St Stephen’s School is delighted to have formed a community partnership with the Joondalup Encore Theatre Society. This partnership will see our students given opportunities to audition and perform in JETS productions and participate in workshops. President Audrey Poor reflects on the importance of the skills learnt in the theatre and how they apply to life offstage…
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players…And one man in his time plays many parts.” (Jaques in William Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’)
There’s a reason as to why Shakespeare’s plays continue to be performed across the globe time and time again. In some ways Shakespeare can be can quite daunting and difficult to comprehend, especially to a first-time reader. But amidst the sometimes indiscernible sentences and poetry, quite often Shakespeare has these little nuggets of simplicity and reflection that hit when you need it most – such as said by Jaques in ‘As You Like It’.
I remember leaving school, with this mixed sense of excitement but also dread – Dreading the unknown of what I would become, who I would become and what I would do?
Yet, underlining this little nugget that Shakespeare spells out in his play above (one that I often reflect on when I’m worried, confused or stressed), a secret is shared; a secret of adulthood that no one really ever admits – That we don’t really know – That we simply continue to play, and figure it out as we go.
The reason that I continue to come back to Theatre is because it has the ability to ground you. By playing another character, you put yourself in another person’s shoes; by improvising you learn to think on your feet using the limited information you have; by working in a cast of other actors you’re forced to live, work and learn beside people you don’t know anything about. You then have to present a version of reality to a live audience – An experience that teaches you how to overcome fear in an environment that is quite forgiving in a lot of ways – Because at the end of the day, it isn’t real, but it certainly can feel that way at times.
One of my favourite quotes, from playwright Geroge Bernard Shaw, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” And once we stop playing, we no longer remember how it feels to be alive.
The Secret Life of Humans will be performed in the Duncraig Theatre over two weekends in April with 3 St Stephen’s School students appearing in the ensemble. To secure your tickets click here
