acclaim at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards (1998) and received the Best New Writer and Most Outstanding New New Zealand Play awards. In 2001, he won the Bruce Mason Playwriting Award. Other plays include Ranterstantrum (2002) and My Name is Gary Cooper (2007), produced and staged by Auckland Theatre Company and starred a Samoan cast including Robbie Magasiva, Anapela Polataivao, Goretti Chadwick and Kiwi actress Jennifer Ward-Lealand.

Katie Wolfe is an actor, film and stage director from New Zealand. She appeared in television series including Marlin Bay (1990s), Shortland Street, and Mercy Peak. Her screen directing work has won awards, including Redemption at the ImagineNative Film + Media Arts Festival and This Is Her at the Prague International Short Film Festival. Wolfe wrote and directed a stage play, The Haka Party Incident that was presented in 2023 in New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carla Crozier</span> Soap opera character

Carla Summerfield is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, who was portrayed by Elisabeth Easther from early 1995 to mid 1996. The character debuted as the sister of established character Ellen Crozier and gained notoriety as the show's first ever on screen murderer.

Shona Margaret McCullagh is a New Zealand choreographer, dancer, filmmaker and artistic director. McCullagh was the founding director of the New Zealand Dance Company and was appointed artistic director of the Auckland Festival in 2019.

Shirley Frances Whitley Maddock was a New Zealand producer, television presenter, author and actress. After early work in theatre and radio, she became a pioneering figure in early New Zealand television. She produced and presented a number of award-winning documentaries, including New Zealand's first ever locally produced television documentary series, Islands of the Gulf (1964). Later in her career she wrote a number of non-fiction books about New Zealand's history and landscapes, worked as a book reviewer, and continued to make appearances on television and radio throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Nisha Madhan is a New Zealand actor, director and producer with experience in film, theatre and television. She appeared on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street for three years. She is a regular performer in theatres in New Zealand and has appeared both nationally and internationally in theatre productions including with the Indian Ink Theatre Company. Madhan has also created, produced and directed theatre shows including co-creating and directing the award-winning Working On My Night Moves.

Geraldine Brophy is a British-born New Zealand television, film and stage actress, theatre director and playwright.

Miriama McDowell is a New Zealand actor, director and playwright. She is a graduate of Toi Whakaari.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Whiting</span> New Zealand costume designer

Elizabeth Whiting is a stage costume designer from New Zealand.

Tupe Lualua is a New Zealand-Samoan choreographer, director, founder of the dance company Le Moana. She is also the current artistic director and producer for the Measina Festival, and award winning choreographer Tupua Tigafua. In 2019 Lualua was the Creative New Zealand Samoa Artist in Residence.

Vanessa Byrnes is a director, actress and educator in New Zealand. She has collaborated on many theatre and screen productions including feature films, short films, television commercials and theatre. As an educator she completed a PhD at the University of Waikato in 2015, titled Removing the ‘Cloak of Invisibility’: New Zealand Directors Discuss Theatre Directing Praxis. Byrnes has been in senior roles at both Toi Whakaari and Unitec Institute of Technology, leading drama training for many years. She is an experienced theatre director and as an actor was in popular television soap opera Shortland Street.

Stacey Leilua is a New Zealand actress and producer. Since the early 2000s she has regularly acted in Pasifika theatre in New Zealand and was a founding member of the Kila Kokonut Krew. She played Ata Johnson, the mother of Dwayne Johnson, in the comedy show Young Rock from 2021 to 2023.

Holly Melissa Shervey, is a television and film actress and writer. She is an Australian-born New Zealander.

Justine Smith is a New Zealand comedian, writer, and actress.

References

  1. ↑ "Shirley Maddock – Biography". NZ On Screen – Iwi Whitiāhua. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Mather, Mike (31 March 2014). "'Sophisticated' Seed earns Easther top play award". Waikato Times. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Elisabeth Easther". NZ On Screen – Iwi Whitiāhua. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Elisabeth Easther". Gail Cowan Management Ltd. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  5. ↑ Nealon, Sarah (20 February 2018). "Ex-Shorty star Elisabeth Easther fronts new doco series". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  6. ↑ "Carla murders Bernie during the quake". Shortland Street . Television New Zealand. 2004. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012.
  7. ↑ Hunkin, Joanna (25 May 2017). "Shortland Street ratings uncovered: The stories that gripped New Zealand". NZ Herald. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  8. ↑ Harvey, Kerry (18 February 2021). "Shortland Street's first killer returns in a new guise". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  9. ↑ "Outrageous Fortune: cast". Australian Television Information Archive. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  10. ↑ Grieve, Duncan (25 October 2015). "Television: The Spinoff Exclusive – The First Full Scene From TV3's New Sketch Comedy 'Funny Girls'". The Spinoff. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  11. ↑ "Tags: Elisabeth Easther". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  12. ↑ "Echoes of the Atlas Lore: Creating The Maven". Path of Exile. Grinding Gear Games. 31 January 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  13. ↑ Gracewood, Gemma (23 February 2018). "A daughter remakes her mother's iconic TV series". The Spinoff. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  14. ↑ Williams, Shani (27 August 2017). "New Zealand's first-ever documentary series remade". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  15. ↑ Bruce, Greg. "Greg Bruce: Bridging years in the gulf". NZ Herald. No. 2 March 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  16. ↑ "Elisabeth Easther". Playmarket. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  17. ↑ Delilkan, Sharu (14 November 2014). "REVIEW: Famous Flora (Playtime Theatre)". Theatre Scenes. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  18. ↑ Cohen, Nomi (14 November 2014). "REVIEW: Famous Flora – Cheers, laughter, tears". Theatreview. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  19. ↑ "Theatre review: Famous Flora, The White House". NZ Herald. 14 November 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  20. ↑ Byrnes, Vanessa (19 June 2014). "Seed: Well-conceived take on modern life, love and reproduction". Theatreview. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  21. ↑ "Seed". Circa Theatre. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  22. ↑ "Theatre review: Seed, The Basement". NZ Herald. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  23. ↑ "Arts on Tour NZ (AOTNZ) announce their programme for 2018". Creative New Zealand. 16 November 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  24. ↑ "Production Information: Seed". Theatreview. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  25. ↑ Quinn, Vivienne (7 July 2018). "Seed – Prepare to laugh a lot and maybe cry a little too". Theatreview. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  26. ↑ Clark, Lindsay (15 July 2018). "Seed: The comedic and poignant cleverly balanced". Theatreview. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  27. ↑ "Elisabeth Easther". NZ Herald. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  28. ↑ "Bird Words by Elisabeth Easth". The Women's Bookshop. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020.
  29. ↑ Easther, Elisabeth, ed. (October 2017). Bird words : New Zealand writers on birds. Auckland: Random House New Zealand. ISBN   978-0-1437-7031-2.
  30. ↑ "Bird Words - from Standing Room Only". Radio New Zealand. 8 October 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.