Shakespeare's Women

On Monday afternoon, March 16h, Years 11 and 12 Drama students together with Years 9 and 10 English students viewed a professional production held after school in the College Hall, presented by the Qld Arts Council, entitled "Shakespeare's Women". The production was a humorous look at how William Shakespeare positioned women in his famous play texts, thus representing the mainstream views and attitudes of Elizabethan society towards women. The production was lively, fast-paced and entertaining for our contemporary world.
What do YOU think?

The White Earth

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DRAMA QLD TEACHERS' CONFERENCE

The DRAMA QLD State Conference for Drama teachers (Mar. 14 and 15) was opened officially by the Hon. Mr Rod Weldford, Minister for Education, Training and the Arts. In his opening address, he acknowledged 2009 as being ‘The Year of Creativity’ for Queenslanders, and encouraged Drama teachers and students to ‘take the lead’ in creativity in their respective schools. Mr Welford stressed the importance of creativity, emphasizing that young people need to be innovative problem-solvers in our ever-changing world. He said that we need “resilient, imaginative, resourceful students” and that it is subjects like Drama (with ‘creativity’ as its core business) that will take young people on this journey so that they can contribute positively to the world of their future.

Also a guest at the Conference and giving an inspiring address was renowned actor/playwright Bille Brown. Bille stressed the necessity of the physical in actor training, as the body is a tool of great importance for an actor. He said “You cannot be creative until you have mastered the use of our actors’ tools – the body being paramount”. Bille Brown also emphasised that the mind is as much a muscle as the mouth, and MUST be exercised by actors. “Thought, the mind, and the energy from the mind is everything”. We should train our minds in the old skill of memorizing, and that “creativity is about the acquisition of the old skills as well as spontanaiety”.



Bille Brown and an acting colleague later entertained the Conference audience with read extracts from his latest play, “The School of Arts”, due to premiere in Brisbane. It is BOUND to be a ‘hit’! Dont't miss it - 13 July – 1 August 2009.




DRAMA QLD State Conference was held at the wonderful new Southbank Institute of Technology, where students of Drama can complete an Advanced Diploma of Arts (Acting) or a Diploma of Live Production, Theatre & Events – Constructing and Manufacturing.

The White Earth

Years 11 and 12 Senior Drama students attended the La Boite Theatre's performance of "The White Earth" (March, 09).
Post your reactions to this production.

Our 2009 La Boite Drama Ambassadors

PHOEBE RODGERS (Year 11) and ASHLEIGH JENSEN (Year 12) will be writing us regular reports on their role as La Boite Theatre Ambassadors.

Year 10 students

Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was one of the world's greatest children's authors.

Some photos of Year 10's translating Roald Dahl from the page to the stage.

QUT Theatre

Another theatre to watch is QUT Gardens Theatre. Their first production is a comedy called The Hypochondriac by Moliere, directed by Bille Brown.

Welcome to 2009

Welcome everyone to 2009 - The Year of Creativity!

CONGRATULATIONS! To ASHLEIGH JENSEN (Year 12) and PHOEBE RODGERS (Year 11) who have been selected as LA BOITE THEATRE AMBASSADORS.
Ashleigh and Phoebe have already attended an induction day at the La Boite Roundhouse Theatre, along with over 100 students from throughout all of Qld.
As ambassadors, they will be participating in workshops, seeing all the productions, and bringing theatre knowledge and news back to our community to share with fellow students. Well done girls! We applaud you! :-)

2009 will be a great year for theatre goers.

La Boite's first production is The White Earth

Read Trent Dalton's review - La Boite brings Andrew McGahan's White Earth to life
Learn more:
ABC The White Earth
Anthony Phelan interview by Rosemary Sorensen
Gothic Drama makes Epic Feast
Andrew McGahan links

Chicago comes back to Brisbane in 2009

Start saving!

Broadway's razzle dazzle smash hit returns to Australia next year.

The show features Caroline O'Connor (Velma Kelly).

Caroline first performed the role of Velma Kelly in 1998 in Melbourne and then in Sydney in 1999, for which she was awarded the Green Room Award (Best Female Artist in a Leading Role) and Mo Award (Best Female Musical Theatre Performer) respectively. In November 2002 O'Connor proudly made her Broadway debut in the role of Velma Kelly at the Shubert Theatre. Her acclaimed Broadway season was extended until March 2003, and she moved with the production to the Ambassador Theatre.

In 2003 she performed the role of Roxie Hart with the London cast at The Baalbeck International Festival in Lebanon.

The musical theatre career of Caroline O'Connor is both extensive and acclaimed. In Australia Caroline has played the role of Anita in West Side Story (Mo and Green Room Awards), Aldonza in Man of La Mancha, and for the Production Company, Fanny Brice in Funny Girl and Mabel in Mack and Mabel. Her West End productions include Cabaret, Me and My Girl, The Rink, Romance Romance and Mack&Mabel in which she played Mabel (Olivier nomination for Best Actress in a Musical). She starred in UK national productions of A Chorus Line, Baby, Into the Woods, Damn Yankees, Showboat and Talent by Victoria Wood. For English National Opera, she played Mae Jones in Street Scene and Hildy Esterhazy in On the Town.

Her Australian productions include the one woman play Bombshells written especially for Caroline by acclaimed playwright Joanna Murray-Smith. She has since filmed Bombshells for ABC Television and toured the play to sell out performances at the Edinburgh Festival (where she won the coveted Fringe First Award), London's West End at the Arts Theatre (for which she received her second Laurence Olivier Award nomination), and at the World Stage Festival in Toronto, Canada. Caroline played Judy Garland in End of the Rainbow (Best Actress Edinburgh Festival, Sydney Theatre Awards, Helpmann Award®), the title role in Piaf (Mo, Helpmann® and Green Room Awards), and the title role in Scarlett O'Hara at the Crimson Parrot, a role especially written for her by David Williamson. Caroline has performed with the Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras, and in 1995 performed for Her Majesty The Queen in a Royal Variety Performance.

Her own show From Stage to Screen has been presented at the Sydney Opera House and was filmed for Australian television. Caroline has recorded four solo CDs and has featured on numerous cast recordings and compilations. Caroline's film work includes the featured role of Nini Legs in the Air in Baz Luhrmann's film Moulin Rouge, and as Ethel Merman in the Cole Porter biopic De-Lovely.



From 19 Mar 2009 - Tickets (inc.fees)$69.90 to $109.90 - School Groups of 12+ from $50.90

Farewell Year 12's

It is with great sadness that we farewell the SENIOR DRAMA CLASS of 2008! Over the last two years, this small group of 'survivors' endured all the challenges they were presented with in Drama commendably, and became a tight-knit group of classmates.

Their intrepid teacher will miss walking into the darkness of the Drama room, never really knowing where they are hiding to create TENSION of SURPRISE for her at the beginning of a lesson.

The Year 12 Drama class of 2008 are a bubbly, friendly bunch, and it has been wonderful to watch their talents develop and their confidence grow over their years of studying Drama.

All the best for your future girls!
Aim HIGH, maintain FOCUS, shoot for the STARS!