FROM OUR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

WE LOVE HEARING ABOUT YOUR STC ADVENTURES AND SHARING OURS.

Find out more about our plays, explore behind-the-scenes snaps and share yours.

#STC2016 @sydneytheatreco

A MESSAGE FROM SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY

~

FROM THE WATERFRONT

FROM OUR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR FROM OUR EDUCATION MANAGER

It's that time of year again, and here I am doing a lot of things I feel I have done before, but for the last time. This is my last program for the company, which fills me with a curious mixture of sadness and excitement.

It is inevitable that I want to stop and reflect. The thing I have been most aware of at Sydney Theatre Company has been continuity. I walk the long walk down The Wharf every day and, sometimes, I remember my mother and father walking us all up here the first time. I remember walking up here with girlfriends, waiting at the end for university friends. I remember my first day of rehearsals for Cyrano de Bergerac... twice. How many times did I walk up here with my wonderful wife and sometime Co-Artistic Director? I seem to be perpetually running after my children up and down here. It is a fabulous company, perfectly poetically situated for its real purpose ? a point of departure. Deep water. Safe harbour. The beginning of a journey. The circle of coming and going and old and new...

Continuity plus reinvention. This is the paradox that energises theatre. It is the reason plays are published ? so that people can mount productions of them, reinvent them, find new life in them, make connections to them and through them to the past and on into the future. Recurring reinvention of story, of space, of the ideas that hold us together and tear us apart.

The diversity of the 2016 program provides students with the opportunity to open the doorway into all sorts of theatre ? to explore our cultural history and how the narratives of past and present intertwine. I hope that one of the legacies of my time (and Cate's) is School DramaTM, but another will hopefully be an increased engagement from students who get to see our work at its best. Enjoy the year!

Welcome to STC Ed 2016.

Providing students across NSW with access to excellent theatre is at the core of our mission. Our Schools Days program has been running since the company began and includes significantly discounted ticket prices (to the tune of about half a million a year!) to a range of mainstage shows.

Each Schools Day production is accompanied by a suite of vibrant digital education resources, including e-books, design sketchbooks, video interviews, posters, worksheets and much more. Be sure to check out our new Director Documentaries for insightful interviews and footage of the evolution of a directorial vision from page to stage.

During OnStage Week, we will have a special Schools Day performance of The Secret River with an exclusive pre-show experience for your students! In 2016 STC Ed is pleased to offer a forum designed for HSC Drama students exploring Australian theatre traditions and contemporary practice. We are excited to welcome reviewer John McCallum and playwright Andrew Bovell, along with a host of artists, creatives and STC staff who have witnessed and shaped Australian theatre history.

Our Young Wharfies and Work Experience Week programs continue to engage young people from across NSW as they explore the power and potential of theatre at Australia's largest theatre company. All the details of how to get involved are included in this brochure.

Looking forward to seeing you at the theatre soon.

Andrew Upton Artistic Director

John Saunders Education Manager

1

CONTENTS

3 2016 at a Glance 4 Digital Education Resources 5 Schools Days 5 Director Documentaries 6 OnStage Week 8 Work Experience Week 9 Young Wharfies 10 STC Archives 10 Backstage Tours 11 School DramaTM

2

14 The Secret River 16 Arcadia 18 All My Sons 20 Hamlet: Prince of Skidmark 22 The Hanging 24 A Midsummer Night's Dream

26 STC Ed Recommends 28 Access Program 29 How to Book 30 Venue Map 31 Booking Form

TERM BY TERM DATES

~

2016 AT A GLANCE

TERM ONE

Mon 8 ? Fri 12 Feb Wed 10 Feb Wed 10 Feb Wed 10 Feb Thur 11 Feb Thur 25 Feb Wed 16 Mar Wed 16 Mar Wed 23 Mar

10 ? 11am 11.30am 9.30am ? 12.30pm 5pm 11.30am 4 ? 7pm 4 ? 7pm

OnStage Week The Secret River Archives' Exhibition The Secret River Pre-Show Experience The Secret River Schools Day Australian Theatre HSC Forum School DramaTM applications for 2016 close Arcadia Schools Day School DramaTM Pre-Program Twilight Workshop for Term Two School DramaTM Pre-Program Twilight Workshop for Term Two

TERM TWO

Tue 26 Apr

Mon 2 May

Wed 15 Jun

11.30am

Wed 15 Jun

4 ? 7pm

Tue 21 Jun

11am

Wed 22 Jun

11am

Wed 22 Jun

4 ? 7pm

Thu 23 Jun

11am

Fri 24 Jun

11am

Tue 28 Jun

11am

Wed 29 Jun

11am

Thu 30 Jun

11am

Fri 15 July

2016 Work Experience Week applications open Term Two School DramaTM commences All My Sons Schools Day School DramaTM Pre-Program Twilight Workshop for Term Three Hamlet: Prince of Skidmark Schools Day Hamlet: Prince of Skidmark Schools Day School DramaTM Pre-Program Twilight Workshop for Term Three Hamlet: Prince of Skidmark Schools Day Hamlet: Prince of Skidmark Schools Day Hamlet: Prince of Skidmark Schools Day Hamlet: Prince of Skidmark Schools Day Hamlet: Prince of Skidmark Schools Day 2016 Work Experience Week applications close

TERM THREE

Mon 25 Jul

Wed 7 Sep

11.30am

Wed 7 Sep

4 ? 7pm

Wed 14 Sep

4 ? 7pm

Mon 26 ? Fri 30 Sep

Term Three School DramaTM commences The Hanging Schools Day School DramaTM Pre-Program Twilight Workshop for Term Four School DramaTM Pre-Program Twilight Workshop for Term Four Work Experience Week

TERM FOUR

Tue 4 Oct

Mon 17 Oct

Tue 18 Oct

11.30am

Wed 19 Oct

11.30am

Fri 11 Nov

Young Wharfies applications open for 2017 Term Four School DramaTM commences A Midsummer Night's Dream Schools Day A Midsummer Night's Dream Schools Day Young Wharfies applications close for 2017

3

SCHOOLS DAYS AND RESOURCES

~

DIGITAL EDUCATION RESOURCES

For each Schools Day production, STC Ed develops a suite of digital education resources to inform teaching and learning in the classroom.

Our resources aim to strengthen students' theatre literacy through detailed analysis of productions, allowing them to be active and engaged audience members. Both past and current production resources are available on our website.

ON CUE

The On Cue e-publication features essential information for teachers and

students, including:

? curriculum links

? in-depth exploration of the Elements

? information about the playwright

of Drama, Dramatic Forms, Styles,

and director

Conventions and Dramatic

? play synopsis

Techniques

? analysis of context and the world of ? learning experiences.

the play

? analysis of characters, themes

and ideas

VIDEOS

Explore behind the scenes with interviews featuring directors, designers and other creatives.

WORKSHEET

Worksheets are comprised of activities designed to assist student understanding of the play in greater depth.

DESIGN SKETCHBOOK

Featuring set sketches and costume designs straight from the notebooks of Sydney Theatre Company designers.

PRE-SHOW IN-THE-KNOW

Fast facts and key information

to read before a performance.

CLASSROOM HANDOUT

Featuring an exploration of an

element of the play.

UPDATED PAST RESOURCES

In 2016, we will be updating our digital resources for popular past HSC productions. These include Stolen by Jane Harrison and Ruby Moon by Matt Cameron. These materials will be added to our website throughout the year.

All our education resources and more can be downloaded from .au/edresources 4

SCHOOLS DAYS AND RESOURCES

~

SCHOOLS DAYS

Schools Days are our commitment to providing students with access to great theatre that complements the curriculum.

Schools Days are performances of our productions scheduled After the play, a Q & A session with the actors takes place.

especially for students on Wednesday mornings throughout Schools can also add a free Backstage Tour.

school terms. Dates and times are listed on pages 14 ? 24.

More info at .au/schoolsdays

Schools can attend a pre-show briefing, where a member of the artistic team provides insight into the play, the director's vision and how meaning is created on stage.

Backstage Tour of STC Pre-show Briefing Schools Day performance Post-show Q & A

9.30am 10.30am 11am or 11.30am 15 minutes immediately following a performance

DIRECTOR DOCUMENTARIES

Throughout 2014 and 2015, we followed the evolution of five Sydney Theatre Company productions from concept to performance to create our new Director Documentaries. They feature candid interviews that give insight into a director's vision, text interpretation and approach to bringing a play to life.

These documentaries contain exclusive content, with sections focusing on casting, rehearsals, production and design elements; along with behind-the-scenes footage of set, costume and prop creation, design sketches, and rehearsal and production images.

Our Director Documentary directors and plays are: Cyrano de Bergerac, directed by Andrew Upton Suddenly Last Summer, directed by Kip Williams Endgame, directed by Andrew Upton Orlando, directed by Sarah Goodes King Lear, directed by Neil Armfield

And in 2016: The Secret River, directed by Neil Armfield A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Kip Williams

The documentaries can be found on our website at .au/directordocumentaries and on the STC YouTube channel sydneytheatreco

Find out when new documentaries are released in our STC Ed enewsletter. Sign up at .au/stced

5

STUDENT LEARNING PROGRAMS

~

ONSTAGE WEEK 8?12 FEB

Students can experience extraordinary theatre during OnStage Week at Sydney Theatre Company. With an expanded learning program in 2016, there are more events and activities. Come to a show, take a tour and check out STC Archives.

SCHOOLS DAYS PERFORMANCES

The Secret River by Kate Grenville

An adaptation for the stage by Andrew Bovell

Wed 10 Feb, 11.30am, Roslyn Packer Theatre

Also available: ? Exclusive The Secret River Pre-Show Experience at 10am ? Post-Show Q & A with the cast ? Archives' Exhibition

Directed by Neil Armfield and adapted from Kate Grenville's award-winning novel by Andrew Bovell, The Secret River is a story of two families divided by culture and land. William Thornhill arrives in New South Wales, a convict from the slums of London. His family's new home on the banks of the Hawkesbury River offers him something he hadn't dare dream of: a place to call his own. But the Hawkesbury is already home to a family from the Dharug people. A family whose existence depends on that land. As Thornhill's attachment to the land deepens, he is driven to a terrible decision that will haunt him for the rest of his life. For more details see page 14.

AND IN THE EVENING...

The Golden Age by Louis Nowra Mon 8 Feb, 6.30pm Tue 9 Feb ? Fri 12 Feb, 8pm Cost: $45

In 1939, a lost tribe of Europeans was discovered in the Tasmanian wilderness. They were a band of outcasts who had escaped the torture of convict life, scratching out an existence at the forgotten edge of the island, alone for almost a century. Inspired by this true story, writer Louis Nowra (Cosi, Radiance) penned The Golden Age ? an extraordinary play that blends historical fact, Australian folklore and poetic language to create a post-colonial myth for our times. Directed by Kip Williams, with a brilliant ensemble cast, this profound and emotionally-charged Australian classic makes its way out of the wilderness and back into the spotlight. For more details see page 26.

Nathaniel Dean and Trevor Jamieson in STC's The Secret River, 2013. Photo: Heidrun Lohr ?.

THE SECRET RIVER EXCLUSIVE! PRE-SHOW EXPERIENCE

Wed 10 Feb, 10am Richard Wherrett Studio, Roslyn Packer Theatre

Originally a novel by Kate Grenville, The Secret River was adapted for the stage by Andrew Bovell and became a landmark production for STC and Australian theatre. In this one-hour presentation, Andrew Bovell talks about how he adapted the novel for the stage, alongside Set Designer Stephen Curtis and STC creatives, uncovering the play's journey from page to stage. The Secret River Experience also includes a special Archives' Exhibition for students featuring photos, designs, press clippings and much more.

Limited capacity. Book early to avoid missing out.

6

STUDENT LEARNING PROGRAMS

~

ARCHIVES ACCESS

A great resource for investigating HSC texts

Book a time during OnStage Week for your class to view archival recordings of past STC productions. STC Archives houses recordings of many shows featured on the HSC text list. For a list of available HSC plays, with corresponding archival footage and education resources, visit .au/archives Cost: $15 per class

HSC AUSTRALIAN THEATRE FORUM

The Australian Theatre Landscape: Investigating Australian Drama and Theatre for the HSC Thur 11 Feb, 9.30am ? 12.30pm Wharf 1 Theatre Cost: $20 per student

This three-hour intensive is tailored to the core HSC topic Australian Drama and Theatre, and will cover Dramatic Traditions and Contemporary Theatre Practice.

The Forum begins with an overview of the Australian theatre landscape and identity by John McCallum, former Chief Examiner, and reviewer for The Australian. This is followed by a panel discussion about STC productions of traditional and contemporary Australian plays. The panel includes our Artistic Director alongside other experienced directors, designers, actors and playwrights such as Andrew Bovell. The final session is an in-depth analysis of STC productions of The Removalists by David Williamson and Stolen by Jane Harrison and includes performance footage and production resources.

BACKSTAGE TOURS OF STC

Excellent for VET Entertainment Industry students and students studying production elements

Enrich your students' STC experience by booking a free, one-hour Backstage Tour during OnStage Week. Our Backstage Tour is like a roving Drama classroom, exploring all aspects of theatre creation and engaging students in curriculum-linked activities. For detailed information about Backstage Tours, see page 10.

Students also have the opportunity to walk through an archival exhibition of past STC Australian plays, featuring set and production photos, reviews, design sketches, programs and more.

This intensive forum is an invaluable tool for HSC students and will contribute to theoretical and experiential learning for their essays.

Find out more about STC Archives and our Backstage Tour on page 10.

7

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download