Commedia dell’Arte Workshops and Eclectic Theatre

VCE Drama students have had a busy start to the year!

In the first week of term, we were lucky enough to participate in a Commedia dell’Arte workshop with Rosa Campagnaro from ‘Make A Scene’. We explored the actors process in creating characters and improvisations through physicality, voice and mask workshops. This was an outstanding practical experience for the students, as they developed their knowledge and skills in this engaging performance style.

On Thursday 28 February, we headed to Melbourne to view the professional performance of Anne Washburn’s, Mr Burns: a post-electric play. This was presented by the Lightning Jar Theatre at fortyfivedownstairs, an exciting theatre space in Flinders Lane. Each year VCE Drama students are required to see a play on the VCAA prescribed playlist, so we made the journey and we were not disappointed. The show, set in a post-apocalyptic world and centred around an episode of The Simpsons, kept students on the edge of their seats, challenged their expectations and was an excellent example of eclectic theatre, as it explored a range of performance styles and themes of storytelling, nostalgia and the value of memories. Students are now required to delve further into the world of the play and develop their use of Drama terminology through their own analysis and evaluation.

Lisa Darlow, Drama Teacher