Who do you find living in a tree lined suburban street? A subur- ban family of five, as Craig and Sheryl apathetically deal with the death of their love. Their three children, David, Michelle and Rick relentlessly struggle with denial, contempt and rebellion. The sibling rivalry abounds with our protagonist David, openly discussing his sexuality within the realms of his family home. Whilst his father is never home to behold a view on leadership and with his mother abstaining from the truth, David struggles to hold his own place in the world. His circle of friends comforts him, however his longing for acceptance from his family remains poignant.
 
The wicked web we weave within the family unit evolves to greater forces, outwardly. As each member of the family travel their individual path, sometimes those individual units clash. Each journey is as important and creative as the other, yet they struggle for the greater importance and highest appraisal from other units. Acceptance is as important as is non-acceptance within David's family, yet brotherly love can only show its boundaries once tested and it fails.
 
As the story unfolds David takes us on a journey through a week- end of tragedy, which not even he could alter through misfortunes of fate. The relationship between denial and rebellion build a night of thick tension, exposing itself in the face of sodomy and complacency. As the tables turn and David's journey draws to an end, not even his bloodline can stop the outcome it first set up to accomplish.
 
Drifting in the ebb of fate and tragedy, denial confides solace with- in rebellion only to find apathy is his greatest comfort.
 
 
Performed during the 1996 Melbourne Fringe Festival, at the East Melbourne Hotel (E.M.H.), Hoddle Street, East Melbourne, with the following cast:
 
CRAIG ANDERSON ... Simon Laidler
SHERYL ANDERSON ... Elizabeth Penny
DAVID ANDERSON ... Adam Turnbull
MICHELLE ANDERSON ... Clare O’Sullivan
RICK ANDERSON ... Raphaul Summut
SIMON ... Tim Constantine
ADAM ... Paul Henderson
KYM ... Irene Guzowski
RED ... Simon Laidler
BOOGA ... John Smith
 
 
The Meeting Place is a two-act, ninety-minute full-length dramatic play. Set in modern times in a family situation. “This could’ve been a safe family drama but Act Two tears us out of the bitchin’ kitchen into the night streets and jungle parkland.” – The Melbourne Times. 
 
The Meeting Place was selected by the Board and Staff of the Melbourne Fringe and the awards judges for a special recommendation award in the category of the Melbourne Fringe Performance Arts Awards.