Jenny Davis
Writer and Director: DEAR HEART
Writer: HERE TO STAY

Jenny Davis founded Agelink Theatre in 1993 after her father died, in order to celebrate the lives of our seniors and thereby tell West Australian stories. Jenny is a freelance actor and director with a lostage career in W.A. In 2001 she received a Centenary Medal for services to West Australian theatrShe both acts and directs for Perth Theatre Co and was for many years director of the West AustralianYouth Theatre. She was a writer for ABC schools radio for ten years.

Jenny writes and directs many shows for Agelink. HERE TO STAY was conceived out of interviews with senior migrants who had lived in displaced person’s camps in Europe after WWII. DEAR HEART was written in 1995 for the 50th anniversary of WWII based on her aunt’s letters to her P.O.W husbanand on interviews with survivors from Japanese prisoner of war camps. She was commissioned in 1998 to write DEAR HEART as a novel, published by Allen & Unwin.

Jenny McNae
Director: HERE TO STAY

Jenny is recognized as one of Western Australia’’s leading theatre practitioners. She is a director, actor and tutor of theatre arts, former Artistic Director of the Hole in the Wall Theatre Company and has worked with WA’s major theatre companies. Her long professional career includes acting for film, TV, radio, choreography, writing, script development, adjudication and many artist – in – residencies.

She is known to a generation of Australian children as the narrator of ABC Radio’s LET’S JOIN IN and was a resident judge on Channel 9’s PERTH’S YOUNG ENTERTAINERS. She was awarded a Creative Development Fellowship from ArtsWA in 1999 to enable her to write her own one–person show BETWEEN JETLAG AND JESUS. Notable directing credits include: BOLD GIRLS (Play of the Year 1993), JIGSAWS, HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES, SNOOPY THE MUSICAL, THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, A MONTH OF SUNDAYS, AND THE SECRET HOUSE. For Agelink Theatre, Jenny has directed AIRSWIMMING, AS SHIPS PASS BY AND WIRELESS HEAD as well as performing in QUARTET in Perth and throughout its extensive Australian tour.

Rebecca Davis
Actor: DEAR HEART & HERE TO STAY

Rebecca has been involved with Agelink Theatre as an actor, researcher and producer since it’s inception in 1993. Her performances for the company include DEAR HEART (with productions in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, country NSW and WA and a season in Claygate, England), HERE TO STAY, AIRSWIMMING, WIRELESS HEAD, A GIRL IN A GREATCOAT, RIVER DREAMING, THE SECOND OLDEST PROFESSION and AS SHIPS PASS BY (which also had a season in Melbourne).

Other Perth credits include A MOMENT ON THE LIPS (Red Ryder Productions), ANNE OF GREEN GABLES (Performing Arts Productions), A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (Australian Shakespeare Company), THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES (Perth Theatre Company), and the solo show MILES FRANKLIN AND THE RAINBOWS END (which also had a season in Melbourne).

Her Sydney credits include IN LAMBETH (Lookout Theatre), WOLF (Stables Theatre), KING LEAR (Shakespeare Globe Centre Australia), and INTIMACIES OF WOMEN (Tap Gallery); and in Adelaide LADY CHATTERLEY'S LOVER (EHJ Productions). Rebecca has also directed two productions of ROMEO AND JULIET for the WA Youth Theatre Company.

Film & TV: US feature THE MYSTERY OF NATALIE WOOD, VICTIM (winner of six awards 2004 WA Screen Awards, official selection for the Sarasota Film Festival, Florida, Brooklyn International Film Festival, New York and St Kilda Film Festival), KING OF THE MOUNTAIN, SLEEPOVER CLUB 2, STATE CORONER, MURDER CALL, and SHIPWRECK COAST.

In 2001 she was selected to represent Australia at the inaugural International Artistic Fellowship at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London. Rebecca has been a proud member of Actors Equity (Australia) since 1983.

Stuart Halusz
Actor: DEAR HEART & HERE TO STAY

Stuart studied at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts. He has appeared in over 40 productions throughout Australia, including: MARMALADE & EGG, SKIN TIGHT (PTC – Best Production 2003 Equity Guild Awards, nominated Best Actor), DEAR HEART (Agelink Theatre), PINTER’S PEOPLE (His Majesty’s), KING LEAR (Shakespeare’s Globe), HOMME FATALE, (Performing Arts Productions), ESSINGTON LEWIS (Belvoir), DAGS (Ensemble), LADY CHATTERLEY’S LOVER (EHJ), ANNE OF GREEN GABLES (PAP), A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (Australian Shakespeare Company), A COMEDY OF ERRORS (Deckchair).

Film & TV: THUNDERSTONE, BLUE HEELERS, BLONDE, SECRET LIFE OF US, AIR AUSTRALIA, CNNNN, INCREDIBLE TALES, BIG SKY, VICTIM and FALLEN ANGELS.

Stuart represented Australia at the International Artistic Fellowship, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London, in 2001.

He has recorded over 40 radio plays and books for ABC Radio and Vision Australia.

A member of Equity since 1995, Stuart has served on the Performers Section Committee (WA) since Feb 2006 and as Vice President - WA Branch Council from Sept 2006, as well as the National Performers Committee from Sept ’06.

Irene Jarzabek
Actor: HERE TO STAY

Irene is a Theatre graduate from the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts. She has worked as an actor for Arena Theatre, Murray River Performing Group, La Mama, Melbourne Comedy and Fringe Festivals, West Theatre, Soup Kitchen Theatre, Theatre Zart and Playbox in Victoria and in Western Australia for Deckchair Theatre, Barking Gecko, Effie Crump Theatre, Blue Room, Handzon Theatre and AWESOME International Children’s Festival. She has produced Lunchtime Theatre in Perth for the last ten years. Irene was seen most recently in David Williamson’s CHARITABLE INTENT for Perth Theatre Company and in the seasons of THE SHIPS PASS QUIETLY, an account of the life and work of the Russian poet Anna Akhmatova at the Subiaco Theatre Arts Centre and at the Blue Room, Northbridge.

Irene is a board member of Agelink Theatre and has appeared in Agelink productions HERE TO STAY and RIVER, PEOPLE, PIPES AND DREAMS. Irene was initially involved in interviewing post war migrants for this production which included members of her immediate family.

Film & TV: NEIGHBOURS, CHANCES, FASTRACKS, WILD KAT, PARALLAX, STREETSMATZ and CHILDREN POWER for the ABC. She has also appeared in the films JUSTICE, TEESH AND TRUDE and ROLL for SBS & Showtime.

Jay Weston
Musician: HERE TO STAY

Jay is an exciting young tenor from Perth, Western Australia, who trained at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts before gaining a Post Graduate Diploma in Opera Performance from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music (receiving the Academic Award of Excellence).

Jay’s career includes performing in LOHENGRIN for the Australian Opera Company at the Sydney Opera House and THE MIKADO for the Queensland Opera Company. Jay has been a guest performer at many high profile venues including the Perth Concert Hall, the Perth Convention Centre, the Oz Concert and the Conrad Jupiter Casino on the Gold Coast. He has performed for the Western Force at the Subiaco Oval to a crowd of 35,000 and has appeared on TV for TELETHON several years running.

Other long running contracts include Silver Sea Cruise Liners, for whom he travels all over the world.