OCTOBER 25 - NOVEMBER 5

MALTHOUSE THEATRE PRESENTS

HAPPINESS

BY MARYANNE LYNCH
ORIGINAL EDUCATIONAL CONCEPT BY FIONA JAMES

A NEW MALTHOUSE THEATRE EDUCATION COMMISSION FOR YEARS 9 & 10

Malthouse Theatre have conceived this initiative for Year 9 and 10 students across Semester Two: the in-school component in Term Three followed by the in theatre component in Term Four. The project will actively engage your students in the creation of a new theatre production, enabling each student deep involvement with conception and creation of a theatre piece, linking directly to several areas of the curriculum; including VELS Level 6 and towards VCE Unit 3 Drama and Theatre Studies.

Happiness is an episodic theatre work commissioned around the diverse themes of Climate Change, for an ensemble of four actors. Like the best theatre, the themes in Happiness do not point to a single position but prompt a series of questions, propositions and provocations for both the theatre-makers and the theatre audience.

What is this world we live in?
Where do we see our future?
What is the world we want to live in?

The script, Happiness, is approximately 45 minutes in total consisting of numerous stand-alone episodes of 10 - 12 minutes, and intentionally developed to explore a variety of performance styles, theatrical conventions and dramatic elements. These will include: disjointed time sequences, pathos, heightened use of language, shifting perspectives, and the transformation of object/ character etc.

Early in Semester Two, teachers will be given a comprehensive stimulus pack including objects and reference images for the students, to provoke thought, risk-taking and the material’s potential for drama. In Term Three the schools involved will receive the script, and access information through a specially created blog conceived to assist participants in making partnerships, creating a space for discussion, and bringing together participating schools throughout the semester.

Each student group will select ONE of the short episodes from the script with the view to creating their own 10 minute interpretation through performance, including: dramaturgy, direction, design, set-up and striking any props/set. This selected excerpt will be rehearsed prior to performing their interpretation in the Tower Theatre at The C.U.B. Malthouse to their peers and professional arts practitioners.

ON THE PERFORMANCE DAY:

MORNING: STUDENT INTERPRETATION
- perform, respond, analyse and evaluate

In the morning each school group will perform their 10 minute excerpt from Happiness to their peers from a variety of schools and the panel of industry professionals, receiving dramaturgical feedback. All students are encouraged to actively engage in discussions on interpretation, design and performance.

AFTERNOON: PROFESSIONAL INTERPRETATION
- respond, analyse and evaluate

In the afternoon the students will be presented with Malthouse Theatre’s interpretation of the entire 45 minute work by an ensemble of professional actors followed by discussion with the director, the writer, actors, designers and participants.

ENSEMBLE SIZE: Groups of between 4 and 10 (with a maximum of 6 performers)

(There is no limit of numbers per school, as long as they are in groups of between 4 and 10

Students in their ensembles can be allocated other
potential roles of director, designer, dramaturge,
actor, choreographer, stage manager...etc).

PERFORM ANCE DATES:
Monday 25th October – Friday 5th November,
Tower Theatre
(excluding Melbourne Cup Weekend, Monday 1 & Tuesday
2 November)

TIME: 9am – 4pm

COST: $25 p/student for stimulus pack, script and
FULL DAY of performances in the Tower Theatre

Availability for this initiative is strictly limited.

To register, or for more information on Happiness, please email Fiona James, Education Program Manager on education@malthousetheatre.com.au
or call on 9685 5165.