After spending an action-packed two weeks in the USA, our drama students are finally home – and they haven’t stopped raving about this unforgettable trip!
It was an exhilarating 11 days jam-packed with workshops, sightseeing and many performances. We delved into the world of Method Acting in New York, the epicentre for this popular acting style, and then translated this to a screen test when we visited Los Angeles. We also worked with the Tectonic Theatre Company to unlock the secrets of Moment Work.
Our visits to the theatre were many, from the moment we got to New York we ‘laughed till we cried’ at the farce The Play That Goes Wrong; were mesmerised by the beauty and horror of Orpheus’ Underworld in the wonderful musical; Hadestown, were invited to participate in the strange but enticing alien world of The Blue Man Group; watched an indie improvisation group take on Jane Austen; and marvelled at the technical wizardry of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. After the show, we even got to chat with the actor who played Dumbledore.
For drama students, it doesn’t get much better than this! The students get this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch and learn from professional actors, as well as explore the world and the different cultures present in the USA.
But it wasn’t all work. In the afternoons our students explored the cities, from the 9/11 Memorial to Central Park, to many of Chicago’s amazing Art Deco buildings, the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Santa Monica Pier. The students even visited a real American high school – Chicago Performing Arts High School and there were many cries of “Oh, this looks exactly like American High Schools in the movies!”. The students then shared staple Australian foods like Vegemite and TimTams with their new American friends, laughing together as the Chicagoan students didn’t expect such a unique taste.
It was such a pleasure guiding this eager and talented group through what for many was “the best experience of my life!”. To see them grow not just as actors, but as people, to see them learn the importance of checking that they hadn’t left wallets or AirPods on planes, making them aware of their impact on others when walking through streets, seeing how grateful and thankful they could be to both our facilitators and strangers was wonderful.
The 2024 USA Drama Tour was such a unique and exciting learning opportunity for students at St Andrew’s Cathedral School. It was an especially invaluable experience for our up-and-coming actors looking to do more on the stage in Australia or across the world.
None of this would be possible without our amazing expert teachers – I would like to thank Leigh-Anne Robinson and David Lindsay for coming on this journey, we as teachers had a solid support network which made our ability to engage with students so much easier.
We are starting to plan for our next Drama Tour in two years’ time!
Chantel Munro
Drama Teacher
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