You are now in the main content area

Pre-Show: Drama Kids, at the New Voices Festival

February 12, 2021
New Voices Festival logo

Throughout their four years of studies, Acting and Dance students take part in Creative Performance Studies, a class devoted to developing their unique creative voices, and preparing them to produce their own performances. As a capstone to this study, the School of Performance produces the New Voices Festival annually. Though Acting students are typically the writers/creators of the pieces presented at New Voices, the festival involves students from all three of our programs, working collaboratively to produce and present new work. 

"New Voices, a festival of original work by the Ryerson School of Performance Acting graduates, now in its 17th year, has always adapted to the varied and innovative needs of its productions. New Voices 2021 continues this tradition by celebrating this capstone work with live virtual performances, films, readings, a website, music and more." - Clara McBride, instructor of Creative Performance Studies

Leading up to the Festival we will showcase the creative processes of many of the pieces being presented. 

Drama Kids, created by Angela Marriott, with ensemble

Drama Kids exists in the new world of performance created for digital performance, opposed to adapted to this medium. Graduating actor, Angela Marriott engaged 5 of her peers to create an ensemble to devise this piece, centering the goals of creation, communication, and holding space. This process-oriented project is being developed by “going back to the basics” as Angela says. 

“[Drama Kids] looks like three boxes of people moving in their living rooms, three voices of people singing, three stories centering around the idea that fulfillment is a journey, and that destinational thinking does not lead to fulfillment.” -Angela Marriott

Angela can’t help but laugh as she shares “It’s for tired theatre people, it’s not profound, it's not the biggest, newest thing you have seen. It’s six people trying to connect in the moment. It’s for the six of us more than it's for us anyone else.” 

Despite being weeks away from presentation, Angela is already feeling that the project is a success. With the focus on working with the new methods of virtual rehearsals, opposed to against them, Angela is proud to have created a real space for her and her ensemble to explore. 

More information about Drama Kids and the New Voices Festival will be shared in the coming weeks, along with more features on the other presentations.