A Unique Balance Between Farming and Performing
For most of the week, you can find stockman Jack Dodds on a tractor, rounding up cattle or mustering sheep on his farm. But on Fridays, the 28-year-old lives out his other passion: performing on stage. “It’s … escapism,” Dodds said. “We’re getting away from our world and going into something that’s completely fictional or that has happened in history. We’re stepping out of our world and into someone else’s, which is actually quite refreshing.”
Big Stages and Small Towns
Growing up in the rural town of Molong, in the NSW Central West, Dodds knew he would end up back on the family farm. But before committing to a life of livestock, he gave his passion for theatre a crack. Now he enjoys the best of both worlds, writing musical comedies including Schapelle Schapelle, which has toured Australia, and Murder Horse.
Dodds said his outside interest was a way to handle the daily challenges of life on the land. “I need [theatre]; it’s just the way that my brain works,” he said. “For anyone that is on farm, tapping into a creative outlet … takes the pressure off the reality that you can be living in, which is a very stressful world. I think having that creative outlet, a lot of farmers paint and a lot of farmers are into sport, and I love sport too, but this is my main outlet.”
The Role of Theatre in Rural Communities
For Dodds, theatre is vital for the survival of rural communities. He said it offered an opportunity to step away from the stresses of farm life. “Once you step out of your comfort zone, especially doing theatre or being involved, that broadens your horizons for other things and sets your mind at ease,” Dodds said.
Amateur Theatre as a Community Hub
A few times a week, Geraldine Brown leaves the stresses of her farm at the front gate and travels a few kilometres to the Molong community hall. She is not there for a book club or for a Country Women’s Association meeting. Instead, she is writing the next Molong Players show, to be performed later this year.
“It is a joyous outlet for living in the country, particularly when times get tough because you can check all your emotional baggage at the door and have a good time,” Brown said.
Still going strong after almost 40 years, Molong Players has provided a creative outlet for generations of amateur thespians and theatre lovers. “Anybody who wants to be involved pretty much gets a guernsey,” Brown said. “[Farmers] certainly have helped out in backstage roles as well, in set building and where we can utilise their technical skills.”
A Lifelong Commitment to the Arts
Brown, who is a mixed farmer, has been part of the group for almost 20 years. “Whatever it is that gets you off the farm, particularly if you’re on it 24/7, is an invaluable event or community group to be part of,” she said. “If it’s dry, it’s tough. If it’s wet, it’s tough. If the market’s down, it’s tough. And it gets you out of your head if you get off the farm and get involved in something.”
The Benefits of Community Involvement
Actor and co-writer Mario Samir said the Molong Players shows also offered a night off for the community. “It gives a small community an outlet, gives them a night out during the year that they all look forward to, because they know it’s going to be fun, it’s going to be lighthearted,” he said. “It’ll be a bit of a release of tension that perhaps you had to deal with all year.”
A Lasting Legacy
The combination of farming and theatre has created a unique dynamic in rural communities. For many, like Dodds and Brown, it’s more than just a hobby—it’s a way to cope with the pressures of life on the land. Through their involvement in local theatre groups, they find not only a creative outlet but also a sense of belonging and connection within their communities. This blend of tradition and creativity continues to thrive, offering a valuable escape and a source of joy for those involved.
