2006 School Magazine

OnwiththeShow

Express it

Being Juliet This year I was lucky enough to be chosen to play the role of Juliet in the joint Senior Grammars production of Romeo and Juliet. Mr Patterson, who directed the play, chose to take a traditional approach to the original script. He maintained the language of the tragedy about the ‘star crossed’ young lovers written by Shakespeare in 1595, accentuating that the tragedy is about the love and passion between two young people who eventually take their own lives. Unfortunately, I amnot a Drama student.When the time came for me to choose subjects for Year 9, I could not select all the subjects I would have liked and had tomake the difficult decision to drop Drama. Therefore, it was particularly exciting for me to audition and be chosen to play the role of Juliet. A particular highlight for me in the play was that I had the opportunity to recite some of the play’s most famous lines: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet”, and “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?” as well as creating a deeper understanding of history’s most beloved playwright. We all worked hard to learn our lines and say them convincingly, trying to understand the unfamiliar language and putting in long hours at late night rehearsals before and during the Easter holidays. However, it all started to become real with costume selections and dress rehearsals. The performances over three nights went by so quickly. The setting was outdoors beneath the old Brisbane Grammar library building with floodlights panning up this lovely old building. The props and sets were minimal so that the focus was on the performance, including some very exciting fight sequences choreographed by Mr Nigel Paulson of the Bell Shakespeare Company. It was an exhausting but exhilarating experience for me. I don’t imagine that too many Julias get the opportunity to be Juliet.

Celebrating a prestigious past student

Theatre Dance Theatre Dance 2006 has been a very rewarding and exciting year for all of those involved. Our small dedicated group of girls have worked hard all year round, learning new routines, dancing in front of an audience and making new friends. This year Theatre Dance has had a new co-ordinator from outside the School environment, Mrs MacDonald, who has given Theatre Dance a revamp of style and finesse. She has choreographed and taught marvellous dances to all the girls in Theatre Dance this year. Thanks must also go to Stavroula Vergotis (12E), Clare Collyer (12G) and Rachel Quilligan (9M) for choreographing and teaching the girls some very creative and professional dances. Our leadership roles as Theatre Dance captains have given us more joy thanwe imagined, as wewatched all the Theatre Dance girls improve their skills and growmore confident in their ability. It has been a pleasure to dance with them all. Hilary Jordan (12W) and Clare Collyer (12G) Captains Drama Club Drama Club this year was a beautiful bonanza of enthusiastic girls, who worked together with flair, used their skills with style and improved vocally and theatrically. The girls were independent and self-reliant in their work, therefore bringing pride to our club. The amazing plethora of personalities made Thursday afternoon Drama Club the funniest, most enjoyable day of my week. I know their drama futures will be very bright, and I wish them well for their future years at Grammar.

2006 has been the first official year for the Gwen Harwood Society. This groupcommemoratesGirlsGrammar alumnae, Gwen Harwood (1937), an acclaimed Australian poet. Thegroupmeets regularly todiscuss literature and encourage creative writing skills. Groupmembers enjoy writing pieces from a variety of stimuli provided by the teacher- in-charge, Mr R Laur. Students also work on personal projects and seek constructive criticism from Mr Laur and fellow writers-in-training. The weekly workshops involve writing exercises, as well as fervent discussions on classical poetry and prose, as well as literature from popular culture. Members of the Gwen Harwood Society always gain insights into writers and their work, as well as their own ideas, in these informal symposiums. The Society also helps to build the girls’ confidence because at the end of each session, creative pieces are read aloud. It is evident from the recitations that the Society enjoys a great capacity for humour,controversyandsometimes cynicism, but always appreciates the written word.

Ready to read Reading group is a diverse group of girls who just love to read. You don’t have to read a book a night to be in this group. We simply discuss our favourite things: books. Some of our reviews can be found around the library for thosewho feel like selecting a good book to read. One of the advantages members of this group enjoy is the opportunity to investigate the newbooks Mrs DAdams brings to our fortnightlymeetings. Reading Group members are given first “read”. During 2006, members have participated in the Australian Reader’s Challenge. Each participant had to read at least ten books from the list which was given on paying the registration fee of $5. The list included great authors such as Li Cuxin (Mao’s Last Dancer) and Sally Gardener (I, Coriander). The money raised from the challenge is devoted to ‘helping other children to know the joy of reading’. We were astonished to find that in some remote indigenous communities illiteracy is as high as 93 per cent. How sad it is that some of our fellow Australians are not given the chance to read, not only an enjoyment, but also a necessity for the workforce and for finding out about what is happening in the world. Everyone received a feeling of satisfaction at being able to provide reading material for these people. With another year comes another Open Day, and with another Open Day comes another batch of fresh Year 7s to entice into joining Reading Group. This year, our method of fishing included interesting and colourful reviews and posters written andmade bymembers of the group. But our main form of baitwas abookmark-makingareawhere everyone could come andmake her own creation from a variety of coloured cardboard, ribbon and stickers. Overall, the night was incredibly successful and enjoyable with many prospective Reading Groupers caught.

Julia Colwill (11G)

Under Construction Throughout Term III, several dedicated drama students rehearsed their project, “Under Construction”. This collaborative production featured two plays, “The Cagebirds” directed by Mrs P Murphy and starring

Sherlyn Hii (11W)

Year 10 and 11 students, and “Ten Days”, written and directed by Year 11 student, Sarida McLeod (11L), starring Year 11 and 12 students from both Grammar Schools. As the Creative Learning Centre was under construction, so were our plays, and we hope to perform them again in the new building. The students must be commended for their enthusiasm, and a huge thank you to Mrs Murphy for making “Under Construction” possible.

Ellen Harrison (9R) and Shiromani Singh (9G) Team Leaders

Eleanor Todd (11H) Assistant Director

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Nicole Fraser (12H) Captain

Br isbane Gir ls Grammar School

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