Glass Child
Reginald Theatre from 9th to 16th April
Straight from its critically acclaimed 2023 debut season, Seymour Centre is thrilled to present the Sydney premiere of siblings Kayah and Maitreyah Guenther’s Glass Child; a poignant portrayal of the pair’s reallife sibling relationship by contemporary dance company The Farm, at the Reginald Theatre from 9th to 16th April.
Developed in consultation with the Olivier Award-winning Australian playwright Suzie Miller (Jailbaby, Prima Facie), this original work combines dance, theatre, and storytelling to depict the intertwining relationship between Kayah, a young man with Down Syndrome, and his sister Maitreyah, highlighting the sibling’s connection and how their lives have been affected by other people’s perceptions.
The term ‘Glass Child’ refers to the sibling of someone with special needs who often becomes a facilitator in the family, someone who is “looked through”. Throughout their lives Maitreyah has watched Kayah be left out, ridiculed or ignored without understanding why. Glass Child puts a microscope on their love and how their relationship has grown, asking us to examine why we search for difference when we share so much in common.
Co-directed by The Farm’s founding members Kate Harman (The Ninth Wave, TIDE) and Gavin Webber (Frank Enstein, TIDE), Glass Child stars sister-brother duo Maitreyah Guenther (WONDER: Return to Earth) and Kayah Guenther (The Crossing) with set and costume design by Rozina Suliman (MONA FOMA).
Maitreyah Guenther said: “It’s always been a dream of ours to make a work together that allows us to show both our journeys and both our struggles through life. I’m a fairly shy person and I think, when I do dance performance, I can talk about things I normally wouldn’t and be expressive about things that are quite close to my heart.”
Kayah Guenther said: “When I am dancing, I breathe in, and I feel my heart grow full. Dancing makes me remember who I am and who I would like to be. People sometimes don’t listen to my voice, but they listen to my dance.”
A thought-provoking examination of society’s pre-occupation with our differences, Glass Child will leave an indelible mark on even the most sceptical audience member’s consciousness.
