Cassandra Fumi is an award-winning theatre director. Fumi loves the way theatre can break down barriers, forms community and allows for a group of people to work towards a creative goal collectively.
How would you describe what you do to friends and family?
To my family, I describe what I do as a theatre director or theatre maker. My uncle is still waiting for me to be in (the Australian serial) Neighbours, or just on the telly. Although he has seen many of my productions, he doesn’t quite get what I do. My dad is a singer in a cover band, so he’s all over the life of entertainment – although he is on stage and I am very much off it. We often talk about lighting, smoke machines, costumes and theatrics.
How and why did you get into theatre directing?
The first show I directed was the Grandview Grove Christmas play at age seven – this yearly production perhaps foreshadowed what was to come. My younger brother was a frequent actor in my other early productions and once got fired for his unprofessionalism. I love the way theatre transforms and creates worlds: that has always drawn me to it as an art form. In theatre, we’re all complicit in our pretending and yet what we feel is so real, so from the gut and so unique to each person. I also love working with people, and love that theatre is such a collaborative art form that allows a collective to come together, really listen to each other and rally behind something to share with an audience.
What’s an average day or week like for you?
It’s always very varied. In the lead-up to a production, it’s full-time, all-day rehearsals, often with a production meeting on a lunch break (maybe for that show, maybe for one coming up).
What’s the most common misconception about being a theatre director?
That it’s about being a boss. Being a theatre director is about having a directorial vision for a show that you oversee, believe in and work towards. But it is also about creating space for others to express themselves creatively. I think being a theatre director is being a really good listener. I run a space without judgement where all ideas are heard and tried. Making theatre can be slippery, uncomfortable, confronting and hard – so it needs to be done with pleasure and trust at its core.
If you were interviewing someone to take over your job, what skills and qualities would you look for?
Someone who could take on feedback from others and not take it personally. I think a sense of fun, openness and a strong work ethic are good qualities. It’s not a nine-to-five job, it’s all-consuming during production weeks, so there is something in being able to care for yourself in downtimes, and fill your cup, so you are able to lead a creative journey.
What are the biggest benefits and greatest challenges of working as a director in the independent theatre sector at the moment?
The biggest benefits are that the independent community is strong in Australia and the creative conversation is so rich. I think theatre should always be about trying new things, taking risks and challenging theatrical forms. There is something about risk-taking that feels strong in our community.
One of the greatest challenges is funding – it’s tricky to make work when you don’t know how to pay for it. There are so many brilliant projects and just not enough resources to support them all.
What is the most memorable thing that’s ever happened in your career?
Standing in the alleyway at fortyfivedownstairs (in Melbourne), around the back, alone and feeling proud of a work that I had creatively led. Laughing in the theatre with collaborators and friends, my mum hugging me after watching my first mainstage show earlier this year at Melbourne Theatre Company. Sitting in an empty theatre, once the audience has left – there is something about a space that is full of so much life being so empty. This all feels sentimental, but I really do love what I do, with all its complexities, twists and turns. I am grateful for it.
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More on Cassandra Fumi
Cassandra Fumi‘s directing credits include World Problems (Melbourne Theatre Company), The Crocodile (Winner Best Director 2024 Green Room Awards), Far Away (fortyfivedownstairs), The Mermaid (La Mama Theatre – 2021 VCE Playlist) and Dog Show (Melbourne Fringe Hub).
Fumi was the Associate Director on A Very Jewish Christmas Carol (Melbourne Theatre Company) and Assistant Director on The House Of Bernarda Alba (Melbourne Theatre Company). She has a long-standing collaboration with The Rabble as stage manager on Lone, Unwoman and Yes, and Community Liaison for Wake. She is also currently the Associate Artist on Body of Knowledge with Samara Hersch.
