Between the Streetlight and the Moon

A detective story on desire

Zadie’s writing a book that’s going to blow the international art world apart. Can she prove that an illicit affair between Belle Époque artists Édouard Manet and Berthe Morisot actually occurred?

There’s only one problem - she can’t find the letter that proves her theory.

Obsessed with what she believes to be a 'perfect' love affair between two dead artists, one that she has been able to chart through a series of 11 intimate, fraught and exposing portraits, Zadie has buried herself in archives, dossiers and letters to the

point where her grip on reality is becoming uncertain.

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Go on a journey through the art galleries, archives and studios of old Paris in search of the truth.

Based in the worlds of art and academia, Between the Streetlight and the Moon explores Australia’s fraught relationship with the cultural centres of London and Paris. The piece unearths wider themes of creativity, love, failure and how artists’ thoughts make or break their practice.

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One of five finalists from 131 entries for the Sydney Theatre Company Patrick White Playwright Award in 2016, the feedback Rowston received from the STC panel read: “Members of the panel admired the play for its soulfulness, passion and intelligence. The ideas that you explore about the creation and interpretation of art are lively and provocative. The terrible dichotomy of needing to make art yet being unable to do so for whatever reason, is laid bare with real honesty and insight. The characters are complex and flawed, yet enormously appealing and relatable; the images and metaphors work effectively to develop theme; humour and heartbreak are balanced

brilliantly. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read!”

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Between the Streetlight and the Moon combines the suspense of a detective story with the transformative power of art to change the way we look at each other and ourselves.

Sometimes as artists and lovers, we settle for the streetlight instead of aiming for the moon.