Swellendam Youth Theatre A Triumph!
The newly-formed Helen O'Grady Drama Academy Youth Theatre group in Swellendam has done themselves, their parents, guardians, schools and all of us in the Academy very proud indeed!
Established at the start of this year, the group has so far consisted of teens from Olyfkrans College & Swellendam High, who have quickly learned to work together across school/social/peer/age groups to unlock their collective creativity. And what a tremendous result so far, with their fabulous staging this weekend at the Swellendam High Kunstefees! Their play "Perspectives" delved into experimental theatre using aspects of mime, physical theatre and symbolism to explore prejudice. It demanded strong team work, and depended strongly on collaborative effort to succeed. Following are some comments received afterwards from the audience, who responded, laughed and thoroughly enjoyed the show throughout:
"A well balanced and structured cast, we could see each actor taking part equally...The play was so inspiring, I wish we could take this group and perform it for other towns!... You have touched my soul today, every word, every action touched me deeply, please tell your group that."
Some parents, as well as a school principal, expressed how visible the students' growth was.
Elaine du Toit, their drama facilitator, was thrilled with their performance. "What a great team we have!Through hard work and outstanding class participation, each student embraced the chance to be the very best they can be... to see how they have grown is really precious!"
Congratulations to Swellendam Youth Theatre, and to Elaine for overseeing the group's growth in confidence, communication, creativity and performance skills!
As of 1 June, the Youth Theatre group is now open to any grade 7-12 learners from all schools/ home schools in the Swellendam area, not just Olyfkrans College and Swellendam High.
All interested teens or parents should contact grant@helenogrady.co.za to arrange a FREE TRIAL CLASS, or visit www.helenogrady.co.za to learn more about our internationally-acclaimed program.
