The Dreamers is a play written by Jack Davis, set in Western Australia.^[1] He wrote the play to influence public opinion and bring about improvement in Aboriginal Australians' lives.^[2]

Characters

The play features the following characters:

• Worru - an old Aboriginal man
• Dolly - Worru's niece
• Meena - Dolly's daughter(age 14)
• Shane - Dolly's son(age 12)
• Roy - Dolly's husband
• Eli - a cousin
• Peter - Dolly's son (age 18)
• Darren - a white boy, (age 12 approx.)

Plot

The play is about how Aboriginal family, the Wallitches, go through everyday life. The story takes place over a period of six months in the home of the family.^[1]

The play maintains an elegiac tone throughout for a tribal past, for a people one physically and spiritually in harmony with their world. ^{[citation needed]}

Performances

It was first performed on 2 February 1982 by the Swan River Stage Company at the Dolphin Theatre in Perth.^[1] Although first performed in 1982, the play is contemporary and can be understood in a current context. The play continues to be restaged by a range of companies, particularly companies with an indigenous focus.^[3]

References