News Release:
Externals tune up their acting skills
| 12/1/04 005/04 Smith House in Armidale is taking on a distinctly theatrical ambience for 11 days as 30 aspiring thespians from many parts of Australia participate in the University of New England's first "The Actor's Craft" Summer School for external students. The intensive school in practical acting and theatre skills, which finishes on Friday (January 16) with a public performance at 7.30 pm at Smith House, has attracted teachers, students and professional and amateur actors. "It's filling a gap for students who are undertaking Theatre Studies units as part of their BA degree but want hands on acting experience along with the theory ," says the School's Coordinator Sue Fell. The course is designed for students who have already completed some Theatre Studies units or have some acting experience and is a discrete unit of study where 80 per cent of the marks are gained at the school. "It's very full on from the moment they arrive," Ms Fell says. "One of their first exercises is to go down the street and pick up conversations they overhear in the shopping centre and translate that into a piece of theatre. The results were quite amazing and it was almost as if Armidale had come alive in the workshop." From the start with exercises and warm-ups each day students are challenged to perform singly, in pairs and in groups both through improvisations and from scripts as well as participating in chorus and ensemble work based on Brecht's Caucasian Chalk Circle which will be included in Friday night's performance.
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According to Delia Olam, a student and amateur actor, who has come from Tahiti to attend the Summer School the course has been "well worth" the long trip. "When I knew I was going to Tahiti 18 months ago I had a mad dash to try to find a university which offered external acting and theatre studies," she said. "UNE is the only one to fit the bill so I went for it and it has been a most rewarding and encouraging experience." Gosford GP, Dr Penny Dilworth who is majoring in French and Theatre Studies in her BA at UNE and acts regularly with the Woy Woy Little Theatre Group says the hands on experience is what she was looking for. "Apart from what we learn about acting skills the atmosphere of cooperation, give and take and trust we develop as part of this School is remarkable," she says. For Sean McKenzie, a fireman based in Sydney and a professional actor who has appeared in television series such as All Saints and in television commercials, the training at the Summer School "is as good as anything you can get. I was challenged straight away and it is adding to my skills and rebuilding my confidence." Bowral teacher Phil Cunich says he has been "blown away by the external Theatre Studies courses at UNE." What I am learning here can be translated straight into the classroom when school starts again," he enthuses. UNE was the first Australian university to offer Theatre Studies courses externally in 1992. Media contact: Sue Fell, UNE, Armidale (02) 6773 3506. |
