Grammar Gazette- Issue 1, 1995

The Arts

Drama festival takes on a new feel

Photography adds a new dimension to year 11 Art

Going round in circles Annabel Porter In the pas! Girls' Grammar and theAnglicanOlurt:hGrnm:marSchool have combined to produce some im pressive and successful dnunatic pro ductions. 'The Mikado" was one memorable perfonnanCe. This year thejoinlproductiono!Bertoi!Brech~s. 'The Caucasian Cl>alk Ciide" per fonned over duee nights in May was no exception. ''The CaucasianCl!alkGn:le''was pelfealk Circle is basedupon an ancientOUne.se legend and is ac!Ually two stories that con verge at the end of the perfonnance. When war breaks ou~ haste must be made for the governor and his wife lo flee their palace before they are mur dered by the approru:hing troops. Amidst the confusion and the chaos,theiryoungson,the soleheir, is left behind and then rescued by a palacekitchenmaid,Grusha,whotakes him with her, as she too flees tl>e palace. However, she ml1Sl outwit the enemy troops who wish to kill the baby and later face his mother who wishes 10 claim the baby as her own once more. Running parnllel to the story of GrushaislhalofAzdak,thejudge. The audience follows the way in which he gained his position and then how he reaches his final decision of to whom the baby should be given. The story is linked using a series ofnarmtivesongs which explain what has happened in the last scene and what is going to occur in the next The role of Grusha. the kilchenmaid. was played adeptly by Frnnkie Mnson and the governor's wife,lheschemingNatellaAbashwili, by Caitlin Hunter. From Churchie, Cameron Mitchell played Grusha's fiancee, Simon Shashava. Andrew Sly, the Governor and Matthew Dnmunond, Azdak. The production involved a large

die, on their bravery and creativ ity in presenting a serious perform ance with great sensitivity and so lemnity . Frankie and Bena wrote the Brechtian ensemble piece about women in war. The play was a col· Iage of elements: poetry, song lyr ics, especially uGoodnight, Saigon" by Billy Joel which was a focal point for the piece, letters and an adaptation of an idea from a novel. It was a moving and tightly struc tured piece which gave a different perspective on the issue. One audi ence member said it was "a sensi tive interpretation of how war af· fects people". Frankie and Bena said they "wanted to make them cry". They succeeded. The Interhouse Drama Fes tival is traditionally two nights of humorous, frenetic performances and Beanland's presentation has opened the door for future festi vals to be mucb more varied and creative in approach, theme and performance style. All Houses need to be coiDJOeoded on two highly entertain ing and enjoyable evenings. The lnterhouse Drama Festival provides a perfect showcase for girls wishing to display their talent In all aspects of drama, whether it be writing, direct· ing, working backstage or perform Ing. The 1995 Festival bas proven no exception, illustrating the large amouotofdramatictalentwithinBris bane Girls' Grammar School.

early O'Neill The 1995 1nterhouse

Drama Festival was held on the evenings of the 23 and 24 March in the newly renovated Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Audito rium. This year's festival was just as popular and successful as those in previous years, though some original and interesting work by the winning House, Beanlaod, added a different di mension to what is usually two nights of comedy and satire. At the conclusion of two very entertaining nights , first place was awarded to Beanland House with O'Connor House coming a close second. The final House to perform in the festival, O'Connor presented the colour ful and exciting "Fiugolbioder · Family Flame". It was an dy namic performance full ofmove· ment and energy that was obvi ously enjoyed by the audience. The audience obviously · found the series of incidents on the family holiday at the beach both familiar and hilarious. Spe· cial mention should be made of Caitlin Hunter who wrote the piece and starred as the father. Adjudicator, Ms Sue Benner, awarded first place to Beanland House after their dra matic and moving piece, "Down Together,. She commended Beanland Drama Captains, Frankie Mason and Bena Rid

Photograph by Wanda Wu Mahala Courtenay

"Time Bomb" fonns are incorporated. II has the po tential to involve screenprinting, docu mentation, representation and symbol ism as well as straight photography. This unit has such wide appeal because it is quite easy to learn the basic techniques, is widely accepted, and has a range of outcomes from the most complex to the deceptively simple. The cameras available come in a range, from highly sophisticated equipment to the most basic pin-hole camera. As a result, when the students aim to solve artistic and design prob lems, the student artists can create ar rnngeofoutcomes from a photographic essay lo body-wearable ar1 . For students at Brisbane Girls' Grammar School, photogra phy can offer something exciting and challenging with readi ly achiev able results . They can begin any- . where at anytime, be motivated by their results and see the world through new eyes. The possibilities are only limi ted by lhe extent of their imagination and commilment to the task . popular element of the concert. The number of voices and the depth of the experience prevalent in the group enhanced the performance, which incorporated superb solos and the indispensable accompani ment of various B.G.S. student groups . Working with an unknown range of people of different ages and abilities, the task of producing a first class performance within a limited time was certainly a chal lenge. However, this was success fully achieved with the enthusiasm and dedication of the conductor, Ms Heather Buchanan. A member of staff al B.G.S. , Ms Buchanan has achieved great success in school concerts and musicals and, with this choir and concert becoming an annual event , will no doubt con

Srudents in senior Art classes are now able to study photography as part of their elective activities. Photogra phy includes researching. developing and resolving ideas related to photog raphy as an Art fonn. Students are able toexperiment wilhthequalitiesoflight sens itive materials such as photo graphic p.1per, to capture and manipu late images on a range of surfaces, media. and forms. Photographic art is one of the few art forms that most have the oppor tunity to experience. Year II Art ena bles the students to develop this inter est as a life-long skill. The students learn about an innate sense of composition and how to appreciate the visual qualities of the environment. They become more visu ally IHerate. The approaches to the photography are both individual and collaborative , and can be both two and three dimensional. The photography becomes even more interesting when other art Alison Meeking Tbe culmination of many weeks' rehearsal erupted into a celebration ofmusic on May 13 at the Grammar Community in Con cert at Mayne Hall, University of Queensland. The feature of this concert was tbe B.G.S. Commu nity Choir, consisting ofstaff, past and present students, relatives and friends of both B.G.S. and B.G.G.S. Anyone with a connec tion to the Grammar schools was welcome to participate in this ven· ture. As 1995 heralded the debut of this choir, how the audience would receive this new concept was uncertain. However, performing works from "Les Miserables' and "The Messiah" , the choir was a

ensemble cast. musicians, da.ncels. a large group ofsingers and a dedicated backstage crew. New choir provides an special opportunity to make music

tinue to do so.

(left to right) Lady Ella. Lady Saphir. Lady A11ge/a PatriciaRhodes has another life

With weekly evening re hearsals, the schedule catered for both adults and students, working on the basis of attendance by choice rather than enforcement. Neverthe less, Ihe commitment could not be doubted. and reflected lhe sense of responsibility and musicianship of the group. The B.G.S . Community Choir offers a chance to continue music which may otherwise have to be denied because of pressure of lime or lack of opportunity. The general reaction this year was one ofgreat support and, with increased encouragement and the choir's re cent success and publicity, it ap pears that the future of Ibis group could only be to emulate and sur pass this year's success.

derful opera oflanguid ladies, preten tious poseurs and confused cavalry. Patience. directed by Deian Ping with music under the baton of Justine Willsher and choreography by Lyn Harris opens al the Twelfth Night Theatre, Cinlra Road, Bowen Hills on Tuesday, 6 June for a limited season. Perfonnances start at 8.00 p.m. Tues day to Saturday. One matinee per formance only, commencing at 1.30pm. can be seen on Saturday, 10 June. For BOOKINGS phone Tickelworld 13 1931. Twelfth Nigh! 252 5122orQueenslandMusicalThea· tre81441 15.Forattractivegroupcon cessions phone Deian- 814 4115 or lewis- 252 5122.

apart from her English leaching du ties at BrisbaneGirls' Grammar and a large part of !hal has always in· eluded the theatre; everything from drama through to opera. She has played principal roles in productions of Tonight at 8.30, The Mikado, Ruddigore, The Gondoliers, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Oliver!, The MatildaWomenandHangingOo. Her directing credits for the school are Riders to the Sea, Ap ples and, nexllerm, What Lydia Knew. Mrs Rhodes' next project is playing !he role of Lady Saphir in Patience,Gilbert&Sullivan·s won

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Page 10 GRAMMAR GAZETTE, Term 21995

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