A Bendigo thespian has embarked on a dramatic new business venture.
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Director Alise Amarant has taught in the performance arts industry in Bendigo for seven years but has now branched out on her own to establish Props Theatre
Props Theatre – a progressive drama program for children aged between 5 and 16 – launched on November 18 and already has 120 students enrolled in classes for 2018.
“Our tagline is developing young creatives for a wide world,” Amarant said.
“I felt Bendigo needed something bit different and I wanted challenge my creative outputs and decided to launch own company.
“I got a lot of good advice from people around Bendigo and did a lot of research.”
Amarant said classes teach students about improvisation, mime, soundtrack pieces, and comedy and drama short scripted plays.
“It is meant to be very organic and collaborative. We do things like what happens when music playing but you’re not allowed to dance. How can you tell a story without dialogue?
“We currently have about 120 students and are expanding into Mildura in 2018. Kids have been banging down the door for this stuff,” she said.
“Over the years I have definitely seen (drama in Bendigo) growing but with that growth, the overall industry needs to make sure it is being diverse.
“There is a beautiful push for arts and culture in Bendigo but we need to keep that diversity of performance.”
Amarant said she has seen a wide variety of personalities come into her classes.
“Some kids wont talk until their parents leave, there are kids who can’t stop talking but when they’re in a room with others they take a while to find where they are,” she said.
“Then there are kids who do the exercises every week but you won’t really see their spark until they step on to stage.
“That’s why kids need to experience the stage and lights, so you can see that real magic happening.”
Props Theatre is 40 View Street, Bendigo, and the Mildura Brass Band Hall.
For more on Props Theatre visit www.propstheatre.com.au of find them on Facebook.