Leah Purcell’s Is That You, Ruthie? is a Powerful Look at 'Dormitory Girls' Separated from Country and Family
Blog
Cantrell, K.. 2023. "Leah Purcell’s Is That You, Ruthie? is a Powerful Look at 'Dormitory Girls' Separated from Country and Family." The Conversation.
| Article Title | Leah Purcell’s Is That You, Ruthie? is a Powerful Look at 'Dormitory Girls' Separated from Country and Family |
|---|---|
| Article Category | Blog |
| Authors | Cantrell, K. |
| Publication Title | The Conversation |
| Year | 2023 |
| Web Address (URL) | https://theconversation.com/leah-purcells-is-that-you-ruthie-is-a-powerful-look-at-dormitory-girls-separated-from-country-and-family-219965 |
| Abstract | Aunty Ruth Hegarty, or Ruthie, was four-and-a-half years old when she was forcibly removed from her mother, Ruby, under the auspices of Queensland’s Aboriginals Protection Act (1897). The Act, as it was known, dispossessed thousands of Indigenous Australians of their heartlines and their homes by segregating them to government reserves that have been compared by past residents to concentration camps. Is That You, Ruthie?, written and directed by Leah Purcell, one of Australia’s most important theatremakers, is an adaptation of Aunty Ruth’s memoir. It is a harrowing account of a mother and daughter’s attempt to repair their fractured relationship after being separated from their culture, their Country, and each other. |
| Keywords | Indigenous Theatre; Indigenous Storytelling; Is That You, Ruthie?; Leah Purcell; Ruth Hegarty; Stolen Generations |
| Contains Sensitive Content | Contains sensitive content |
| Sensitive Handling Note | Contains images, voices, and/or names of deceased persons |
| Indigenous/First Nations women's business | |
| ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 360403. Drama, theatre and performance studies |
| 450111. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music and performing arts | |
| 450523. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social work and social justice | |
| Byline Affiliations | School of Creative Arts |
| Centre for Health Research | |
| Centre for Heritage and Culture | |
| Institute for Resilient Regions | |
| University of Southern Queensland |
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