About Ben Tari
After kicking off his career with a lengthy stint on the Australian television drama, All Saints, Ben has worked in the industry in film, television and theatre.
The last decade has seen him focus on teaching, writing and directing.
My Latest Projects
A GLASS OF WATER
He pushed the door open and stepped inside the pub. The place was resting from people save for the bartender mopping water from the fridge in her cowboy shirt and jeans.
-Be with you in a sec.
-I’m not in a hurry.
She stood and squeezed the old water into the sink and flicked the rag away and wiped her hands on the back of her jeans.
-What’ll you have?
-Just a glass of water.
-We have a policy.
-About water?
-Yes. And using the toilets.
-At the same time?
-What? Oh, yeah, funny.
She rolled the glass in her hand as she spoke.
He shuffled his feet on the rung of his stool.
-Was at a funeral this morning.
-Sure you don’t want a beer?
He looked her in the eye then, searching for something and then she was caught in it and it was real and she felt herself slipping into his sadness which reached out its comfortable arms and set on her like a coat and she felt herself begin pouring the beer.
-Toilets this way?
He stood and walked down some steps her eyes fixed on his back.
She finished pouring the schooner and got him a glass of water as well and then continued her dance with the fridges until she realised too much time had passed. She found him wedged in next to the toilet, palms face up and the needle resting on his lap and his eyes open. And she cried for this man who had known sadness.
THE RIVER FLOWS
The 'twin-towns' of Albury-Wodonga sit astride the watery divide that is the mighty Murray. This moving body of water separates two towns and two states. Its relentless and non-discriminating flow is a source of leisure, utility and sometimes death. Using physical theatre and spoken word, this site-specific piece will explore what it means to belong to this region, how we connect with the Murray and its effect on our everyday lives.
