Every year our school calendar is filled with opportunities for students to participate in our own theatrical performances and for audiences to celebrate and support the creative arts, whether our own, or touring productions. For a school of our size to offer annual drama performances in all three schools - Junior, Middle and Senior Schools - is nothing short of exceptional. It remains a crucial and extraordinary aspect of a TAS education.
The Senior School Musical or Play
Both within and outside the academic curriculum, students at TAS have a wide range of opportunities to shine in drama, music and the creative arts. For students from Years 9 to 12 who are interested in drama, musicals, choreography, direction or the highly technical skills of lighting and sound, there is the annual school musical or play to get involved with. Auditions are held in Term 4 with rehearsals starting then and continuing until the performances are staged at the start of Term 3. Student roles include acting, direction, choreography, technical assistance, stage design and management and costume creation.
NSW Shakespeare Carnival
TAS has participated in the NSW Shakespeare Carnival for several years now, with teams of actors and musicians frequently winning the Regional competition to then be invited to Sydney for workshops and final performances at the Seymour Centre. Categories for entrants are broad and deep with Drama performance categories, a Dance/Movement category, a Music composition category as well as Film. Many of our Creative Arts students extend and challenge themselves to participate in this statewide celebration of the Arts and Shakespeare.
Our annual Middle School Production
Each year our dedicated and talented Middle School teachers assist our students to stage their very own creative arts performance with involvement in the full suite of skills that bring a full production on to the stage. Musicians and actors are there with others who would prefer to assist and learn direction, lighting, sound and choreography or the arts of backstage management, props, costumes and makeup. Anyone interested in creative arts rolls up their sleeves and gets involved. It is a golden opportunity.
From little things … the annual Junior School Musical
The Junior School Musical has become a true calendar highlight with the entire Junior School involved in creating an incredible spectacle. Over the course of Term 4 all students from Year 3 and above are involved in this musical performance. It is where we are able to instill in our students a confidence about performing and an involvement in the Arts. We’ve seen some incredible productions of Shrek Junior, Aladdin, Peter Pan, The Lion King, Seussical and Madagascar, to name but a few.
The Hoskins Centre - heart of our Creative Arts
The home of Drama at TAS is the Hoskins Centre, a purpose-built teaching facility that incorporates a 240-seat theatre. This theatre was generously donated by an Old Boy of the School, Mr Michael Hoskins, in the hope that it would inspire students to extend themselves to perform and experience the creative arts.
Each year the school stages all three major productions at the Hoskins Centre as well as a number of in-house concerts and showcases and in addition to this, external touring theatre companies bring their professional shows to TAS for the whole of Armidale and the region to enjoy. The Hoskins Centre is always busy and our students benefit from the rich, unique and thrilling opportunity to excel on the stage, in the music pit, or as part of the production crew. In recent years the diverse range of major school productions have included Rhinoceros, Sweeney Todd - the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, The Wizard of Oz, Oliver!, Bye Bye Birdie, West Side Story and Les Miserables.