Milton Follies, with the assistance of a $4500 CASP grant, hosted a NIDA open workshop for 16 talented budding thespians this weekend.
NIDA director, Elsie Edgerton-Till, who has worked with Opera Australia, Sydney Theatre Company and Griffin theatre, brought her years of training and experience to Milton CWA Hall for an intensive two day workshop, attended by a mix of teen Follies regulars and newcomers.
“I have absolutely loved working with this group, ” said Elsie. “Country kids are so much more relaxed and open to expressing themselves and trying new things. This group has risen to every challenge I gave them. We have had an incredible time.”
Milton Follies President, Ruth Myers, attended both days and was impressed by the commitment and enthusiasm of the all involved.
“There was a lot of hard work put in by the Follies Committee to make this workshop happen. We are grateful to NIDA Open and to Regional Arts NSW. Without the CASP grant we would not have been able to go ahead. Given the success of this weekend, we are keen to pursue all avenues to provide professional training locally as often as we can. We look forward to seeing these teens bringing their improved skills to a Follies production soon!”
Despite the diversity of age and experience, the participants responded well to the enthusiastic direction of Elsie, with improvement demonstrated by all. As a part of their audition training, each performer was pushed to their limits to breathe life into rehearsed monologues.
Follies regular, Sophie Morrissey, was thrilled to be included in the workshop. “I am passionate about performance and acting, and will be producing a major drama work for my HSC this year. Elsie has been a fantastic teacher, and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from her.
Milton Follies 