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Acting Up Newsletter - August 2006 Welcome to the Acting Up Newsletter for August 2006. Well! Firstly, I must apologise to all those who have emailed over the past few weeks inquiring about the Acting Up courses. Things have been extremely hectic here, finishing off the Sunday afternoon weekly classes, which overlapped with the auditions for "Chasing Pegasus (a play in ten chords)" - a project that has taken up nearly every waking minute in pre-production before rehearsals start this Saturday. So, I will quickly answer the most popular questions about classes in this email (and endeavour to get back to everyone individually over the coming days). When is the next lot of weekly classes taking place? We've been trying to work out how to fit in another round of weekly classes, in between the rehearsal schedule for "Chasing Pegasus" and have decided to run the next round of Weekly Classes Level One on a Sunday afternoon from Sunday, August 27 from 2pm to 5pm each week. Due to our being in Melbourne with "Chasing Pegasus" from October 1st, this weekly class round will only run for five weeks at the cost of $300 Full/$230 Conc. (Unemployed/Student/etc). We require a minimum of six students to make running the course viable, as hire fees for the venue we use for classes have increased and we need to know we're covering our costs. There is the possibility of also running classes on a Wednesday evening from August 23rd, again for five weeks at the above cost, if there are students who would find an evening during the week a better option. In answer to the question "Where are you based?" - we run classes at Mt Martha House, Crn The Esplanade & Dominion Road, Mt Martha VIC 3934. We don't have any plans until after October to run the next session of The Business of Auditioning, and are changing the format slightly to give everyone more preparation time before meeting the casting agent in an audition situation.
Report on June/July Acting Up Weekly Classes Level One Although we only had a small number of students participating in this course, the level of talent and commitment was impressive and it was a pleasure to go to "work" each Sunday with such dedicated and lovely students to teach. I was actually sad when the classes finished, which was a nice surprise! I apologise to the girls for the delay in getting you your tapes and certificates - incredibly tardy of me, I know, but they are on their way (my printer went on strike and I ended up having to replace it on Saturday, after a week of swearing at it and being tempted to throw it against a wall), so you will receive those items in the next couple of days. Apologies again!. "I loved it! It provided me with a great insight into theatre work, film, TV etc. It also made me realise how much I didn't know, and how much information gets left out of Drama classes at school! I found it helpful for audition techniques, Drama at school, approaching this field in the near future and... inspiration!" - Nataya Carr, Weekly Classes Level One "The course really helped me to identify the areas where I have room to grow, it was also inspring and a confidence booster. I feel better equiped to take on the acting world. I liked the variety of technques taught, and it was all really practical stuff. I'll definetly be using some of thes techniques in the future. Sally is an honest and insightful teacher who inspires you with her knowledge and experience, and to top it all off, she's genuinely interested in her students." - Belinda Lack, Weekly Classes Level One Acting Up will soon be able to accept credit card payments - this should hopefully be in place in the next couple of weeks - I will keep you posted. The usual form of payment (cheque, money order or direct credit via Internet or Telephone banking) will remain in place to give you the most options available when paying for classes. Goodbye to a Melbourne Theatre Icon I received the very sad news on Saturday that Wynne Higgins, director, stage manager, producer, Arts reviewer, journalist and once upon a time, actor, had passed away last Thursday after a long illness. Wynne was a stalwart of the Mornington Peninsula theatre scene, working for many years as The Mail and The Independent Theatre Reviewer, serving on the committees of several theatre companies including Panorama Youth Theatre and CEF Players and actively encouraging young actors on the Mornington Peninsula theatre scene with their careers, of which I was one. What many people may not know is that Wynne had worked professionally in the Melbourne theatre and film scene prior to coming to the Peninsula - working on many productions in town with some of our industry's top actors and directors. Fiercely independent, highly opinionated and always calling it as she saw it, Wynne was a true character whom will be sadly missed. On a personal note, I feel as if I have lost a mentor and friend, which I have. I will admit that I have been feeling a little fragile since receiving this news and my thoughts and love at this time go out to her immediate family - her daughter Tina and son Lou. Alert, sharp and independent to the end, Wynne was a one of a kind and it was an honour and a privilege to know her. A celebration of her life will be taking place at the Mornington Performing Arts Center in September. Acting Up Students Making Their Mark More great news from the Acting Up Student body! Sarah Hayden (student from The Business of Auditioning with Jo Rippon) has emailed with the following: "Thought l would update you on my exciting news! Since coming to your workshop l have been taken on by BMA (Barry Michael Artists), been in one ad for The Spirit of Tasmania, and have just won a 'featured' role in a Masterfoods commercial filming next week. Many, many thanks to you for giving me the confidence to get back into it. Look forward to seeing you soon at another workshop!" Well done Sarah!! That is great news and testiment to your determination, ability and commitment - I know you'll go from strength to strength - just keep going for it!! Are you a previous Acting Up student who's enjoying your own successes? Then let us know so we can share it with the world! Chasing Pegasus - Cast Announcement After an intense round of auditions, I am pleased to announce the cast for the 2006 season of "Chasing Pegasus (a play in ten chords)" to be performed at the Gasworks Arts Park Main Theatre and Mt Martha House as part of the 2006 Melbourne Fringe Festival. The level of talent at the auditions was overwhelming and the decision process incredibly difficult. It is wonderful to see such an amazing level of ability out there in the industry, which bodes well for the future of theatre in this State. So, without further ado, here is an excerpt from our official press release, naming the cast and crew for "Chasing Pegasus (a play in ten chords)": Incognita Enterprises, is proud to present the new Australian play "Chasing Pegasus (a play in ten chords)" as part of the 2006 Melbourne Fringe Festival. Written and directed by Melbourne actor/playwright, Sally McLean, featuring Ross Ryan live on stage performing his No. 1 hit "I Am Pegasus", showcasing an extraordinary cast of emerging and established actors including Peter Flaherty ("All Saints"), Kathleen Ronchi ("Henderson Kids", "Prime Time"), Sarah Penn (WAAPA Graduate), Jeff Richards ("Stingers", "Blue Heelers"), Tanya McCall ("Hiding From Hitler", "Nicholas Nickleby"), Hannah Fox (Actors Centre Australia Graduate), Josephine Clark ("Neighbours", "Blue Heelers"), Charity Shaw (National Theatre Graduate & recipient of the Joan Harris Award) and Jennifer Hansen in her fringe theatre debut, fresh from her role as Newsreader for the "Channel Ten Evening News", Chasing Pegasus joins the Melbourne Fringe Festival line-up for six performances at Gasworks Arts Park Main Theatre from October 3 to October 7, 2006. A housewife, two teenagers, a school teacher, an ex-singer, an author, a deaf girl, an accountant, a book shop owner and a shop assistant. What do these people have in common? They are all members of the Serendipity Book Club and they are all about to embark on an unexpected journey ... In a world where strife and terror abounds, where we are cajoled to fear, distrust, fight and destroy that which we don't understand, "Chasing Pegasus" is a timely celebration of what makes us different, and through that discovery, a recognition of what makes us ultimately the same. Essentially, it is a story about finding the extraordinary in ourselves and our fellow man. Headed by Sally McLean, Incognita Enterprises is the theatre and arts education arm of film production company, Salmac Productions, created in 1998 under the honorary patronage of Oscar® Nominated British actor, Sir Nigel Hawthorne. Production crew working with Incognita include Technical Director, Julian Duggan ("Nightmares & Dreamscapes", "Ghostrider"), Lighting Director, Paul Hawthorne ("Moulin Rouge", "Carols By Candlelight") and Production Manager, Marg Woodlock-McLean (Recipient of the Minister for Sport and Recreation Award for the "Most Outstanding Community Event of 2000"). Produced plays include the workshop performance of "PS I Love You" (set on the Melbourne Home Front during WWII) and "Bayonets & Bully Beef", (set on the War Front of WWII), which was showcased in July 2005 at the Victorian Arts Centre under McLean's direction. Completed films include the UK feature "A Little Rain Must Fall" (invited to screen at the Cannes Film Festival) and the Australian short films "fixNATION" (aired on Foxtel) and "Brigit & Benny (a modern faerietale)". "Well-written and even, dare I say, inspirational, Chasing Pegasus deftly holds up a mirror to the audience, reflecting back our foibles and frailties without, thankfully, falling into cliché or over-sentimentality." - TheatreTalk Melbourne Season: Dates & Times: Nightly @ 9.15pm from Oct 3 to 7 with a Sat Matinee on Oct 7 @ 4.30pm. Tickets: Tuesday 3 Oct (Preview): All tickets $10.00, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday Evenings: $16.50 Adult | $12.50 Conc. | $11 Seniors | $11 ea per Group of 10, Saturday Matinee: All tickets $12.50. To book call Festival Tix on: 03 8412 8777 or www.melbournefringe.com.au Mornington Peninsula Season: Dates & Times: Nightly @ 8pm from Oct 18 to 21 with a Sun Matinee on Oct 22 @ 4.00pm. Tickets: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday Evenings: $16.00 Adult | $12.00 Conc. | $11 Seniors | $11 ea per Group of 10, Sun Matinee: All tickets $12.50. To book visit www.chasingpegasus.com For more information visit
www.chasingpegasus.com And that's it for this edition!
Until next time, keep dreaming, keep taking action on your dreams
and I look forward to seeing you at one of our workshops (or
at a performance of "Chasing Pegasus"!) during the
coming months. A celebration of what makes
us different, To be performed as part of
the 2006 More information: Acting Up
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