On Stage

Wenona performers lit up the stage in two major productions in Augusta welcome for Wenona Performing Arts after an almost three-year hiatus.

The anticipation inside The Independent Theatre was palpable as our Secondary School cast of The Crucible prepared to tread the boards before the first live Wenona audience in years. “It is wonderful to bring a Drama production back to the stage at Wenona. The most powerful thing about theatre is that it is live - an interaction between audience and actor. When a play is at its best, actors and audience members join in creating the event together. It was exciting to be able to do this again,” says Head of Drama Ms Tiffany Crittle.

For many cast members, it was their acting debut, and they did well to communicate the universal human themes in Arthur Miller’s challenging political text about the 1692 Salem witch hunts. The play was directed by actress Lizzie Schebesta, best known for her roles in Underbelly and Mr Inbetween, and who most recently appeared in A Dolls House at The Ensemble Theatre. “Through the rehearsal process, I challenged the cast to approach their characters with curiosity and without judgement,” Ms Schebesta says. “All were real people who lived once and found themselves caught in the quagmire of this imploding community. Nothing about this complex and widespread series of events was simple, and our greatest task was to humanise each and every one of these characters.”

Though full of the brooding, dark atmosphere of the 1600s, the play could not be more relevant to the digital age, with its themes of mass hysteria, the spreading of false stories, public humiliation and shame. “Theatre provides a unique opportunity for young people to learn about what it is to be human,” says

Ms Crittle. Ms Schebesta says she hopes the lessons of the play will stay with the students for a long time. “In Drama, students have the opportunity to learn through literally stepping into another’s shoes. The rehearsal process also asks young people to stretch into places they have not gone before. We had a wonderful time putting the play together. I learned so much from the passion, commitment and inquisitiveness of the cast and am so proud of what they achieved.”

The audience agreed that the production had been remarkable: “What an incredibly talented cast. We were in awe last night,” commented Ms Amber Morris. “Amazing, confronting and thought-provoking. A must-see! Well done to all the cast and crew on a brilliant production. So much talent!” said Ms Phillipa Friday.

Further north at The Concourse in Chatswood, just under 300 Junior School students brought enormous charm to Wenona’s crowd-pleasing production of the musical Annie JR. Few are unfamiliar with the classic Great Depression tale that follows the exploits of Little Orphan Annie as she journeys to find her parents and learns the true meaning of family.

This is the second time the Wenona Performing Arts Department has attempted to stage the show after the 2020 production came to a grinding halt due to COVID-19 lockdowns. “Most of the students had never participated in a Wenona musical before, which made the production even more exciting for everyone,” says Director of Performing Arts

Ms Kim Lemon. “Our Years 5 and 6 students are due special credit. Despite their lack of experience, they energetically threw themselves into auditioning for lead roles and worked together brilliantly.”

The audience was also full of praise as they poured out of the theatre. Mr Victor Andersson called it, “the highlight of my year,” while Ms Mellie Howell described it as, “absolutely sensational and a credit to the girls and teachers.”