BE YOU. BELONG.
Theatre Arts 2021
Kia ora and welcome to Theatre Arts at Rangi Ruru. We offer the opportunity for your daughter to explore her passion, whether it’s in dance, drama, or a technical and production aspect of performance. Our staff offer the support and guidance to those at any stage of their theatre arts journey, from those who may be looking for a little more social confidence, to those aiming to complete Scholarship at Year 13. Our incredible facilities including the Merivale Lane Theatre, extensive cocurricular programme and strong curricular platform, make Theatre Arts at Rangi an outstanding opportunity for the growth and development of your daughter.
Peter Rutherford Director of Theatre Arts
Theatre Arts at Rangi
Dance and drama courses at Rangi are focused on building our students’ knowledge and practical skills, as well as developing an understanding of the historical context of dance styles and theatre forms. We focus on the student as a leader of her own learning by offering standards that cater to her needs. Working alongside students to build their confidence and guide their progress, our focus on contemporary dance styles and theatre from New Zealand and around the world provides them with a solid skill base and opportunities for creative expression. With industry experience in the performing arts, our staff are able to focus on real world skills, and have an understanding of tertiary training prospects and how the industry works.
Curriculum
Drama is a timetabled subject in Year 7 and Years 9 to 13, with a focus at the senior levels on performance standards which assist students in preparing for external standards.
Our Dance programme is a timetabled subject from Year 8 to 10. Several dance companies and clubs offer students opportunities outside of the timetabled classes from Year 7 – 13. These include dance companies that students can audition for including Elite Dance Company, Senior Dance Company and Junior Dance Company. We also offer two dance clubs, one for Year 7 & 8, and the other for Years 9 to 13.
Georgina Scott
Old Girl, Head of Performing Arts
2020
When Georgina started as a Year 9 student at Rangi Ruru she had dreams of being a CSI-style forensic scientist, while doing a little bit of performance on the side. In the intervening four years Georgina has flourished in all aspects of the performing arts and is now set to play Eva Peron in our senior production musical Evita.
Being able to choose a wide range of activities is what Georgina sees as a strength of the programmes at Rangi. The way staff work collaboratively to ensure that students are able to participate in activities that have clashing practices and events has also been a huge plus. Georgina also cites the teamwork aspect in the dance companies and production cast and crew, which promotes not only the collaborative onstage aspect of performance, but the opportunities to direct, choreograph, stage-manage, design and operate sound and light for performances.
The thrill of performance balanced with the enjoyment of the process have inspired Georgina to focus on a career in Performing Arts, with a move to Melbourne in 2021 to study Musical Theatre at Ministry of Dance.
Eden Cotter-Longworth
Rangi Old Girl
Eden is currently in her final year at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) in Melbourne completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts in Production. Eden chose this pathway, based on her experience stage-managing productions at Rangi Ruru. Eden highlights Our House, the 2016 co-production with Christ’s College with inspiring her to continue production work as a career.
In her final year at Rangi, the Theatre Arts team were able to tailor a production course for her within the drama class to allow her to pursue
her passion, alongside the students doing performance. She also stage managed our senior production Revenge of the Amazons, assessing her work on that against the NCEA standards in Performing Arts Technology. Eden regularly returns to Christchurch to work as a crew member on events such as the buskers festival Bread and Circus, and will stage-manage a production of Our House again in her final year at VCA.
Productions
Every two years we do a major Senior production, and each year we do a Junior Production. These are often run as a co-production with Christ’s College. Cast, crew and orchestra are made up of students guided from the Performing Arts departments from both schools. For the Senior Production, we rehearse and cast in early February and perform mid-year for 5 nights to sell-out crowds. The Senior Production in 2020 is Evita. The Junior Production takes place in November each year.
Dance and Drama events
We strongly encourage our groups to get involved with local and events. Together with our curriculum and school-based activities, these events combine to provide a robust array of opportunities and experiences for our students. These events all have excellent adjudicators who provide specific feedback to performers.
Some examples of events include:
• Our four dance companies performing in the DanceNZ Made festival held in Christchurch. Dancers can choose to do solos or duo pieces, and much of the choreography is done by students themselves, with support from Hannah Clarkson.
• The Year 8 students performing a piece devised by the students and Kirsty Bell in the Stage Art category of DanceNZ Made festival, which they work on as a part of the Year 8 dance course.
• A group of senior drama students heading to the local TheatreFest with a piece directed by Peter Rutherford.
Our Team
Peter Rutherford
Director of Theatre Arts
Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Film from Victoria University, Bachelor of Performing Arts (Acting) from Toi Whakaari/New Zealand Drama School.
Chelsea Cope
Dance and Drama Teacher
Bachelor of Performing Arts, majoring in Musical Theatre from the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Arts (NASDA), New Zealand Graduate School of education
Kirsty Bell
Dance and Drama Teacher
Trained in dance in New Zealand and Bachelor of Arts in History.
Important Dates
February
Auditions for Senior Production, dance companies/dance and drama clubs and companies.
March
Otago University Sheilah Winn Regional Shakespeare Festival.
May
Senior Production performed with Christ’s College.
June
Otago University Sheilah Winn National Shakespeare Festival.
July
DanceNZMade regional festival. Local TheatreFest.
August
Regional TheatreFest, Biennial Performing Arts Showcase.
September
DanceNZMade National Festival, National TheatreFest, Biennial evening of Dance.