Helmut Bakaitis

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Helmut Bakaitis
Born
Occupation(s)Director, actor, screenwriter
Years active1959-present [1]

Helmut Bakaitis (born 26 September 1944) is a German-born Australian director, actor and screenwriter and playwright. [1] He is best known for his role in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions as the character the Architect.

Contents

Early life and education

Bakaitis was born in Dresden [1] or Lauban, Lower Silesia, Germany (now Lubań, Poland), to Lithuanian parents, Vincas and Eugenia Bakaitis, who were fleeing Lithuania at the time. He spent his first five years in UN transit camps in Germany and Austria, while his father worked as a translator.

Bakaitis arrived in Australia with his family in 1950 at the age of six. They initially lived in immigration centres. His father, an academic, hoped to become a teacher or lecturer, but was forced to dig sewers to support the family. Bakaitis was educated at Fort Street High School, Sydney, where he had earned a scholarship. Bullied at school, he immersed himself in books, language, film and the performing arts. He formed a drama group and performed in and directed school productions, and eventually began to write plays. He left home at 16, and worked as a stenographer while still studying.

Bakaitis won a scholarship to the National Institute for Dramatic Art (NIDA). While there, he formed his own theatre company together with a group of fellow students, including Jim Sharman. NIDA supported the student initiative and toured one of the productions. Before Bakaitis had graduated (in 1965), he was offered his first professional acting role at the Theatre Royal in Hobart. [2] [3]

Career

Bakaitis spent seven years with the Melbourne Theatre Company as an actor and head of the youth workshops, followed by stints with the Old Tote Theatre, the Sydney Theatre Company. and as co-director of Adelaide's Come Out Youth Festival. He subsequently studied a post-graduate diploma in Drama and Education at Northumbria University in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and established youth programs in inner London. [4]

On his return to Melbourne, he became founding artistic director of St Martins Youth Arts Centre, Melbourne, where he worked for 5 years, then the Director of the New Moon Company in Cairns for 3 years. Back in Sydney he became Director of Penrith's Q Theatre for 7 years, [4] followed by Head of Directing at NIDA for nine years until 2007. [5] He then started teaching directing at Australian Academy of Dramatic Art (AADA), [6] [7] now the Australian Institute of Music – Dramatic Arts (AIMDA).

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleType
1971 Stork ClydeFeature film
1972 Shirley Thompson vs. the Aliens HaroldFeature film
1985 I Can't Get Started SidneyTV film
2000Drama SchoolHimself
2001 The Farm Judge Wescott
2003 The Matrix Reloaded The Architect Feature film
The Matrix Revolutions Feature film
Syntax Error DoctorShort film
2005 The Illustrated Family Doctor JohnFeature film
2006 Happy Feet Live Action CastFeature film
2009 Lucky Country ConnollyFeature film
2015 Truth Dick ThornburghFeature film
CrushedSgt O'Reilly
2016 Hacksaw Ridge MinisterFeature film
2018 Jack Irish Thornton FinchTV film

Television

YearTitleRoleType
1967–70 Homicide Larry Fenton / Tommy Fraser / Don LambtonTV series, 3 episodes "Taken Care Of", "Dead Shot", "The Living Death"
1987 Melba John LemonneTV miniseries
1988 Home and Away George Morris TV series
1996 Police Rescue Dr. MayfieldTV series, episode: "Nobby's Place"
1997–99 Home and Away Peter FraserTV series
1998 A Difficult Woman Chancellor #2TV miniseries
2003 All Saints Salvator ForlanoTV series, 3 episodes: "To Forgive, Divine", "Wrong Call", "Older and Wiser"
2005 The Surgeon Dr. GearhardtTV series
2009 Satisfaction Marty VolkeringTV series
2012 Howzat! Kerry Packer's War Bob ParishTV miniseries
2016 Rake Judge BartonTV series

As screenwriter

YearTitleRoleType
1972 Shirley Thompson vs. the Aliens ScreenwriterFeature film

Theatre

As actor

YearTitleRoleType
1959 Hamlet Hamlet Fort Street High School, Sydney [4]
1964Extracts from Shakespeare Egeus in A Midsummer Night's Dream / Orlando in As You Like It UNSW
1964 The Caucasian Chalk Circle UNSW Old Tote Theatre
1964 Our Town George Gibbs UNSW Old Tote Theatre
1964Two Programs of One Act PlaysJames in The Mask / Colin Arnott in Try it Again UNSW Old Tote Theatre
1964Two Programs of Short PlaysJeremy in The Zoo Story / Man at the bar in Marty / Revolutionary in The Chinese Wall UNSW Old Tote Theatre
1965On the Nature of Lo, Etc.''Chorus member UNSW
1965A Series of Dance PiecesDancer in Ballad of the Drover's Wife UNSW
1965–66 Othello UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Tasmania, South Australia with Young Elizabethan Players
1965 Down in the Valley Thomas Bouche UNSW Old Tote Theatre
1965 The Plough and the Stars Jack Clitheroe UNSW Old Tote Theatre
1965 A Taste of Honey Cell Block Theatre, Darlinghurst
1966 Twelfth Night Tasmania, South Australia with Young Elizabethan Players
1966 Romeo and Juliet ParisSouth Australia with Young Elizabethan Players
1966 Julius Caesar South Australia with Young Elizabethan Players
1966 Richard II South Australia with Young Elizabethan Players
1966A Refined Look at Existence Jane Street Theatre
1966Halloran's Little Boat Jane Street Theatre
1967 Incident at Vichy Russell Street Theatre
1967Where's Daddy?Tom St Martins Theatre, Melbourne [8]
1967 The Importance of Being Earnest Lane (Manservant) St Martins Theatre, Melbourne
1967 Moby Dick – Rehearsed Russell Street Theatre
1967The Flower ChildrenA Little Bourke Street Discotheque
1967 Death of a Salesman Russell Street Theatre
1967 A Flea in Her Ear Russell Street Theatre
1968 The Crucible Russell Street Theatre, Canberra Theatre, Tasmania
1968 The Magistrate Russell Street Theatre, Canberra Theatre, Mildura Arts Centre, Broken Hill, The King's Theatre Mt Gambier, Adelaide Teachers College Theatre
1968 Burke's Company Wills Russell Street Theatre
1968 The Man in the Glass Booth Russell Street Theatre
1968 Three Sisters Russell Street Theatre
1968 Major Barbara Russell Street Theatre
1969 Henry IV, Part 1 Edmund Mortimer Octagon Theatre, Perth, Keith Murdoch Court, Melbourne
1969 The Country Wife Russell Street Theatre, Canberra Theatre
1969Loot Russell Street Theatre
1969 The Soldiers Russell Street Theatre, Canberra Theatre
1969A Long View Russell Street Theatre
1969 Six Characters in Search of an Author Russell Street Theatre
1969 The Unknown Soldier and His Wife Russell Street Theatre
1969 Rookery Nook Russell Street Theatre
1970 The First Mrs Fraser Ninian Fraser St Martins Theatre, Melbourne [9]
1970 The Caucasian Chalk Circle Shauva Russell Street Theatre
1970Day of Glory Russell Street Theatre
1970 The Devils Russell Street Theatre
1970Son of Man Russell Street Theatre
1970–71 All's Well That Ends Well Princess Theatre Melbourne, Canberra Theatre, Octagon Theatre, Perth
1971 King Lear Russell Street Theatre
1972 The Taming of the Shrew UNSW Parade Theatre, Canberra Theatre
1972 Macbeth UNSW Parade Theatre
1973Crete and Sergeant Pepper Union Hall, Adelaide
1973 Measure for Measure Union Hall, Adelaide
1973Occupations Arts Theatre, Adelaide
1973Hans Kohlhaas Union Hall, Adelaide
1987 The Department Hans Seymour Centre with Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust / Sydney Theatre Company [10]
1989 Top Silk Paul Bradley Seymour Centre, Melbourne Athenaeum, Canberra Theatre, Playhouse Adelaide with Melbourne Theatre Company
1994Dead City Belvoir Street Theatre
1995 King Lear Wharf Theatre, Q Theatre, Penrith, Orange Civic Theatre
1996 Pentecost Wharf Theatre
1996 Macbeth Wharf Theatre
1997 Pygmalion Glen Street Theatre
1999GloryCameo NIDA Theatre
2001My Head Was a SledgehammerThe Professor Belvoir Street Theatre
2003Sydney Symphony Superdome Spectacular Sydney Olympic Park
2006 The Illusion Darlinghurst Theatre
2006No Names ... No Pack DrillDetective Browning Parade Theatre
2006Now That Communism Is Dead My Life Feels EmptyVoiceover artistTower Theatre, Melbourne
2011 Titus Andronicus Wharf Theatre
2013 Liberty Equality Fraternity Walter Silverstein Ensemble Theatre
2020 Liberty, Equality, Fraternity Walter SilversteinOnline – Australia: NSW

As writer / director

YearTitleRoleCompany / venues
1966, 1968Pageant of Love TreePlaywright Russell Street Theatre, Victorian Country Tour
1968The TitillatorsDirector / playwright La Mama Theatre
1969The Little Lady Steps OutPlaywright La Mama Theatre
1970MutantsPlaywrightSydney
1971–72, 1975The Incredible Mind-Blowing Trial of Jack SmithPlaywrightMelbourne, Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne, Traralgon, Playhouse Adelaide, Walter Burley Griffin Incinerator, Ipswich
1972Shadows of BloodPlaywright Nimrod Street Theatre
1974The One ShowDevisor / directorCarclew Stables, Adelaide
1975The Lay of Sir OrfeoDevisor / director Space Theatre, Adelaide
1975–76Carlota and MaximilianDirector / playwrightMelbourne, Space Theatre Adelaide
1976Le Chateau d'Hydro-Therapie MagnetiquePlaywright Jane Street Theatre
1979The Sensational South Yarra ShowPlaywright / director St Martins Youth Arts Centre
1980The Two FiddlersDirectorScott Theatre, Adelaide
1980Cain's HandDirectorScott Theatre, Adelaide, St Martins Youth Arts Centre, Nimrod Upstairs
1981A Sign in SpacePlaywrightTheatre 62, Adelaide
1981When Lips CollideDirector / lyricist Playbox Theatre, Melbourne
1982Sweaty WeatherDirector St Martins Youth Arts Centre
1983The Incredible Mind-Blowing Trial of Jack SmithWriter St Michael's College, Adelaide
1983 Spring Awakening Director St Martins Youth Arts Centre
1983 La Dispute Adaptor St Martins Theatre
1983Snuff BingoDirector St Martins Theatre
1984 Beach Blanket Tempest DirectorTownsville, Cairns Civic Theatre, Theatre Royal Mackay, Rockhampton, Mt Isa, Araluen Arts Centre, Playhouse Adelaide, Canberra Theatre, University of Sydney with New Moon Company
1984 Gentlemen Prefer Blondes DirectorNorth Queensland tour with New Moon Company
1984 Key Largo DirectorNorth Queensland tour with New Moon Company
1985 Guys and Dolls DirectorNorth Queensland tour with New Moon Company
1985 On Our Selection DirectorNorth Queensland tour with New Moon Company
1985 Trumpets and Raspberries DirectorNorth Queensland tour with New Moon Company
1997Mistletoe MagicDirector / playwright Sydney Opera House
1988A Different DrummerDirectorSuncorp Theatre, Brisbane
1990Operation Holy MountainDirectorQ Theatre, Penrith
1990The Government InvestigatorDirectorQ Theatre, Penrith
1990Rome Tremble – Crumbs from a Feast of CallasDirector Wharf Theatre
1990 Beach Blanket Tempest DirectorQ Theatre, Penrith
1991 The Christian Brothers Director Ensemble Theatre, Q Theatre Penrith, University of Newcastle [11]
1991 The Caretaker DirectorQ Theatre, Penrith
1991 The Killing of Sister George DirectorQ Theatre, Penrith
1991Kenny's Coming HomeDirectorQ Theatre, Penrith
1992Better Known as BeeDirectorQ Theatre, Penrith
1992Lipstick DreamsDirectorQ Theatre, Penrith
1993 Daylight Saving DirectorQ Theatre, Penrith
1993Wet and DryDirectorQ Theatre, Penrith
1993LumpsDirectorQ Theatre, Penrith
1994A Winning DayDirectorQ Theatre, Penrith
1995Chair in a LandscapeDirectorQ Theatre, Penrith
1996 Working: A Musical Director Glen Street Theatre
1998The Curse of the House of AtreusDirector NIDA Theatre
1999Le Legs et La DisputeDirector NIDA Theatre
1999The Telephone / Wolfboy / The Post Office / The White RoomProducer NIDA Theatre
1999Meadowlark, Excerpts from The Baker's Wife / Dracula / ActionProducer NIDA Theatre
1999GloryDirector NIDA Theatre
2000The Ugly ManDirector NIDA Theatre
2000Variety, Vaudeville & Basic BurlesqueDirector (Australian Vaudeville) NIDA Theatre
2001 Titus Andronicus Director NIDA Theatre
2001 Goodnight Children Everywhere Director NIDA Theatre
2003 Antigone Director Parade Theatre
2005 Too Young for Ghosts Director NIDA

[12] [4]

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References

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  6. "Australian Academy of Dramatic Art". Australian Academy of Dramatic Art Blog. 15 July 2010. Archived from the original on 11 July 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  7. Gallasch, Keith. "RealTime issue #110 Aug-Sept 2012 pg. 39". RealTime Arts . Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  8. "Where's Daddy".
  9. "The First MRS Fraser".
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