Schools on Stage

ADELAIDE STUDENT CROWNED FUNNIEST TEEN IN COUNTRY

CLASS CLOWNS NATIONAL GRAND FINAL WINNER

Today (Wednesday 31 August 2011) at the Malthouse Theatre, 12 of the nation’s sharpest school-aged comic acts battled it out at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Class Clowns National Grand Final for their chance to be crowned the most hilarious teen act in the country.

Kiss Me Kate: Ringwood Secondary College, Victoria

Music and Lyrics: Cole Porter. Book: Bella & Sam Spewack.

Director: Ben Moody. Conductor: Victoria Wyatt.

At Ringwood Secondary College this afternoon, shots were fired, a bird dropped dead, faces were slapped, pot plants hurled, people were deceived, and a whip was cracked. Luckily it was all in the script.

Sing Along, Play Along, Meet the Players

The Australian World Orchestra Announces a New Education Program that Engages Directly with Children and Their Families.

Space Encounters Opera Takes Off For Queensland Schools

Opera Queensland’s chamber opera Space Encountersfor young audiences Prep to Year 7, entered its second year of touring on July 18. Space Encounters will be staged in 70 schools throughout the Brisbane metropolitan area, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, South West Queensland and the New South Wales border region before ending its tour on November 11.

All the World’s a Stage for Amazing Performing Arts Teacher.

ROBERT MOTTON led 40 students from Melbourne’s Ringwood Secondary College on a month long world tour in March. Lucy Graham reports that it was a lap of honour for a teacher any school would treasure.

The Wiz - Perth College WA

Based on the classic Wizard of Oz, The Wiz was first performed in 1975 with Motown legends Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow and Dianna Ross as Dorothy. With Jane Murray (Acting Head of Drama at Perth College) as director, the students of Perth College and herself decided to begin their own journey down the yellow brick road as they began rehearsing The Wiz for their Senior School production in 2010.

Rowville Secondary College, Metro Victoria - Grease

This year Rowville Secondary College staged the well-loved musical GREASE, its first musical in over 6 years.

Over 200 students auditioned for the 70 roles in the show, and 90 students were cast, as it proved very difficult to cut such a fantastic talent that was displayed.

The cast rehearsed for 6 months, bringing fun, frivolity, and an abundance of talent. The cast were dedicated offering great energy and passion for performing to ensure that this production not only lived up to audience standards of GREASE, but also was flavoured with a Rowville twist!

Mount Scopus College 2010 production of The Outsiders.

 

Choosing a play for young actors is never easy. The challenge is to find a text that is powerful, relevant, contemporary and appropriate for young performers to tackle. When I read  the stage adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s famous novel, The Outsiders, I felt I had found a play that ticked all the appropriate boxes. It’s a coming of age story, about young people discovering themselves and their place in a complex world.

To Kill A Mockingbird

Scotch College Melbourne in conjunction with PLC Burwood chose, To Kill A Mockingbird as one of its Year 11 and 12 productions this year. Directed by Stephen Ritchie, the play utilised the resources of the McComas Theatre with its giant proscenium stage and large auditorium. This is an excellent adaptation of the novel by Harper Lee so often studied as a Middle school English text. This show is extremely accessible to audiences of all ages and can occupy a varied cast of about 20 or more.

Peter Pan

Ivanhoe Grammar School Plenty Campus Ivanhoe Grammar School Plenty Campus Primary students shone in two magnificent performances of Peter Pan on the 12 and 13 August at Plenty Ranges Arts & Convention Centre. The classic novel by J.M. Barrie with music and lyrics by Piers Chater-Robinson brought back childhood memories for many in the audience.