In Week 2 of this term, the long awaited Wizard of Oz performance finally arrived! The show was a massive success and was loved by everyone involved, whether it was the actors, stage hands, teachers or choir, everyone was truly ecstatic. But what about the audience, how did they feel? We decided to interview students from Years 5 and 6 to find out.
As a group we spoke to Annabelle Holmes, Ewen Thompson, Ashton Kalf, Emily Harding, Madison Cacciola from Year 5 and Ashleigh Patterson, Mia Campbell, Will Wraith, Alexi Sorsa and Haston Bratley from Year 6 and asked them their impressions of watching their friends on stage.
Annabelle Holmes stated she found the performance extremely enjoyable and realistic and it made her truly feel like she was part of the movie. Additionally, everyone agreed that the students starring in the play, whether they had a lead role or a smaller role, were enthusiastic and put a lot of heart, time and effort into the show, which really shone through. When asked how they thought their peers performed, all those interviewed expressed they were proud of their classmates’ bravery and hard work. In particular, Mia Campbell stated, “They did a really good job of talking in front of us and not messing up their lines.”
We also spoke to teachers, Mrs Deborah Horn and Mr Khan Holm from Year 6, as well as Year 5 teacher Mr Cameron Hall. They each conveyed their true delight with regards to their students’ wonderful efforts throughout the whole process. Mrs Horn elaborated saying that, “[She was so proud of her students] because they worked really hard, especially for the little ones as it was a whole new world of learning self control and focus and sitting still.” Furthermore, Mr Hall stated that he was proud of them because he had two children in his class who were part of the show, making him believe it was really important they put the effort and time in out of school. He feels that this dedication paid off in the end, as it was clear that the students enjoyed the show.
Mr Holm was asked if he would recommend that future students should participate in plays like the Wizard of Oz. To this he answered, “Definitely, even students who don't really feel comfortable doing drama or dramatic arts should have a go, take a risk and enjoy it because they might just end up loving it.” Correspondingly, Mrs Horn stands with the opinion that opportunities such as these are the things you remember. “You remember the big experiences, as they stay with you and have an impact on you forever.”
Overall, this was an incredible performance that will be remembered by all. Opportunities such as these are important parts of students’ lives and should always be celebrated and grasped when given the chance. On behalf of TMC, we are thankful for the amount of guidance offered by the teachers, the endless hours of practice put in by the actors and the support given by the audience. The astonishing success of this production gives us certainty that the years of drama to come at TMC will be nothing short of show-stopping.
Hannah Clements and Lily Parker, Year 8 Students