Theatre is alive and well south of the city.
On Monday the 18th November, I had the honour and privilege of being asked to be a Guest Judge at the annual Zest Theatre Companies End of Year Showcase. Each year, Zest runs drama workshops during the school terms at Investigator College, Victor Harbor to provide fun, entertainment and training. These workshops allow and encourage the young members of the community to learn, develop and grow their skills, build self-confidence and friendships all in a safe and nurturing environment. Workshops cost the members a grand total of $2.00 each session they attend and would not be possible without the dedication and passion of people like Terry, Peta and Cathy along with the Zest Committee and guest presenters who come along at various times. Workshops have been running at Zest for approximately 15 years and before that they were run by South Coast Choral & Arts Society.
On the night, in true community spirit, families were asked to bring a plate to share which gave everyone the chance to catch up, network, discuss the changes they had seen in their children over the year and thank the people responsible all in a relaxed and informal atmosphere whilst sharing food. Around 6:30pm, we ventured into the Drama Centre at Investigator College and were treated to a wonderful night of entertainment. Many of the workshop participants had put together pieces to be performed in front of their families and friends. During the performances, I was tasked with selecting six performances to present medals to. This was an extremely difficult decision as each and every performance showed talent, stagecraft, confidence, awareness and discipline. These young performers are the future of theatre and it was amazing to see what they had to offer. As mentioned, if I could have given medals to everyone I would, however I was limited to six, so the ones I chose were Sasha Bailey, Johnny Ducrou, Airlie Hastings, Daisy Heath, Millie Hough and Saskia Zorkovic. Each of these young performers stood out to me for various reasons, whether it was their courage, diction, stage presence or just their plain enthusiasm.
I would like to acknowledge and express my personal thanks and gratitude to McCracken Country Club for their support of theatre in their community. McCracken have long supported Zest especially during Covid when the company lost the use of their rehearsal venue due to School regulations. McCracken providing them with the use of the Corporate Conference Rooms at no charge and providing the medals and trophies for the showcase. McCracken also graciously provided accommodation and amazing service during my stay with them. Absolutely nothing was too much trouble and I encourage all our members, if travelling to Victor Harbor whether to see a show, holiday or work, please support another great facility that supports Theatre.
I commend Zest Theatre Company and their committee for their continued support and dedication to the community, theatre and youth on the south coast and we will continue to watch for the amazing talent you are encouraging and training as they progress in their theatre lives.