TheatreSports School Challenge Grand Final Recap
ROFL, remember the dramas of high school? Remember doing drama in high school with all of the improvisation, the free-flow of expression and opportunity to create? TheatreSports School Challenge is an annual event that gives schools across Sydney and NSW the opportunity to participate in improvised scenes live on stage!
On Sunday the 21st of June at the Enmore theatre 17 finalist teams of comic teens took to the stage to battle out humorous improv to win the title of TheatreSport School Champions. There were 14 different schools some travelling all the way from Wollongong while others were close by in towns like Newtown to Newington. Each brought their own dynamic team who, with the help of their teachers, brought their own creative minds ready for any scenario to come their way.
Thomas Hanaae, a year 11 student at St Ignasius College Riverview said “performing in front of 200 or so people was challenging at first but then I overcame that through the support of my team members.” He said the highlight from his experience was getting to work together as a team and the nervous buzz of energy that they felt build prior to the show as they made game plan approaches to all sorts of hypothetical scenarios.
St Ignasius College Riverview won the senior grand final this year. Thomas and his team were thrown into scenarios that included having to pretend to be graffiti artists, constructing a tree house and going on a quest to find a mummy.
St Ignasius College Riverview Senior Team
There was also an intermediate session that had students from year 9 and 10 participate. Heidi Quinn, the Head of Drama for St Alloysius’ College says year 9 students are taught improvisation in their drama classes that are used further down the track. She and her school have been a part of TheatreSport for 11 years and this year had a team in each division representing the school. “I create a team based on their strengths so they have a nice blend of strengths” she said.
St Alloysius’ College intermediate team took out the winning title this year. Heidi said it was a tight competition but the team members made some interesting decisions were very imaginative and creative and managed themselves really well as an ensemble.
St Alloysius’ College Intermediate Team
For those interested in future participation both Thomas and Heidi believe confidence is a strong quality to have but mainly it is about having fun!
“Confidence within yourself and a confidence in your ability to interact with your peer members and having the ability to generally build upon whatever offer is given whatever situation is made and using that to the best of your ability” Thomas said.
TheatreSport will continue next year. Schools are encouraged to contact schools@improaustralia.com.au for any enquiries including registrations dates. (JC)
For further enquiries head to their website:
http://www.theatresports.com.au/
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