Drama and Theatre
Congratulations to Yr 12 IB Theatre Solo Performers!
Congratulations to our Yr 12 IB Theatre performers for their exceptional performances of their solos on 31 August and 1 September at 6:30pm in the Drama Studio. The students had researched theatre theorist, Anne Bogart, and identified an aspect of her theatre practice to use in their Solo Performances. A big thank you to the Yr 12 IB Drama teachers, Kathryn Smith and Sarah Sparke, for all their efforts and hard work on the Year 12 IB Drama Class and in addition, to Kathryn Smith for organising the Performance evening. All theatremakers performed to an outstanding level, below is a reflection from Daniel Close. Congratulations to:
- Sabrina Blasco, Collective Rage
- Daniel Close, In the Ruins
- Lily Hobbs, Hazing the Monkey
- Lucy Horton, Electra
- Jonathon Klauzner, Crime and Punishment
- Claudia Lalich, Miss Julie
- Maya Little, Stories I Want To Tell You In Person
- Jess Marshall, Much Madness
- Julia Murphy, Picasso’s Women
- Daisy Oliver, Laughing Wild
- Eve Philips, Crimes of the Heart
“A frustrated wife. An eccentric playwright. A Euripides heroine. A Russian law school dropout. A schizophrenic serial killer.
These are just some of the eclectic mix of characters portrayed by the Year 12 IB Theatre students in their Solo Performance pieces held last week on Thursday and Friday. Tasked with weaponizing Anne Bogart’s theories on the Viewpoints as directorial tools to inform the creation of their monologues, all eleven students demonstrated outstanding creative and performance skills, providing their audiences with an immensely engaging and moving experience.
In my own piece, playing the infamous King George III in In the Ruins written by Nick Dear, I used the Viewpoints of Repetition, Gesture and Architecture to explore power dynamics and the emergence of complex mental health phenomena within individuals with such authority. Directorially, I hoped the piece would therefore instil pathos from the audience toward the character and would help evoke a reaction of catharsis – done through ironic humour created through repeated gestures and symbolic set elements like the haphazardly scattered newspaper surrounding a lone centre-stage table.
Another student, Eve Phillips, decided to position a large white screen behind her piece, her body casting on the screen an ominous shadow that reflected her character’s inner monster – all whilst delivering a beautifully rich, restrained monologue from the perspective of a ‘50s-esque Southern housewife. Meanwhile, Julia Murphy’s monologue from one of Pablo Picasso’s many women, Dora Maar, featured an easel adorned with an empty frame, lit forebodingly in the Drama Studio with the help of Zach Pincini – demonstrating the overarching dominance of Picasso over the course of the two’s often violent relationship. Moreover, Lily Hobbs’ masterful use of Topography – with her character walking back and forth in a vertical line, helped the audience experience the sense of entrapment she feels in her flailing relationships with faith and her husband.
These are just some of the many examples of incredible directorship exhibited by the class, with our incredible audiences noting the unique visions, impassioned creativity and moving performances shown on both nights. As our last performances of IB Theatre, these were a bittersweet ending to two years of outstanding effort demonstrated by a class that has elicited on the highest levels of enjoyment and reward in our schoolings that are ending in just a couple weeks. A huge thanks to all of those individuals who made the Solo Performances possible, with special recognition to Ms Esther Lamb, Ms Kathryn Smith, Ms Sarah Sparke, Ms Amber Virtue, Mr Zach Pincini, Ms Andy Patterson, and Ms Vicki Frerer.” (Daniel Close, Year 12 IB Theatre Student)
Yr 11 HSC Drama Performance Evening
Our Year 11 HSC Drama Showcase Performance evening is taking place on Friday 8 September at 6:30pm in the Drama Studio. The students will be performing a range of performances from units they have studied this year, dramatic forms and styles, and we warmly invite you to attend.
Parent Visit Sessions for Extra Subject Drama Classes
We are thrilled to be offering parents the chance to sit in on our Extra Subject Drama classes in the coming weeks to get a glimpse of what the students have been working on. The Parent Visit Sessions will take place in the last 30 minutes of regular class times. Please see the timetable for Open Sessions HERE
Drama and Theatre Student of the Week: Alexander Read
Alex is a brilliant member of our Junior Music Theatre class. His dedication and can-do attitude make him a joy to work with. He is constantly challenging himself to try new things and take on new direction. Alex has been working incredibly hard on his role as Mr Wormwood in our upcoming Junior Musical Matilda, taking detailed notes and searching for exciting ways to bring his character to life. We can’t wait to see him shine on stage! (Drama Tutors – Helena Cielak and Andrew Waldin)
Important Dates
Term 3
- Legally Blonde Auditions – 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th September, Time: 3:30pm – 6:00pm
- Legally Blonde Audition Callbacks – 11 and 12 September, Time 3:30pm – 6:00pm
- Legally Blonde Orchestra Auditions – 15 September, Time 3:30pm – 5:30pm
- Year 11 HSC Drama Curriculum Showcase – 8 September, Drama Studio, Time: 6:30pm
- Parent Visits to Extra Subject Drama Classes – Monday 4 September – Thursday 21 September
Term 4
- Year 9 Curriculum Drama, The Visitors Excursion, Sydney Theatre Company – Wed 11 October – 11:30am
- Year 9 Curriculum Performance, Documentary Drama – Monday 23 and Tues 24 October, Drama Studio 6:30pm
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Years 10-11 Co-Curricular Drama Play, Wednesday 1 November 6:30 performance, Zenith Theatre Chatswood
- Drama Celebration Performance, Friday 24 November, 6:30pm, Redlands Hall
- Monday November 20th – Thursday 30 November – Drama Extra Subject Showcases – Drama Studio
- Years 5 and 6 Musical, Matilda, Thursday 30 November, 6:30pm, Redlands Hall
Redlands App
The Redlands App allows you to see all activities, including all Drama classes, that your child is enrolled in. If you are not familiar with the Redlands App, please CLICK HERE for details on how to download and use.
Click on Pulse for an outline of all Drama classes and any questions please contact drama@redlands.nsw.edu.au.
Ms Tamara Sweetman
Head of Theatre and Drama
drama@redlands.nsw.edu.au