Drama and Theatre
A Special Community, Builds a Special Experience
This week has been another incredible week in the Drama and Theatre space.
On Sunday I had the absolute pleasure of attending the State Shakespeare Carnival at the Seymour Centre, York Theatre. On Saturday our State Carnivalers, Remis Gibbs, Freya Kittle, Millie Winton and Betti Butcher had, with their coach, Mr Lincloin Gidney, attended an all day workshop. The students were treated to an absolute masterclass in physical theatre with professional Theatre practitioners, Christopher Tomkinson and Gabriel Fancourt, NIDA trained and Meyerhold proponents. To say I was proud is the biggest understatement. The competition brings together the best in the State. In the Physical Theatre Category there were six exceptional pieces. Our piece, based on Julius Caesar, was powerful, controlled and foreboding. The results – we placed third in the state, which was incredible given the high standard. We offer a huge congratulations to these students, it was absolutely sensational, your poise, comradery and kindness to all in the competition was inspiring. I would also like to thank your incredible coach, Mr Gidney. He has helped you create a very special piece of theatre, his hard work and genuine dedication reflects his depth of knowledge and expertise and we are lucky to have him on our Drama and Theatre staff.
Last night, Wednesday, June 5th, we also were treated to a spectacular evening of theatre. The year 11 HSC Drama classes combined and presented scenes from Matt Cameron’s, Ruby Moon. 
The parents I spoke to afterwards were absolutely speechless, many offered high praise for the students commenting on their maturity, the slick performance and production elements. For a Production Experience Unit, these students really rose to offer their absolute best in this showcase. Magnificent performances and I am not doing them justice with these few words. After this I wondered, how will these students rise as they enter their HSC in just a term? All I know is this is a group of thespians we need to keep a close eye on, they are going to surprise us. Thank you very much to one of their amazing classroom teachers, Ms Samantha Novis, who is always so passionate and intuitive, inviting everyone to see the positives in every role and all opportunities. It would be remiss of me if I didn’t thank the amazing Mr Hummerston, whose technical capacity for lighting, sound and multimedia highlights why he is just so good at his craft. A cleverly recycled set elevated the design and performance space, as did the costumes, thanks to the kind assistance of Ms MacKinnon. If you’d like to see the programme, scan this QR code, as we aim to be more sustainable in Drama and Theatre.
Finally, I would ask everyone to pop a couple of dates in the diary, the incredible Year 12 HSC Drama cohort, led by their amazing teacher Ms Jansons, & supported by the talented tutor, Ms Amber Virtue, will present the Individual Performances on the 14th of June, this is just a small window on the way to their final exams brought to life to showcase their skills, and, on August 8, 9, & 10 we present, Away the School play for 2024 which will be performed at the Zenith Theatre.
Thank you to the Drama and Theatre community, parents, students and staff who continue to build magical moments in this shared space, it’s a pretty special experience.
Kathryn Smith
Acting Subject Coordinator of Drama & Theatre
Year 11 HSC Drama – Ruby Moon
The Year 11 HSC Drama performance evening last night focused on the Elements of Production in Performance. As part of this performance examination, students performed a collection of scripted scenes from Matt Cameron’s play Ruby Moon. Students have been studying the stylistic conventions and dramatic forms of Absurdism and learning how to develop and apply production elements to enhance these through dramatic meaning.
Well done Year 11 HSC!
Ms Novis
Drama and Theatre Teacher