Second Echo Ensemble

As part of the Aurora Community Enrichment Program, TTC runs a series of programs for young people and communities in Tasmania. The most significant of these programs is the Second Echo Ensemble, the state’s only integrated youth performance ensemble of young people with and without disabilities.

Initiated by writer and director Finegan Kruckemeyer and established through a partnership with Cosmos Recreational Service in Hobart, the Second Echo Ensemble has produced and presented four performance works to date and holds two festival credits for performances at the 2006 Amalgamation Arts Festival, Tasmania and the 2007 Awakenings Festival, Victoria as well as a tour of Tasmania in 2009. The work is dance-based gestural movement and sound based on a script by Kruckemeyer, who also writes plays for TTC’s 2010 subscription series.

‘The Company I Keep’ will be the Ensemble’s fifth piece and they will be joined by well known singer and actor Fiona Stewart as assistant director. Fiona has taught at The Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music and appeared in TTC’s highly successful production of ‘Bombshells’ in 2008. ‘The Company I Keep’ will be presented at the Peacock Theatre in late May 2010. For more information about this exciting work as it comes to hand, register for TTC email news at www.tastheatre.com .

Class Clowns Competition

Tasmanian Theatre Company is sending two comedians, Gavin Baskerville and Mick Lowenstein on tour presenting Class Clowns Workshops – Comedy writing and performance workshops for grades 8-12. The Class Clowns Workshops will tour northern Tasmanian from May 3-14, and will cover the following: how sketch, stand up & musical comedy work; constructing a joke; writing comedy about yourself; stage craft and microphone technique; stage presence; persona/character; and performance energy.

The cost is a special once-only price of $50 per 90-minute workshop, per class, with a maximum class size of 30 students. For more information go to www.tastheatre.com or www.classclowns.com.au, or call (03) 6234 8561 for a booking form.

2010 Playreading Season

During 2010, the Tasmanian Theatre Company will produce ten rehearsed readings of Tasmanian plays. If you are a playwright and would like to submit a play to be considered as part of the Tasmanian Theatre Company Playreading Series for 2010, check your play fits the selection guidelines and follow the submission process on the Tas Theatre Company website (above).

Selection Criteria: Selection for readings is open to writers currently resident in Tasmania or with significant Tasmanian connections (eg. grew up in Tasmania). The writer is to attend readings and rehearsals if possible. Only whole scripts (not partial scripts) are to be submitted but they can be at any draft stage. If not the final version, identify at what stage you think your script is at. It must be the original work of the author free of any encumbrance regarding rights and the copyright of any other parties. The play cannot have been professionally produced in the current draft stage. There are no restrictions on style or genre.

Entries must be received by March 12, so choose your best play and get in fast.

Find out more at www.tastheatre.com.