Name
Ursula Dauth

Birthplace
Frankonia, Germany

Lives
Brisbane, Australia

Your organisation/community Queensland Theatre Company

Profile

I was born in a rather remote area of Germany close to the former border of East Germany. As far as I can remember I have always loved reading, other languages and travelling. I studied Comparative Literature and Theatre Studies – literally going on a ‘world theatre journey’ I could afford at that time. But I also worked as a freelance editor for children and adult book publishers, which was a very pleasant way of earning money and improving my languages as I did foreign language book reviews.

As I had fallen in love with Chinese literature and traditional opera I specialised in Chinese theatre studies and spent time in Sichuan/PRC to work together with the Sichuan Opera School and the province’s main theatre company. I came to Brisbane in 1994 when I was awarded scholarships to undertake my postgraduate studies in Asian and International Studies. During my PhD years I’ve also begun to promote Australian book illustrators overseas as I found the quality of work extremely high but nobody really promoting the work done here. In 1997, I started working for the English Department/UQ as Senior Research Assistant on an ARC project on cross-cultural exchange between Australian and Asian performing arts. Since the end of 1999, I am working as the Queensland State Theatre Company’s Writing Co-ordinator, but still remain involved in Chinese theatre studies/publications.

Working in Australia’s theatre industry is extremely exciting for me – but also quite a challenge as a ‘NESB person’ – as my work at QTC gives me a chance to both research and promote the great theatre traditions of my country of origin, Europe in general and in particular of China – and this has luckily become a two-way road so that our work here is now more know overseas as well. I am personally very interested in the influence of migrant playwrights on Australian theatre.