YOUNG ACTORS: Front from left, Zavier Hobson, Mia Jones, Charlie Lamaro, Brayden Hobson and Lily Stewart, middle from left, Ella Hobson, Tennearia Ball, Lia Robertson, Tahlia Jones and Tiegan Hobson, and back from left, James Redgrove, Joshua Redgrove, Brooke Percy and Sophie Robertson at the Quirindi drama workshop. Photo: Geoff O’Neill 140113GOD01
THE next generation of young actors is getting a chance to develop their acting chops at a week-long drama workshop at Quirindi High School hall.
Run each day until Friday, from 9am to 3pm, the workshops will enable about 15 primary school-aged children to expand their imaginations and begin practising and enhancing their drama skills.
The week will culminate in a performance for the children’s parents at the high school hall on Friday afternoon.
The brainchild of Quirindi resident Michelle Lawrence, who has studied drama, the workshops will encourage the children to start writing their own plays, as well as perform on stage and dabble in directing.
Each day the children, who are aged seven to 11, also get to play games, to help burn-off their energy and make it easier for them to concentrate on their artistic tasks.
Drama-related activities include pretending to be animals and interacting with each other, and acting out stories thought up by the children.
“It’s about understanding the drama can come from anywhere – it doesn’t have to be a script or a story, it can be from your imagination,” Ms Lawrence said.
“They’ve done really well. I’m really happy so far.
“They’ve never been up on stage before. They all want to get up there.”
She said she came up with the idea of the workshops because there weren’t many outlets to study acting or drama in the town. She is assisted by her sister, Leanne Jones.
“It’s something different. I don’t remember doing drama in school, and I went to primary and high school here. While there was a drama program, there wasn’t a big push for it,” Ms Lawrence said.
“I thought, this year if it went all right, I might try (including) high school kids next year. I know high school kids would be able to work a lot on what they would do in school.”
She said there was a good turnout for the week, despite other school holiday-orientated activities, such as local swimming lessons, being held this week.
She thanked the high school for making its hall available for the workshops.