Rachael Maza

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Rachael Zoa Maza AM , also credited as Rachael Maza Long, is an Indigenous Australian television and film actress, and stage director. She is known for her role in the 1998 film Radiance , and worked with Company B and Wesley Enoch in Sydney for many years. She has been artistic director and of Ilbijerri Theatre Company since 2008.

Contents

Early life and education

Rachael Zoa Maza [1] is of Dutch, Torres Strait Islander (Meriam Mir [2] ) and Aboriginal Australian heritage, the daughter of Bob Maza, also an actor. [3]

She is a graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. [3]

Career

Stage

Maza has numerous stage credits (sometimes credited as Rachael Maza Long), since at least 1992. [2] She has worked with Company B and Wesley Enoch for many years, with her performances at the Belvoir St Theatre including leading roles in Conversations with the Dead and The Dreamers . She again worked with Enoch in The Sapphires , staged by the Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Festival. [3]

She has worked as part of The Black Arm Band and as the director of Lou Bennett's play Show Us Your Tiddas! . [4]

Since 2008 and as of August 2023, Maza is artistic director and co-CEO of Ilbijerri Theatre Company. [5] [3] In 2024, as a part of this role, she co-directed the musical 'Big names, No blankets' about the formation of the Warumpi Band; her co-director is Anyupa Butcher the daughter of one of the band members Sammy Butcher. [6] [7] [8]

Television and film

Maza's first outing on Australian television was in the ABC Television series Heartland in 1994. She and Lillian Crombie, who also appeared in the series, were fresh out of acting school at that time. The series was written by Aboriginal Australians ans starred many Aboriginal actors, as well as Cate Blanchett in her first screen outing. [9]

She worked as a TV presenter on ABC Television's weekly show focusing on Indigenous Australians, Message Stick . [10] and SBS's ICAM in 1997–1998. [11]

She has numerous credits as an actor in television series, including Wentworth, Winners and Losers, Halifax f.p., Stingers, SeaChange , Heartland (in which her father also had a role), A Country Practice , and Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries . [3]

She acted in the films Cosi (1996), Radiance (1998), and Lilian's Story (1996). [3] [12]

Recognition and honours

In 2020 Maza was made a Member of the Order of Australia, for significant service to the performing arts as an artistic director. [13] [1]

Awards

YearAwardWorkCategoryResult
2002 Green Room Awards Holy DayBest Female Actor in a Leading Role (Drama) [3] Won
Sydney Theatre Critics Circle Awards Radiance Best Performance [3] Won

Personal life

Maza has a son, Ariel, with actor Tom Long. [14]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleType
1996 Cosi Nurse at ConcertFeature film
1996 Lilian's Story ShadeFeature film
1996 Fistful of Flies Dr PowersFeature film
1996Goblin MarketShort film
1998 Radiance CressyFeature film
1999BurnoutShort film
2009 My Year Without Sex Intensive Care NurseFeature film
2009Aunty Maggie and the Womba WakgunAunty MaggieShort film
2009Nia’s MelancholyNanaShort film

Television

YearTitleRoleType
1987FrontierMarnie KennedyMiniseries, 3 episodes
1993 A Country Practice Ruth ForbesTV series, 8 episodes
1994 Heartland Leila SuttonMiniseries, 8 episodes
1995-2002 ICAM PresenterTV series
1996 Naked: Stories of Men JessicaTV series, 1 episode
1999 SeaChange Mrs ArmisteadTV series, 1 episode
1999 Stingers Meagan QuinnTV series, 1 episode
2000 Round the Twist GenevieveTV series, 1 episode
2000 Halifax f.p. Church SingerTV series, 1 episode
2001 The Micallef Program Vanessa O’MalleyTV series, 1 episode
2002 Marshall Law DavinaMiniseries, 1 episode
2002 Message Stick PresenterTV series
2009-10 Rush Detective CarrollTV series, 2 episodes
2013 Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Cora DerrimutTV series, 1 episode
2016 Winners and Losers Veronica SewellTV series, 5 episodes
2016-17 Wentworth Imogen FesslerTV series
2017 Newton’s Law Judge Pauline EvansMiniseries, 1 episode
2017 The Secret Daughter Aunty MimTV series, 3 episodes
2022Beep and MortMae (voice)TV series
2022 Fisk BridgetTV series, 1 episode
2022Looking BlackSelfTV special
2023 Crazy Fun Park WinnieTV series, 1 episode

Stage

Actor

YearTitleVenue
1992The Grace of Mary Traverse The Studio Theatre, Subiaco
1993Made in Spain La Mama Theatre
1993 Radiance Belvoir Street Theatre
1994Ninni Enmore Theatre
1995Tongues of Stone Belvoir Street Theatre
1996The Commission / The Aboriginal ProtestersThe Performance Space Redfern & German tour
1997 The Tempest (Miranda)Australian tour - Bell Shakespeare Company
2001 Aliwa! Subiaco Theatre Centre
2001The Twilight Series Collins Street Baptist Church
2001Holy Day (lead role) Malthouse Theatre, The Playhouse Adelaide
2002Enuff Malthouse Theatre
2002 The Dreamers (lead role) Belvoir Street Theatre
2003Conversations with the Dead (lead role) Belvoir Street Theatre
2003The BridgeTrades Hall New Ballroom
2003-04 Stolen Victorian tour
2004Riverland Brisbane Powerhouse
2004Yandy Octagon Theatre
2005 The Sapphires MTC, Sydney Festival, Belvoir Street Theatre, Playhouse Melbourne
2005RiverlandThe Curtin Theatre
2007-08 Show Us Your Tiddas! Australian tour
2008Jacky Jacky in the Box Federation Square
2009A Black Sheep Walks Into A Baa Melbourne Town Hall
2006-09Chopped LiverAustralian tour
2009Sisters Of Gelam Malthouse Theatre
2010Black Sheep: Glorious Baastards Melbourne Town Hall
2011, 2012, 2013, 2014Jack Charles V The CrownAustralia/NZ/UK tour
2011, 2012, 2015, 2016Coranderrk: We Will Show the Country Sydney Opera House, | La Mama Theatre
2012Foley Sydney Opera House, Fairfax Studio
2012, 2015Beautiful One Day Belvoir Street Theatre, Cremorne Theatre
201420 Questions Belvoir Street Theatre
2015-16The RabbitsAustralian tour
2016, 2018, 2020Jack Charles V The Crown Fairfax Studio, Canadian tour, NZ tour, Online
2017Which Way Home Belvoir Street Theatre
2019The Honouring La Mama Theatre
2018-19My UrrwaiThe Butter Factory Theatre, Belvoir Street Theatre
2020Black TiesAustralia/NZ tour

Director

YearTitleVenue
Chopped LiverAustralian / international tour
2003-04 Stolen Victorian tour
2007-08 Show Us Your Tiddas! Australian tour
2008Jacky Jacky in the Box Federation Square
2009Sisters Of Gelam Malthouse Theatre
2009A Black Sheep Walks Into A Baa Melbourne Town Hall
2010Black Sheep: Glorious Baastards Melbourne Town Hall
2012Foley Sydney Opera House, Fairfax Studio

Radio

YearTitleRole
ABC Radio NationalNarrator

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References

  1. 1 2 "Australian Honours List, Australia Day 2020". Loud Mouth - The Music Trust Ezine. 1 February 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Rachael Maza Long". AusStage . Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Rachael Maza". RGM. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  4. Scott-Norman., Fiona (18 May 2007). "Outside in, life of difference". The Age . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  5. "Staff & board". Ilbijerri. 11 March 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  6. "Big Name, No Blankets". Ilbijerri. 25 October 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  7. Tongue, Cassie (12 January 2024). "Big Name No Blankets review – Warumpi Band musical is a joyous, rollicking tribute". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  8. Garrick, Matt (6 August 2024). "Decades after bursting out of the Red Centre, Warumpi Band's story returns to the territory". ABC News. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  9. Enoch, Wesley; Maza, Rachel (4 January 2024). "Tributes to groundbreaking SA actor & performer Lillian Crombie" (audio). ABC listen (Interview). Interviewed by Denny, Spence. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  10. "Message Stick". Australian Screen. NFSA . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  11. Maza, Rachael (1 January 1998). "She sings, she talks, she acts, she's Rachael Maza". Deadly Vibe (Interview). Interviewed by Barton, Jacob. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  12. Rachael Maza at IMDb
  13. "Rachael Receives Order of Australia Award". ILBIJERRI Theatre Company. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  14. Coslovich, Gabriella (24 August 2006). "Year of living dangerously". The Age .