Secondary Drama
It is an exciting term for our Senior Drama students here at BCC. Term three provides many opportunities for students to not only perform, but also participate in the production of and designing for performance.
Year 10
Year 10 will be learning about Australian Drama and Political Theatre through the study and performance of Ned Manning’s play The Bridge Is Down. Students have formed a production company, of which they will be in charge of selecting, rehearsing, designing for and performing this play. (The date is to be confirmed). Through this experience, students learn about directing, producing, costume, set and lighting design. They continue to develop their skills in communication, problem solving and working with others. The Bridge Is Down is a light-hearted look at life in Australia in 1954, the year of the Royal visit. A torrential downpour forces ten women (amongst them a private school debating team, a nun, a socialite and an actress) to take shelter in a shearing shed. Caught up in the optimism (or naivety) of the period their attitudes reflect the huge changes in Australian society since then.
Please come along and support our dedicated and passionate theatre students. The performance date will be announced soon.
Year 11
Similarly, Year 11 have formed their own production company and are preparing to perform Crazy Town by Jonathan Rand. Students have selected this script and are in charge of all facets of producing it for a one night only performance on 5th September 2019 in the College Theatrette.
Students are in charge of
- Set: design, function and construction
- Promotion: designing and liaising with College marketing staff
- Lighting & sound: design and organising crew
- Costume: Design, gathering, fitting and making
- Front of house: Organising event times, dates, supper, ushers, pack up etc.
Whilst students choose Drama in Year 11 to continue working on their performance skills, they graduate with many life skills that assist them in any profession. Skills such as initiation, working to a timetable, budgeting, liaising with others, communicating effectively and in a timely manner, working with others and problem solving are all developed throughout Preliminary Drama.
Drama Scholarship
Every year a Drama student from Year 9 to 12 is awarded the Drama Scholarship for outstanding commitment to the craft (including film, television, theatre or production)
This years award recipient was Peter Hyslop from Year 10. This Scholarship is to be used to attend a holiday program of choice with a reputable education body such as NIDA, WAPPA, ATYP or AFTRS.
Peter chose to attend a week long course in Sydney at the Australian Film Television and Radio School.
“Over the holidays, I completed a week-long course at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS). What an adventure! In a proper university building, there were five studios, three editing suites (not rooms, suites!) all of which were fully equipped for professional film production. What a scream! I learned so much at that course, all of which is hard to list, but the main thing I learned was that even the best technology doesn’t make the best film. It’s all about the storytelling, what you want the audience to see and why. The most fandangled gadgets and the latest software won’t get you there. It’s all about what’s in a film that makes it good”. Peter Hyslop