Spotlight On: Jaklene Vukasinovic

Jaklene Vukasinovic is a performer, producer and teacher from Melbourne, Australia. She began improvising in 2006 at the University of Melbourne with student collective Off The Cuff. Jaklene trains and performs regularly with Impro Melbourne and The Big Hoo-Haa, and has taught impro in high schools, universities, and festivals. She has performed numerous times at Australia’s Improvention since 2012. She founded First Draft Theatre in 2013, creating and producing the formats #hashtag (2014) and A Butterfly Effect (2015) for Adelaide Fringe.

Tell us a bit about your show and the idea behind it, and why/how it excites you.
#hashtag came to be in 2012, as I was really getting into the swing of using Twitter, and I was seeing people starting to live tweet during events and TV shows - then I saw articles about live theatre shows frustrated by people tweeting during shows and proposing special "Tweet Seats" to avoid distraction.  I realised this could be an great way for people to offer suggestions for improvised scenes - and might be wonderful for some quieter audience members who didn't like to call out. 

What show other than your own are you most excited to see? Why?
I'm really excited to see Mothers by Domeka Parker. As I've seen more of the women in my life become mothers, my understanding of what it means to be one has grown and changed, and I look forward to a theatrical peek into the sides of motherhood we don't always talk about.

Weirdest/best way improv has helped you in daily life?
I'm less afraid of looking like a total idiot in public. I'm one of those people who will tap dance down the supermarket aisle if I'm feeling it that day.

What's going to be the NEXT BIG THING in improv?
Improvised Twin Peaks.

If you could have any prop for a show, what would it be?
A gorgeous period chaise lounge.

Jaklene directs #hashtag at BATS Theatre, 8pm Wednesday 18 October. Our full programme runs 17-21 October, and tickets are on sale now!