Photos by Morgan Roberts.
“Calamity Jane is the ultimate icon for a lot of women – she’s reconciling femininity and masculinity and where she sits on that spectrum. She has all the bravado required from a woman in a male-dominated environment like Deadwood; she’s tempestuous, emotional, fierce and incredibly brave – yet childlike in a way, a bit like a female Peter Pan. And she displays such vulnerability when she falls in love and gets her heart broken.”
Naomi Price is winning RPAC audience hearts all over again with her irresistible incarnation of Calamity Jane, one of the most impressive and enigmatic characters of the Wild West. The eldest of six children, Jane took on the care of her younger siblings at 14 after they were orphaned, working as a dishwasher, cook, waitress, dance hall girl, nurse, ox team driver, scout, and occasional prostitute. Or so the story goes, though Jane was as lauded for her tall tales as well as her horse riding and sharpshooting skills.
“She’s such a joy to play,” says Naomi; “She was generous and empathetic, and you’re able to bring that side out as well as the legend that everybody knows and loves. There are different versions of her relationship with Wild Bill Hickok; some stories say that when she died, they buried her next to him so she could continue to bother him in the afterlife. There was really hot-blooded competition with them, but I like to think there was a spark between them; they were arch enemies and best friends.”
Naomi says that the role is the most demanding she’s played.
“The role really demands everything from the actor playing Calamity; I feel I’d be doing her a disservice if I didn’t give it everything every night. Post-show is definitely the most tired I’ve ever been.”
That’s hardly surprising, given the amount of buckskin-wearing, banjo-wielding, whip-cracking, emotional energy that floods into the auditorium at every show.
Don’t miss the chance to saddle up for Queensland Theatre Company’s all-singing, all-dancing production of Calamity Jane at Redland Performing Arts Centre, playing from Friday 6 November to Sunday 8 November. Final seats have been released, so grab yours before they ride off into the sunset! Book now at rpac.com.au or 3829 8131.
