“All the world’s a stage”
Inspired words from Shakespeare that fuel our creative passions at UpStage Theatre. Our students are given the opportunity to learn about the dramatic arts through a practical, hands-on approach to performance. Workshops cover stage-craft, improvisation, self-devised performance, script work and audition skills. All classes and productions are directed by qualified and experienced drama teachers who are NSW Teaching Standards accredited and theatre industry experienced.
Our classes are held at St Mary’s Anglican Hall, 68 Church Street, Maitland. This is a wheelchair accessible venue.
Classes focus on developing skills in various theatrical styles including:
Improvisation
Audition preparation
Playbuilding
Physical theatre
Mask
Voice work & speech
Mime
Technical productions
Circus skills Performance
Script work
Stage craft
Social development
Individual tuition
Musical Theatre
Acting for the camera
A typical lesson may include a warm-up game aimed at encouraging students to mix and work together, a focus exercise teaching students to maintain concentration, an activity exploring one of the elements of drama and performance, an opportunity to create a short performance in small groups with a given stimulus and a chance to both perform in front of the class and participate as a part of an appreciative audience.
Older groups extend on these exercises as they develop performance techniques and also critique each others work. This helps students learn to understand what makes a quality performance in an environment built on trust and mutual respect.
At UpStage we recognise the sense of empowerment a student feels when they are given the opportunity to perform. Students are given the opportunity to perform every week during class and twice a year in auditioned productions which are performed in a variety of outdoor settings such as Maddies of Bolwarra and Tocal Homestead. Once a year UpStage also presents a One Act Play Festival showcasing the work of students prepared in class.