Theatre Studies

Firstly, in alignment with the VCAA Theatre Studies Study Design for Unit 3 Area of Study 1, students had to complete a practical assessment in which they interpret a script for performance to an audience. Students were challenged to work collaboratively, creatively and imaginatively on the development of the production of Jane Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses. Students  choose two roles from a list of acting, direction, design activities to specialise in throughout the process. Including theatre make up, production properties, set design and construction, lighting design, costume design or sound design. The process is then broken into three phases where the students are assessed on planning, development and presentation.

In the planning phase, students create an individual and creative interpretation of the script through their specific production role, influenced by research into the context of the play and suggested theatrical styles. From there the development phase began. Students began to work collaboratively to create a unified vision of the script. Practical activities begin, such as the making and trialing of sound effects, until the desired production    vision   of Metamorphoses is achieved for  the final presentation phase and students are assessed on their production roles in a performance setting.

Anyone that knows me also knows how incredibly passionate I am about this subject. Theatre Studies is one of those unique subjects that not only pushes students to their creative limits, but also galvanises friendships and results in class members becoming a family rather than just a class. The last seven years teaching this subject have been some of the fondest memories of my career, which is entirely due to the amazing young thespians I've had the pleasure of working with. It is the way they have always trusted me to guide

them through the incredibly difficult process of producing a full scale piece of theatre; it is the way that they have embraced and celebrated the differences of all members within the class; it is the way they have professionally presented themselves on stage; but most importantly it is huge amount of fun we've had along the way.

This year's group have been nothing short of amazing! Their work ethic, dedication and the

way that they have invested themselves in the ethos of this subject has been inspiring to watch. What they created throughout this process was something that few schools or even professional theatre companies would ever attempt, but they did it without ever questioning whether or not they'd be able to. This confidence and enthusiasm resulted in what audiences were lucky enough to witness over the course of three nights; something I’m sure they'll never forget!

It must be recognised that without the amazing group of students that made up our crew, this show would not be possible. The theatre technology team did a wonderful job in sourcing and organising sound, music and lighting design that enhanced and supported the theatricality of ‘Metamorphoses’. Behind the scenes they also had dedicated stage managers who ensured all was flowing smoothly on stage, sometimes improvising to find a creative solution to any unexpected problems.

Thank you to everyone who helped us along the way and ,most importantly, thank you to everyone that came to watch.

Michael Brandt