Performing Arts
College Musical
Ms Beth Thomson is in charge of Directing this year’s College Musical, The Addams Family, and has had the difficult task of casting the show from an extremely talented bunch of students. Leading the cast as Gomez and Morticia Addams are Roy J and Jasmine E. Playing Lurch is Luke M and Sophie C will play Grandma Addams. The fun role of Pugsley is being played by Year 8 student, Cruz S. The story is narrated by the follically-challenged Uncle Fester, played by Lewis M.
The Addams Family musical is really a love story between Wednesday Addams and her very ‘normal’ boyfriend Lucas Beineke. These pivotal roles will be played by Isabelle D and Marcus M. Completing the principal cast are Joshua C and Clarice C, along with a company of 25 others ranging from Years 6 to 12.
The production opens on Friday 23 July and tickets will go on sale at the end of Term 2.
College Middle School Play
Auditions have concluded this week for the Middle School Play which will be an exciting production of Peter Pan or The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up by JM Barrie. Thirty students have been cast in this production which takes us from the Darling House in London to Neverland and the Pirate Ship and back.
Leading the cast will be Brennyn I as Peter Pan, supported by Poppy B as Captain Hook and Kyrstine D as his trusty boatswain Smee. The Darling Family will be played by April A as Wendy, Rhiannon H as Mrs Darling, Peter D as John and Kailan S as Michael while Mustapha Z will play Mr Darling. This production will once again involve a puppetry contingent managed by the Year 11 Theatre Studies class who last year had already started developing skills in puppet creation for The Jungle Book.
Rehearsals commence next week and performances will be on 13 and 14 May with tickets on sale early in Term 2.
Performing Arts Staff Profiles
Mr Michael Cooper
Michael has been the Director of Performing Arts since 2008 when the Chapel and Performing Arts Centre opened and currently also co-ordinates Drama curriculum. Before this he was the Head of Drama Faculty for two years after moving from Ballarat. He finished his studies at Australian Catholic University in 1992, so this is his 29th year of teaching, 15 of them at Aitken. He has taught every year level from Prep to Year 12 but loves teaching Theatre the most. Sometimes he can be found teaching Music or Media but not this year. He has also enjoyed time as Acting Deputy Principal and Acting Head of Preparatory School.
Since being at Aitken, he has Directed (or co-directed) 24 productions and loved the musicals, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Who’s Tommy and Pirates of Penzance the most, although there are none that he did not love. His favourite plays were Foreigners From Home and last year’s VCE Play Eurydice.
This year, he is directing the Middle School Play, Peter Pan and the VCE Play, “boy girl wall”.
Ms Beth Thomson
Beth has been teaching Drama for 16 years, the past seven at Aitken where she is currently the Head of Performing Arts and co-ordinates the Music curriculum and Instrumental Music Program. She completed her Performing Arts and Education Degrees and a Masters of Leadership at Monash where she also undertook a Psychology Major. She has overseen our Primary Performing Arts program for many years as well as teaching some secondary Drama.
Before arriving at Aitken, she was the Head of Drama at Stage School Australia where she undertook a number of International Drama tours leading to performances at The Lincoln Centre and Disneyland!
Beth has two gorgeous children, Max (5) and Pia (2), and is looking forward to directing this year’s musical, The Addams Family, and seeing live performances. She loves the facilities that we have access to at Aitken saying that we are so lucky to have such a big theatre, amazing Theatre Techs and supportive staff.
Mr Michael Cooper
Director of Performing Arts