Stars on stage for masterclass

THE late, great, theatre legend, Sir Noël Coward, Jack of all trades and master of none, pleaded with relentless Mrs Worthington not to put her daughter on the stage!

If the master’s description of the hapless girl in his parody song is any indication, then he was right, probably; however, there are tricks to be learned when it comes to auditioning, and, more importantly, to landing the role.

As part of the Ballarat Arts Foundation’s 21st birthday celebrations, chair Paula Nicholson, has engaged the actress Lisa McCune, singer David Hobson, writer and stage director Roland Rocchiccioli, and pianist Wendy Rechenberg, to session a one-day, performance based masterclass, specifically designed to help aspiring actors get through the awfulness of strutting-your-stuff, and, hopefully, landing the part.

The acting profession is not as easy as some imagine. The more you do it, the harder it becomes. You never really overcome the rejection. You have to learn how to push it out of your mind; to pick-yourself-up and get back in the race.

The auditioning panel want for you to shine; however, when you hit the stage, you have three-minutes, if you are lucky, to convince them of your brilliance; and of their loss if they do not hire you.

Your theatrical fate rests with how you use that precious timeslot. You need to master the art of not wasting an opportunity.

“I have conducted thousands of auditions over the years,” said Roland Rocchiccioli.

“I’ve seen talented actors lose a major role because they allowed their nerves to overwhelm them. In other cases, they simply failed to present themselves in a manner which encouraged the panel to sit-up and take notice.”

It has been said that success is when preparation meets with opportunity, and as Rocchiccioli explained, the reasons for missing-out are many and varied.

“I’ve heard a director say ‘I don’t want him. He had dirty shoes’.”

As the saying goes: ‘For the want of a battle a Kingdom was lost…’

Ballarat Arts Foundation chair Paula Nicholson said the masterclass was an opportunity for young performers to learn from the best.

“This is a learning experience for up to fifteen emerging performing artists aged 16 years and over, and who have a connection to Ballarat,” she said.

“There is no charge for the successful applicants.”

For those applicants who are not selected to participate in the class, there is the opportunity to watch and learn by joining the audience.

“This special event is also open to the public to come and watch.  You can stay for the whole day – and it’s incredible value, or you can just stay for an hour,” Nicholson said.

The Theatre Performance Masterclass will be held in the Helen McPherson Smith Theatre at Federation University, 107 Lydiard Street North, on Sunday, 4 July.

Tickets to be in the audience are available from the Ballarat Arts Foundation at $10 for students and $15 for the general public.