Course coup for local class act

Mary Rinaldi hams it up on stage.

Hamilton actor Mary Rinaldi has been chosen as one of only 16 to make it into The Actors' Program.

The Auckland-based program is a one-year full-time course and has a unique approach to actor training in New Zealand. Students are taught practical skills and tools by tutors who are working professionals in the film and theatre industries.

Rinaldi said getting into the course is the beginning of her performing arts career. "I've been doing dancing and acting and anything else in theatre for as long as I can remember but until now it was never really a career."

Rinaldi took the leap at the end of 2013 as a result of her growing confidence as an actor, after taking part in 10 plays and three short films over the past two years.

Initially Rinaldi didn't think she would make it into the program. "I decided that I wanted to audition just to gain the experience so I knew what to expect, so I thought it would be a practice round and I would try again in 2014. We had to go through two rounds of auditions; there were 54 people in the first round. After the first round they then chose 25 of us who got to go through to the call back auditions, it was a whole day affair."

Helping to form the Remote Fiction Theatre, Rinaldi said this opportunity will allow her to bring new skills back to Hamilton.

"I plan to stay in Auckland for a little while longer and try and make the most of networks that I will have made up here.

"I want to use my training I will have done here to bring back to my theatre company down in Hamilton because our core values are based on continual training and development."

Rinaldi plans to maintain her position as managing director for Remote Fiction Theatre from afar. "It is just a fantastic opportunity for me to develop more so I can bring more to Remote Fiction."