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Theatre Lives On...line.

Our second lockdown has perhaps impacted our spirits and energy more than the first, and so it is with gratitude that I share some of the creative endeavours that Drama and Theatre students have engaged in during Term 3. I have certainly been uplifted by their willingness and talents!

In Year 9 Drama, students worked with classmates or family members to interpret and perform a short script. These ''neutral'' scripts required the students to create the characters and circumstances that could fit the dialogue, resulting in original and entertaining filmed scenes. You can watch how Isabella Varvodic's amazing set and costume design transformed her garage into a strange and mystical museum, where her trio of distinctive characters get a scary surprise. Big thanks to Isabella's family for joining in the fun!

     

In Year 11 Theatre Studies, we have been studying the Theatre of the Absurd, a style that originated post-WW2, and holds the existentialist belief that life has no inherent meaning. Well, we have to admit that this style (and one its most famous plays, Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot) has resonated with our current repetitive existence. Interestingly, we learnt that Beckett was inspired by the physical comedy of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, and so we did some Beckett-inspired movement improvisations exploring the comedy and tragedy of lockdown life, as you can watch here in Waiting for Anything to Happen.

Finally, I would like to thank the McKinnon families and community who have supported this year's musical production, Seussical Jnr. This production was an exciting initiative, where we invited senior students to be mentored as members of the production team, and support our mostly-junior cast. Just like the professionals, Covid-19 has driven us online and rehearsals have continued virtually in Term 3. Although a full-scale production is no longer feasible this year, the cast and I look forward to sharing some excerpts of our show with you in Term 4. 

Lucy Angell
Drama and Theatre Studies teacher
Performing Arts Coordinator