>> The Theatre Arts course here at Curtin is
for anyone who's going to move into any
career that requires skills in
collaboration, skills in creativity and
of course skills in theatre.
>> You don't just learn how to act, you learn how to
do the technical side, the sound,
the lights, the stage managing, costume design,
dramaturgy - what has to be behind the
context of acting.
>> It gives you as much
content as it possibly can in three years, so it's intense.
>> We centre all our learning around the Hayman Theatre Company.
We do upwards of 50 or 60 plays over the course of the year, often directed
by artists-in-residence.
>> The Secret in the Wings, it's a magical little production.
It's Curtin working with Spare Parts Puppet Theatre.
>> There's Bunraku style puppetry with the
holes in the balloons,
there's your classic marionettes for the
parents and there's even like the little
sort of Muppet style puppets with the cakes.
>> The teachers are always working in
different productions non-stop.
Every single class we have them telling us
about what shows they're working on.
>> They know people in the industry here who can
train us, who they can introduce us to.
>> And to have such like-minded people who
are just as passionate as you are,
who are just as driven as you are, to be teaching
you about something that you love, is awesome.
>> "Paris, are we ready...?"
>> Working in a major production is really
exciting, really busy. I mean I've been
working probably at least four nights a
week doing this and then leading up it goes
up to you know five nights, six nights.
>> There is also the pressure of, there will be an
audience in this theatre at seven
o'clock next Tuesday night.
>> "Let them do their face, first."
>> There's such a connection between the cast,
between the directors, between the whole crew,
because everyone is working for the same
goal and that's to put on a great show.
>> And then you get audiences in and you
get to see their response and you get to
see your hard work pay off.
>> "So you see, Sweetheart.."
>> "Where?!"
>> I think sometimes other courses can be really
really driven on just like one
particular area, like so you're an actor,
or you're a lighting designer... while this
course kind of gives you that opportunity
to just really explore a lot of different things.
>> I think that when I first started
at Curtin University I had an idea of,
that I definitely wanted to be a
creative, an actor. Then what I became
more interested in was how to make these
things happen and how to be a producer.
>> Something I've really started to love
is sound design. I did sound design
on two shows and worked really closely with
the sound designer when I got the chance
to direct my own show.
>> The approach that I try to get them to approach their work with,
is getting comfortable with feeling
uncomfortable and doing it anyway.
>> I've found that just being in a university
environment, being in a professional
theatre environment, it's changed me so much.
>> You can try everything and ask
people for help without having to be
too proud, without having to worry that
they're like "oh you should know this."
You shouldn't, you're in uni, this is your
chance to learn and make mistakes and
just have fun.
>> I think what I really enjoy about my work is getting
on board with other people's creative ideas and
then helping them and giving them the
practical tools to enable them to create their vision.
>> It's been an amazing ride,
I've had some great experiences already
and I can't wait to see what else is coming.