STAGES SPOTLIGHT - CONVERSATIONS REVISITED: Elizabeth Butcher - from May, 2019

STAGES with Peter Eyers

With episodes surpassing 300 in the STAGES archive, it’s time to revisit conversations featured in our previous seasons. STAGES spotlights such episodes, in case you missed them the first time ‘round - or so you can simply savour, a second listen. Either way, you’ll accessing precious oral histories from the people who were there, on and around our stages. Elizabeth Butcher is a champion of the Performing Arts in Australia. An administrator of considerable brilliance, she has steered many of our Arts organisations to prominence, accolade, survival and celebration; nationally and on the world stage. Elizabeth was the dynamic General Manager of the National Institute of Dramatic Art for nearly 40 years, and together with its Director, John Clarke, steered the school to become a flagship training ground for Arts practitioners, many of whom have progressed to be triumphant on global stages. It was Elizabeth who found the site of the Sydney Theatre Company – an abandoned wharf in Walsh Bay – who upon discovery, knew it would be the perfect home for a theatre company. She was present at the beginnings of the Sydney Theatre Company and managed the move of the Old Tote Theatre company to the newly built Sydney Opera House, for its finale season of plays. She has served on countless boards too, contributing to a variety of arts disciplines and institutions. She has made an immense contribution to the cultural life of Australia. It was my great privilege to celebrate Elizabeth Butcher in the second season of STAGES. It is a remarkable career and one we acknowledge again today in revisiting this episode. The Stages podcast is available from Apple podcasts, Spotify, and where you find your favourite podcasts. www.stagespodcast.com.au