Shine Time for 9-10 year olds (School Years 5 & 6)

Term 4 2023 bookings are open now!

Attention young actors!

If you love acting then this is the course for you: Do you love the lime light? Do you love telling stories? Do you love creating characters?
The acting classes will lead students through imaginative role playing into character and scene development. Good actors understand humanity. Drama encourages empathy with and understanding of others and the confidence needed to assume a role or character.

Our acting classes will give students the space to practice both screen and stage techniques in a fun and supportive environment.

Led by experienced actors and teachers, these practical and collaborative sessions will be combined to encourage a deeper understanding of how to work effectively on-set and on stage.

Students will explore the expressive potential of performance, the inner balance of being in character and enhance the engaging relationship between actor and audience. We will examine movement of the body through simple choreography where there will be a focus on relaxing and working with ease, developing the imagination, and creating believable performances.

Voice workshops will encourage an understanding of the voice as an instrument. Students will work with a variety of texts but also be strongly encouraged to improvise and use their imaginations.

Timetable and Enrolment

Emma Draper

Emma Draper (Ngā Wairiki, Ngāti Apa) graduated from New Zealand drama school: Toi Whakaari in 2009.  Since then Emma has worked on a range of professional film, television, radio, theatre projects in drama, comedy and musical genres. In 2020 she played the lead role in feature film Reunion starring opposite Julia Ormond (Legends of the Fall, Madmen, Ladies in Black) she has played supporting roles in various New Zealand feature films such as This Town starring Robyn Malcom, award winning telefeature Jean (Robert Sakies), cult comedy What we do in the Shadows (Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement), Daffodils (David Stubbs), and Wellington Paranormal Season 2 (Jemaine Clement and Dean Hewison). Three seasons of TVNZ series Girl vs Boy which included a musical episode.

Emma’s theatre credits include The Witch in Into the Woods (for the Great American Laughing Stock Company in Colorado US),  Jesus Christ Superstar (Wellington Musical Theatre Company),  Rants in the Dark (2019 Circa theatre production), as well as various cabarets and other productions in Wellington and Auckland.  As a singer Emma is trained in classical and contemporary styles and is also an experienced voice over artist with experience ranging from commercial to radio drama voice over work. Emma has a particular interest in voice work as a way for actors to access emotion and character.

Emma has worked as an acting coach at Toi Whakaari- New Zealand Drama School, Rātā Studios and has worked for The Casting Company and been mentored by Emmy Award winning Casting Director Tina Cleary.

Celia Macdonald

Celia Macdonald graduated with a Bachelor of Performing Arts in Music Theatre from the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art (NASDA) in 2020. As a Rata Graduate herself, Celia Macdonald has returned in full circle as a Drama Teacher. Celia joined Rata as a student in Miranda Harcourt’s Stage and Screen Teen course at the age of 14. While at Rata, Celia found herself successful in Film and Theatre. In 2015 Celia was cast in short film Goodness Grows Here (Natalie Medlock) with an esteemed NZ cast including Robyn Malcolm. Celia was also cast as Ruby in 2 seasons of TV3’s Web Series Lucy Lewis Can’t Lose (Paul Yates) with multiple Rata alumni such as Erana James, Thomasin McKenzie, and Miranda Harcourt.

Whilst her time at NASDA, some of her theatre credits include Maggie Jones in 42nd Street (Kirsty Allpress), Jessica in Musical Revue of It’s Only Life (Trevor Jones), Robbie in Urinetown (Holly Chappel-Eason), and Danny in Holiday Inn (Russell Dixon).

A highlight of Celia’s career was competing in her first Dance Competition, New Zealand Dance Awards (NZDA) in 2019 and won the “Most Likely to have a Professional Career Special Award”. Then in 2021 Celia directed her first Musical Production of Wizard of Oz Jr. with children aged 5-13yrs.

Celia currently also teaches Dance to toddlers at Leaping Lizards School of Dance and Singing with Spotlight Performing Arts School.