YEAR 11 DRAMA EXCURSION: ‘AT WHAT COST?’
On Wednesday, 17th May, students in the Year 11 Drama class attended the production ‘At what Cost?’ at the Belvoir Theatre in Surrey Hills. The timely and provocative play explores modern Aboriginality and Tasmania’s ‘lost tribe’. The students were navigated through the differing perspectives on Aboriginal identity with unassuming clarity. Instead of picking a side, or trying to push a point of view, the play builds a picture of a system in which identity is a commodity, and everyone is a player in a game where no-one wins. For the students this evocative immersive experience was both a tragedy and awakening. Students truly enjoyed this, gaining valuable knowledge from the engulfing monologues, theatrical lighting and haunting sound effects. This is an experience that was a conversation starter for students as they left the theatre that provides a snapshot of the trials of post-colonial identity and ongoing fights faced by First Nations people.
Alyssa Giampaolo and Danika Jones stated ‘Our Year 11 Drama excursion was such a delight. The performance ‘At what cost?’ depicted a contemporary storyline about Aboriginal Spirituality. ‘At what cost’ additionally speaks about the politics behind Aboriginal culture and many different features that show Australia’s history. Throughout this performance it highlights the connection between people, their land and their community and the teachings extracted from these factors. As a class we learnt more about the Aboriginal culture, the way they look after their land and the beauty of their strength through relevant topics and issues that occur in our day to day life. We would like to thank Miss Abela for planning today and Mr Peters for coming with us to the theatre’.
Mr. Stephen Peters (Creative Arts Performing Arts Leader of Learning)
