Snow White

Director's Note

There is nothing better than working in a team on a project and seeing it all come to life! This year we announced the show on the last day of term one and didn’t start rehearsals until after May. The students have been INCREDIBLE, learning all their lines and being prepared to stage the show in just nine weeks. This is no easy task for an adult, let alone high school students (some brand new to the stage)!

After our 2023 success of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, the Horsham College production program has grown from 23 students to 52, including our wonderful stage crew. This year stage crew students joined the rehearsals from the very start to watch how the show they are moving all comes together. This has proven very useful, and having more students in the rehearsal room than previously involved has made rehearsals even more fun! Some have even found themselves dressing up like villagers to help sell programs, and many have joined in singing side stage to boost vocals! I have no doubt that we will see many of our excellent Snow White stage crew contemplating auditioning for different on stage roles next year. 

School production is about so much more than what you see on stage. The students who get involved are like an extended family. They high five each other as they pass one another in the school yard, and always have the time to say hello to one another, no matter what year level they are in. They look out for each other and support each other in their differences! It brings out the confidence in the most quiet, reserved personalities, helping prepare for their future ahead. Production also allows our students to engage in applied learning, showing them where the skills they are learning in the classroom can actually take them for a career. 

This year students from Year 8 Theatre Studies, Year 9 Sketchy As and Year 7 Drama all had a hand in creating and developing  part of the set, props and costumes. Sketch As students followed the design process to create the steampunk hats you see on stage, Theatre Studies students designed the sets and some costumes and the year 7 Drama students learned basic skills in set painting. 

This year, the turn around from initial vision to being on stage has been a fast but smooth run, and it’s all thanks to the incredible community and College support, as well as our sponsors who back us up. Without them our shows wouldn't be the same. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our sponsors and community groups for their support. Petar, Hayley, Meg, Clare and Will, what can I say? This doesn’t happen without a few incredible people working from the inside that no one sees! Thank you for all your hard work to see this show across the line. The Town Hall staff are always brillant to work with, making sure that we have the best show possible. I would also like to thank my Hubby and my beautiful children for supporting me in my creative ambitions - I couldn't do it without you! Last but not least, our incredible cast and crew deserve all the praise in the world! You are AMAZING!

I am lucky. I am lucky because I have one of the best jobs anyone could ask for. I get to teach my passion and see the excitement on students' faces when they get up on that stage! It’s a lot of hours, but when the opening night curtain comes down, there are not enough words to express how proud I am of each and every student involved. I thank them for their dedication and hard work and I hope you will join me in enjoying their efforts, as we welcome you to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Emily Friedrichsen,

Director.