Toi Whakaari: Nz Drama School Is 40

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Thursday, 11 March 2010
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Toi Whakaari: Nz Drama School Is 40!

This year Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School celebrates its 40th Anniversary with a tantalising birthday programme of productions, events, workshops and a new Conversation Series.

Toi Whakaari is New Zealand’s foremost and largest dedicated tertiary training provider for the screen and dramatic arts.

“I love the way that marking a significant anniversary opens up the opportunity to reflect both on the rich past of the school and the way it has influenced the growth of theatre in our country.” says Annie Ruth, director of Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School. “This year’s performance programme reflects the diversity of the school today and its ability to produce graduates across the whole spectrum of performance.”

Established in 1970 as small acting school for nine hopefuls; Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School has grown to a school of 140 with qualifications in Acting, Design for Stage and Screen, Entertainment Technology, Performing Arts Management, Costume Construction and Directing.

It has produced over 700 graduates over the last forty years, 80% of which are working in the industry today. Graduates from the acting degree include illustrious actors such as Cliff Curtis, Kerry Fox, Marton Csokas, Robyn Malcolm, Kirk Torrence and Rawiri Paratene.
"I was blessed with a fantastic mix of tutors and students, friends and adversaries. It was as difficult as it was inspiring and it was this team of people that helped forge a perspective that is unique to me and makes me valuable. I did this long before I ever worked on a movie or went to Hollywood." Cliff Curtis
Other Toi Whakaari graduates include Simon Philips (Artistic Director of Melbourne Theatre Company and director of Priscilla Queen of the Desert) designers such as Daniel Williams, (Downstage, Bats, Chapman Tripp Theatre Award winner 2008) and Matt Kleinhans (assistant in design for feature films 30 Days of Night and Laundry Warrior) and award winning theatre directors Tim Spite, Willem Wassenaar, Leo Gene Peters and Sophie Roberts. Sound designer Nigel Scott, (part of the team that twice won an Oscar for Lord of the Rings) is also a Toi Whakaari graduate.

To celebrate its 40th Anniversary in style, Toi Whakaari has developed a thrilling line-up of events for Wellington audiences.

The first production of the year is a workshop performance of Playing the Unplayable directed by celebrated German actor and director Harry Fuhrmann. He will be working with second year actors on contrasting scenes from three different plays (Ghetto, The Investigation, The Cannibals), that paint a vivid and moving account of the effects of the Holocaust on ordinary citizens.

Also this year we have a brand new Conversation Series that will span the entire year and feature New Zealand and international artists and practitioners. Guests include world-renowned designer Jean-Guy Lecat, Oscar winning costume designer Jim Acheson and New Zealand stage and screen siren Lisa Harrow. Each guest will be interviewed by a high-profile journalist and will speak about their careers, work, life and experiences.

In June the second year acting students and designers will present a freshly devised piece, Atamira, inspired by the ever-expanding home of Toi Whakaari, Te Whaea: National Dance & Drama Centre.

Following this, the School will present Marat/Sade, a dark complex tour-de-force directed by Annie Ruth with musical direction from internationally-renowned musical director, Mark Dorrell.

To finish the year, Toi Whakaari will present two iconic Kiwi plays showcasing graduating students; The Pohutukawa Tree and Wild Cabbage, both directed by graduates of the School; Rachel House and Leo Gene Peters. Audience favourites Go Solo and Classic Cuts are back, along with a Cabaret of Stephen Sondheim’s Company at the luxurious Museum Hotel.

“We hope that Wellington will help us celebrate this important milestone.” says Annie Ruth. “Toi Whakaari is proud to be celebrating 40 years of action vision and innovation and can’t wait for another 40.”

For more information, go to www.toiwhakaari.ac.nz.

Ends.

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