When Dolia Ribush died suddenly at the age of 50 in 1947, while on a fishing trip in Healesville, it was a great loss for Australian theatre. During his 20 years in Australia he made a profound impact on theatre as a producer. Dolia was determined to give new creative opportunities to Australian actors, writers, and painters because he believed Australia was a ‘wasteland frozen from ambition’. ¹ ‘Indeed his two great talents – for friendship, for theatre – were based on…simplicity of spirit, whole-heartedness in action, sensitiveness of imagination, and an exhilarating joy in life.’ ²

Dolia first met his future wife Rosa, in Latvia. When they first met she wore a ring that Dolia admired so much she gave it to him. From then on, Dolia wore this ring everywhere, even in the Australian bush when he was fishing.³

Dolia’s passion for the theatre started at the Riga Russian Theatre where he acted and produced. Acting was not a career Dolia’s father encouraged, even though Dolia was very talented, so he bought Dolia a chocolate factory. Rosa and Dolia tried to make a life for themselves in Latvia but debated what they would like to do with their lives. They eventually decided that being pioneers would be exciting, and that they would move to Australia.⁴ Rosa spoke fluent English however Dolia spoke none.⁵

The couple arrived in Port Melbourne on Cup Day in 1928. Rosa was surprised that everyone was on a holiday for a horse race, a strange cultural tradition which meant they could not access estate agents to help find accommodation. They eventually found a home in St Kilda, and in Richmond a site for a confectionery factory where Dolia manufactured continental chocolates. This financial venture, ‘Bush’s Confectionery Pty. Ltd’, was a moderate success.⁶

Dolia’s first venture into producing was when he arranged for theatregoers to experience the dancing abilities of Sonia Revid, Rosa’s sister, an accomplished modern dancer.⁷ He also produced, adapted and acted in Russian sketches for an International Evening of Russian music and drama in 1932, and a later event at the Comedy Theatre. Following these early experiences, Dolia’s first major theatrical production was of Gorki’s Lower depths in 1936.⁸

It was followed two years later by Chekhov’s The Cherry orchard. Cast and crew rehearsals took place at the Ribush’s home. When the Lower depths production was successful many people wanted to get to know the Ribushes. They began to hold tremendous house parties where the house was decorated with elaborate theatrical sets. Dolia supplied Russian dishes and his own vodka. Friends invited friends – some well known attendees were Australian actors, authors, publishers, playwrights, producers and lawyers including Angella ‘Arthur’ Phillips, Irene Mitchell, Nettie and Vance Palmer, Jean Campbell, Clem and Nina Christeson, Brett Randall, Jean Campbell, Betty Rowland and Peter Finch; musicians Jascha, Tossy and Isadore Spivakovsky; artists William Dargie, Lina Bryans, Jock Frater and Norman MacGeorge; Yiddish writers Melech Ravich and Pinchas Goldhar; and ballet dancers Edouard Borovansky, Tamara Tchinarava, Laurel Martyn. The conversations at these parties took place in Russian, German, French and English. Rosa enjoyed bringing people together for lively discussion and debate of conflicting views. But the main concern was whether there was enough food!^{9 10}

Rosa had a much better understanding of English than Dolia, so she was instrumental in adapting and interpreting Gorki and Chekhov for productions. She translated Lower depths and The Cherry orchard from Russian to an appropriate style of English for the actors in Dolia’s productions. Dolia also relied on Rosa to discuss the plays with the actors, helping him convey the Russian perspective to the Australian actors.¹¹ ‘He studied the text intensively; infected the cast with his enthusiasm; instructed them that they must become, not imitate, the character; would not prescribe the appropriate accent or gesture but demanded that the actor evolved it; required unremitting work. ‘We will get it.’ Always rehearsal came back to that refrain.’ ¹²

After watching rehearsals for The Cherry orchard, Nettie Palmer wrote of Dolia’s work:

The more I watch them, the more my admiration for Dolia Ribush grows. He’s not merely a producer, he’s a creator, keyed up in every nerve to bring something living out of the void. There’s a beautiful intensity in those dark implacable eyes of his as he watches some scene gather momentum. He knows each sentence, knows exactly the emphasis it needs, yet he won’t impose anything on the actors from outside. The feeling, the emphasis must come from inside them.¹³

Dolia produced, in conjunction with the New Theatre, his third play Distant point by A. Afinogenev, which opened in November 1942, the 25th Anniversary of the Russian Revolution. It was a play not about the revolution but the outcome of it. The play was a critical success, but unfortunately not a commercial one.¹⁴

After the three Russian productions Dolia decided to turn his attention to his new love, the Australian bush, – he loved the smell of the bush, the rivers full of fish and a chat in a country pub. Dolia particularly loved the Goulburn Valley and went on many fishing trips to Yea.^{15 16}

Dolia’s most acclaimed production was of Douglas Stewart’s Ned Kelly in 1944. The play was a reflection on his affection for the Australian bush. This production was rehearsed for nearly two years, those involved thought each rehearsal was a theatrical workshop. The production was faced with many challenges. Because of World War II, materials for costumes and set construction were difficult to acquire or rationed. Another difficulty was that interstate travel was banned except for business, and Dolia needed to consult personally with Norman Lindsay, the set designer who lived in the Blue Mountains, and Douglas Stewart who lived in Sydney. Douglas Stewart with one of Norman Lindsay’s sisters travelled to Melbourne in secrecy. Dolia found this one day of communication completely unsatisfactory and stressful for all, so he came up with the idea of selling the American Army his chocolates. Negotiations were successful, and he was given permission to travel interstate, so he would spend the mornings in Sydney with the American purchasing officer, and the afternoons with Stewart and Lindsay.¹⁷

In 1945 Dolia became interested in Vance Palmer’s Hail tomorrow and they had started working together to prepare a production, discussing the characters, scenes and deciding on a cast and rehearsal times.¹⁸

By 1947 they were ready to start rehearsing, and a management team was being organised, but the next news Vance received was of Dolia’s untimely death.¹⁹ Dolia had been planning to produce Douglas Stewart’s Shipwreck next.²⁰ Betty Roland writes of Rosa’s devastation of Dolia’s death that left her with many issues to face including caring for relatives that they had brought to Australia.

She endeavoured to take Dolia’s place in the factory but found that beyond her power, so she sold her interest at a ruinous price, disposed of the house in Orrong Road, and found a smaller one much further out to town.²¹

Rosa continued to teach and still entertained her friends but not to the scale of those rehearsals and parties of the 1930s and 1940s with Dolia. Her keen interest in the theatre was a constant and she was kept aware of what was being written and performed by her friends Arthur Phillips, Irene Mitchell, Clem and Nina Christesen, Vance and Nettie Palmer, and Lina Bryans.²² Arthur Phillips, author and literary critic, was a significant person in Dolia and Rosa’s lives. Arthur was literary advisor and business manager for Dolia’s productions as well as performing in Ned Kelly. Douglas Stewart writes to Rosa:

I am so glad to hear that you are now living in sin – a very sensible arrangement. Do congratulate Arthur for me.²³

Rosa was appointed to the board of the Little Theatre and if a Russian play was to be performed her expertise was called upon.²⁴ As part of the Annual Theatre awards Rosa established the best producer award named in Dolia’s honour, which was first awarded in 1957. Other awards that followed later were the Rosa Ribush Award for best supporting actor or actress and the Irene Mitchell Award for best set design.

Rosa gave to and received much for her friendships. She is now aged and frail. But the friends of a lifetime still call or take her out for visits. Her eyes still sparkle as talk turns to Dolia and the theatre; to Australian literature and all the writers she has known; to the parties and the celebrities.²⁵

References

1. Phillips, A, 1947, ‘Tribute to Dolia Ribush’, Meanjin, vol 6, no 4, December pp 270-271
2. Marshall, P, ‘A short biography of Rosa Ribush’, held in ‘Papers of Dolia and Rosa Ribush, 1892-1972’, MS 9298, BOX 1008/2, State Library Victoria
3. As above
4. As above
5. Australian Dictionary of Biography, 1988, Dolia Ribush, viewed 21 September, 2022, <https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ribush-dolia-8189>
6. Marshall, P, ‘A short biography of Rosa Ribush’, held in ‘Papers of Dolia and Rosa Ribush, 1892-1972’, MS 9298, BOX 1008/2, State Library Victoria
7. As above
8. Helmer, J, 1986, ‘Rosa and Dolia: European emigres of the 1920s, Dolia and Rosa had a profound influence on Australia theatre and the arts’, This Australia, Vol 5, No 4, pp 61-66
9. Marshall, P, ‘A short biography of Rosa Ribush’, held in ‘Papers of Dolia and Rosa Ribush, 1892-1972’, MS 9298, BOX 1008/2, State Library Victoria
10. Helmer, J, 1986, ‘Rosa and Dolia: European emigres of the 1920s, Dolia and Rosa had a profound influence on Australia theatre and the arts’, This Australia, Vol 5, No 4, pp 61-66
11. Marshall, P, ‘A short biography of Rosa Ribush’, held in ‘Papers of Dolia and Rosa Ribush, 1892-1972’, MS 9298, BOX 1008/2, State Library Victoria
12. Australian Dictionary of Biography, 1988, Dolia Ribush, viewed 21 September, 2022, <https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ribush-dolia-8189>
13. Palmer, N, 1948, Fourteen years : extracts from a private journal, 1925-1939, Meanjin Press, Melbourne, p 245
14. Helmer, J, 1986, ‘Rosa and Dolia: European emigres of the 1920s, Dolia and Rosa had a profound influence on Australia theatre and the arts’, This Australia, Vol 5, No 4, pp 61-66
15. Marshall, P, ‘A short biography of Rosa Ribush’, held in ‘Papers of Dolia and Rosa Ribush, 1892-1972’, MS 9298, BOX 1008/2, State Library Victoria
16. Helmer, J, 1986, ‘Rosa and Dolia: European emigres of the 1920s, Dolia and Rosa had a profound influence on Australia theatre and the arts’, This Australia, Vol 5, No 4, pp 61-66
17. As above
18. Dalby Davison, F, 1948, ‘Dolia Ribush 1896-1947’, New Theatre Review, March, p 3
19. Marshall, P, ‘A short biography of Rosa Ribush’, held in ‘Papers of Dolia and Rosa Ribush, 1892-1972’, MS 9298, BOX 1008/2, State Library Victoria
20. Andrews, J, ‘Melbourne theatre : 1929-1945 : recession and response, 1979’, MS 10884, State Library Victoria
21. Rolland, B, February 27, 1985, ‘Dolia and Rosa’, Sydney, held in ‘Papers of Dolia and Rosa Ribush, 1892-1972, MS 9298, BOX 996/11a
22. Helmer, J, 1986, ‘Rosa and Dolia: European emigres of the 1920s, Dolia and Rosa had a profound influence on Australia theatre and the arts’, This Australia, Vol 5, No 4, pp 61-66
23. Letter from Douglas Stewart to Rosa, 30 April 1974, MS 9298, BOX 1583/1, State Library Victoria
24. As above
25. Helmer, J, 1986, ‘Rosa and Dolia: European emigres of the 1920s, Dolia and Rosa had a profound influence on Australia theatre and the arts’, This Australia, Vol 5, No 4, pp 61-66