More than 400 students at the Good Samaritan Catholic Primary School in Fairy Meadow on Thursday watched a full dress rehearsal of a Shakespeare play involving close to 100 of their classmates.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The biannual production is presented under the name ThinGS (Theatre in Good Samaritan).
The first show was in 2012 and the second in 2014. The production crew is made up of a team ofl parents who donate their time and work with the students after school for two terms to make it as professional as possible.
Rita Finlay-Joseph, a parent involved, said following Thursday’s full dress rehearsal of A Kidsummer Night’s Dream in front of the whole school the main shows were a matinee performance in the school auditorium on Friday afternoon followed by an evening show.
She said the 90 students on stage showed the professionalism of the show after 20 weeks of rehearsal.
“They practice after school and they come in on Saturdays. It is a huge commitment from them and they range in age from kindergarten right through to Year 6. We also have senior mentors who are high school students who have been in our previous productions and come out and volunteer to help as well,” she said.
Fairy Meadow Fruit Market across the road from the school is the show’s major sponsor.
Mrs Finlay-Joseph said it was not just a school based event. The community and businesses were involved.
“It is just a wonderful community event,” she said.
“We have a lady (Catherine Phillpott) who does all the costumers who has worked overseas in productions. We have two mums who are musical directors and another who looks after all the props. We have a circus rig this year with one of our girls performing aerials. It is quite extensive. We just like the fact that we can bring kids from kinder to Year 6 together to work as a team and put something really spectacular for the families.”