Drama
The Drama Department continued to produce dynamic
outcomes throughout 2012 in both curricular and co-
curricular arenas. Student achievements reached new levels
of performance excellence, with participation attaining
unprecedented heights. The year commenced with the
stunning Trinity/Ruyton production of Shakespeare’s
The
Tempest
with the main character undergoing a gender
transformation to accommodate the outstanding talents of
Drama Captain, ImogenWalsh. The Scotch/Ruyton Middle
School play
Great Expectations
was a visual feast, while the
Ruyton Musical
Grease
proved so popular a matinee was
added to cater for ticket demands. A stellar cast rocked the
roof off Royce as they transported the audience back to the
1950
s, with bobby socks, petticoats and big hair. Ruyton’s
Got Talent was a hugely popular forum for the Ruyton
community to unite and show support and appreciation
for the many and varied gifts possessed by our student
community. Performing Arts House Festival (PAHF) proved
to be another dynamic and inspired event, bursting at
the seams with an abundance of talent and a wonderful
testament to the inventiveness of the Year 11 cohort and
their inclusive leadership, involving a vast array of students
from Years 7-12.
Performance showcases continued to be a feature of the
curricular programme, from Prep to VCE. In Junior School
students explored and presented a variety of inspiring
narratives. In Term 1 Year 3 and 4 presented
A Toyriffic Quest
and in Term 2 Year 6 drew from Shakespeare to perform
the magical
A Kid-Summer Night’s Dream.
Term 3 saw Year
5
devise scenes based around superstitions and finally,
in Term 4, the Prep-Year 2 classes presented a colourful
production entitled
Kaleidoscope.
The focus on developing
creativity, innovation and teamwork are principles that sit
at the very core of corporate culture thus enabling Ruyton
to boast a set of challenges that correlate strongly with
current and future corporate workplace realities.
To quote Mr Jim Lawson, Director/CEO of Young People and
The Arts Australia,
‘
Re-contextualising the Unit 3 ensemble
task is the first real experience, these, or any school students
have in project management, working both within and for
a team. This project is real, it has significant and meaningful
outcomes for these students and it has set goals and a
structure, but the results can vary according to any number
of variables.’
This is a problem- solving exercise in a team
setting that occurs on a large scale in a public forum. It is
a gentle acquisition of these skills from early years to VCE,
but scaffolding these skills is a key factor throughout the
Ruyton Drama experience.
From generally teacher-directed outcomes in Junior School,
students advance to more autonomous outcomes in
Senior School. In Year 7 student-combined creative talents
are used to direct and present their own interpretation of
Charlotte’sWebb, incorporating skills they acquire through
units working on dramatic tension, chorus work and sound
effects. Year 8 mastered the complex narrative structure
inherent in Soap Opera, while the 9/10 Drama electives
worked alongside professional artists in the development
and presentation of work for public performance. VCE
Drama students researched, directed, devised and
performed group-devised ensembles addressing Australia’s
relationship with gambling.
The Ruyton Drama Department celebrated a number
of noteworthy achievements throughout the year,
commencing with ImogenWalsh achieving a perfect
score for her VCE Drama Solo Performance Examination in
2011
and successfully securing a performance spot at Top
Class at the Melbourne Recital Centre. In addition, Imogen
was invited to be a guest speaker advising future Drama
students on how best to approach the solo task. Imogen’s
solo was later selected to be part of the prestigious Top
Arts showcase at the Palais Theatre in St Kilda. Another
praiseworthy effort was achieved by the Year 9/10
Performance to Production students who participated in
the Monash Schools’Theatre Festival. Their sensitive and
highly-moving response to 9/11 received the Excellence in
Writing Award. Finally the 9/10 electiveWorkshop for a
Dramatic Performance was selected by Malthouse Theatre
to document their final interpretation of script stimulus for
future students undertaking the task.
The many and varied endeavours of the Ruyton Drama
Department would not be feasible without the tireless
support of our staff and the FORDA Members, to whom I
am very grateful.
Mrs Christine Lucas-Pannam,
Director of Drama
Annual Report 2012
10