From the 17th October to the 22nd November 2003, the graduating class of the UNITEC Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts - Acting, will be performing for the very last time as students. From the 17th October to the 22nd November 2003, the graduating class of the UNITEC Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts - Acting, will be performing for the very last time as students.The incredible skills and techniques they have been developing over the past three years will be showcased to the public through three exuberant pieces of theatre. These diverse and fascinating performances (two of which are World Premieres) will be brought to life by a range of New Zealand's leading practitioners who, through their own extensive experience, will let these young stars of tomorrow shine. It is a testimony to the sheer wealth of talented young graduates in 2003 that this year there will be three and not the usual two productions staged.

1) OTHELLO
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Elric Hooper MBE D.Litt ALAM
Designed by Alice Tinning
17.10.03 - 01.11.03
Kingsland Central - 5 Central Rd, Kingsland

Elric Hooper, one of New Zealand's most respected and honoured theatre directors, will tackle Othello for the third time as he directs his second full length piece for UNITEC. Hooper describes Othello as "..one of history's truly great plays - " and believes there "..is no greater commentary of sexual jealousy written in the English language." He sees Othello as a man who is a victim of his own insecurities who, due to his ignorance of intellectual society and courtly ways, becomes prey to his own passions and suffers the downfall of a man whose practical intelligence is no match for Iago's manipulations of logic. Hooper's Othello will be a trimmed down 2 ½ hours and stars 6 exceptional graduating students including a very Pacific Tongan Moor - John Tui who Hooper describes as "astonishingly good." It also has the honour of being UNITEC's first production to be staged at Kingsland Central which has given designer Alice Tinning a whole new palette of options to play with.

Since leaving his full time position as artistic director of the Court Theatre in 2000 after 21 years, Hooper has been in great demand as a teacher, director, performer and mentor. He has just completed directing the opera Madame Butterfly in Dunedin's Regent Theatre and will continue on to work with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra in late November. He always enjoys returning to UNITEC however because of the sheer energy and exuberance of the students who are also "marvellously disciplined." Hooper has worked with such greats as Franco Zefferelli and Dame Ngaio Marsh, so this is high praise indeed for the graduating class of 2003 who will undoubtedly shine in William Shakespeare's Othello.

2) LOUISA MAY
By Ros Gardner
Directed by Elizabeth Hawthorne
Designed by John Parker
18.10.03 - 01.11.03
UNITEC Theatre

When posed with presenting the large number of graduating female students in the best vehicle for their talents, the American Classic Little Women was looked to as a possibility. Though interesting it soon became apparent to playwright Ros Gardner that it was the life of its author, the extraordinary Louisa May Alcott, that was a much more riveting story that could be told. Ten months of research, untold hours of trawling the internet and innumerable readings of Little Women later, and Louisa May is the result. In the first of UNITEC's World Premieres for 2003 this amazing theatrical event weaves the reality of Alcott's life with the imagined reality she so desperately wanted. Even though her name was synonymous with representing the idyllic American family life of the 1870's and 80's, this was in fact far from reality for the Alcott family. How did this rebellious woman from Boston who wished to climb trees and escape her repressive parents become THE most popular children's novelist in America? How did a woman manage to not only survive in the male dominated domain of literature, but triumph as well? Why was Little Women nothing Alcott ever wanted to write? How did her father's tight grip on her life influence Alcott's relationships with other men? How did America embrace this extraordinary woman who died so young and dreamed so high? Louisa May sheds light and these and many more issues surrounding this enigmatic figure of American fiction as it draws you into both her real and imagined worlds.

Louisa May is being directed by one of New Zealand theatre's first ladies; Elizabeth Hawthorne who in doing so will draw on her twenty eight years of theatre and film experience. This is her second time directing for UNITEC and as someone new to directing, she is excited about the new opportunities for growth working on Louisa May affords her. "This has been an absolutely fascinating process" she explains, "bringing to life actual characters from history is amazing. Each of the students has intensively researched their own historical characters as well as various facets of life in Boston in the late nineteenth century. We have learned vast amounts from the abolition of slavery, to the American Revolution to the Transcendental theories of Thoreau that so influenced Louisa May's father and made her life, what I would call, a living hell." Hawthorne has also enjoyed working with the fruits of UNITEC's training; "It has been marvellous to work in a truly co-operative fashion with young students who are totally willing to commit to any idea. They are completely uninhibited and are not at all defensive in rehearsals. It is a very exciting way to create theatre."

3) BY THUNDER
By Murray Hutchinson
Directed by Jennifer Ward-Lealand
Designed by Murray Hutchinson
07.11.03 - 22.11.03
UNITEC Theatre

For the graduating class' second World Premiere the Head of the school has penned a comedic musical based on Noah's family antics during the Great Flood. It is a humanising look at the legend interwoven with both contemporary music, eg by Sting, and theatrical 'musical' numbers. Murray Hutchinson has been with UNITEC School of performing and Screen Arts for 11 years and By Thunder marks his retirement from the school. Hutchinson, one of the co-founders of Dunedin's Fortune Theatre, has taught drama and screen arts for over 20 years and his career is impressive to say the least. One of his most enduring creations was the television classic - Spot On, which ran for 18 years and launched the careers of many New Zealand presenters. Hutchinson has been dedicated to fostering emerging talent and By Thunder will continue in this proud tradition as it takes a humorous behind the scenes glimpse at the people of a legend, where just like Auckland, the rain was of biblical proportions.

By Thunder will be helmed by one of New Zealand's most beloved stars - Jennifer Ward-Lealand. A woman of style and grace whose musical prowess will help shape the graduating students into shipworthy shape. Jennifer will be ably assisted in this task, the ingenious design of Hutchinson which replicates the bowels of a ship as well as using shadow puppetry to brilliant effect. "I'm really loving being back", says Jennifer of returning to direct her third production for UNITEC, "this show, as I hope is the case for all my shows, is a lot of fun to work on. I'm directing a number of the same students as I did last year with Big River, and that's great as we are already aware of how well we work together." Like Hooper and Hawthorne, Ward-Lealand is impressed with the discipline of her third year students and is enjoying putting their "heavy-weight" acting abilities and knowledge to the test. She is also grateful to Hutchinson for once more giving her the chance to flex her directorial muscles in a creative and experimental environment.

Ward-Lealand describes herself as "beyond busy" at this point which makes this achievement all the more remarkable. Not only is she a mother of two small children, but she is also currently performing in Stephen Sinclair's The Bach, has just closed her cabaret show Marlene for AK03, and will soon be rehearsing for the upcoming Christmas in the Park! Next year she has projects for both the ATC and her own company The Large Group on the boil and after that - a well-deserved family holiday is planned.

All Performances are $15 Adult / $10 Concession / $7 Groups of 10 or more
Monday - Wednesday 6:30pm / Thurs - Saturday 8pm
Bookings on 0-9-815 3094 or ext 7115

Kingsland Central - 5 Central Rd, Kingsland
UNITEC Theatre, UNITEC, Entry 1, Carrington Rd, Mt Albert

For more information please don't hesitate to contact Penny Ashton on:
09 3766 848 / 025 2966 883 or by email on: penash@xtra.co.nz