With an array of trophies are Whanganui starlets Elodie Burn (left), Dean Peterson, Emily Paterson and Hazel Paterson. Photo / Paul Brooks
With an array of trophies are Whanganui starlets Elodie Burn (left), Dean Peterson, Emily Paterson and Hazel Paterson. Photo / Paul Brooks
Four young people from Amdram Starlets recently returned from competing in Speech and Drama Competitions Te Awamutu and they all did very well. according to Starlets tutor Melissa Hawkins.
"At the Manawatu comps, the adjudicator was good friends with New Zealand poet Judi Billcliff. The majority of the kids theredid one of her poems — and they loved them! Then we found out the only competition left in New Zealand after that one was Te Awamutu and Judy Billcliff's at that competition." Judy said she had heard about the Whanganui kids through the Manawatu competition.
The four who attended the Te Awamutu competitions were Elodie Burn, Dean Peterson, Emily Paterson and Hazel Paterson. Each performed in a variety of disciplines designed to show their skills and talents across the full speech and drama range. "I did a character, Alice in Wonderland, and I got Very Highly Commended in that," says Elodie. In her scene, she portrayed Alice, in costume, falling down the rabbit hole. Her emotion portrayed was confusion. "And I felt Alice was very naive and kind of going along with it." She recited a New Zealand poem, which won her section, as well as a prepared reading and a poem of her own selection. The sole judge came from Auckland for the competitions.
Hazel performed as a character, did a prepared reading, a New Zealand poem, an own selection poem ... "I also did a mime." Hazel's character was Goldilocks appearing in court as defendant. She lost the case and had to pay a fine. "We also did an impromptu scene together," adds Elodie. In their scene they were on a spaceship and they had to convey happiness. Dialogue was ad-libbed.
Emily's character was a chicken: "Chook Chook", from a play about battery hens. Emily's character, Bron, was not content with being locked up. "I also did my New Zealand poem, Passage of Time, by Rangi Faith." Her own selection poem was Tattoo by Ted Kooser. She also did a prepared prose reading as well as improvisation.
Champion of the trip was Dean who took out his Age Group Championship, the Under 10 Scholarship and was awarded third highest marks of the entire competition. As well as the character, poems and readings, Dean also had to come up with an impromptu story after being given a title and 30 seconds to prepare. The title was The Day I Got My Wings. He and Emily also had to do an improv piece in which he was auditioning for an unspecified role and Emily was judging.
Improvisation and impromptu work is popular with the performers. "I think it's pulling it out of them that every idea is a good idea and that everything is something to build on and get creative around," says Melissa. She teaches improv through games.
Melissa says the standard was high with 73 competitors from Hamilton, Auckland, Te Awamutu, Te Kuiti, Cambridge and Whanganui, ranging in age from 5 to 23. "We had lots of Very Highly commended results and Elodie Burn was first in her section for New Zealand Poem," says Melissa. Many of the Starlets now have exams coming up.
