Creative duo set new adventure
Thespians, dancers and performers of all kinds in the Horsham district will have a new outlet for their creative talents in 2019.
Performing arts teachers Amy Anselmi and Larissa Riddell have banded together to create the Smart Artz Theatre Company.
The pair founded Kick Up the Artz, an acting and creative movement training studio for young people in the district, three years ago.
Ms Anselmi said while Kick Up The Artz focused on training school children, the Smart Artz Theatre Company was for performers of all backgrounds and ages.
“What we want to focus on with Smart Artz is diversity and offering a range of theatrical experiences,” she said.
“We are interested in forming collaborations with a range of different artists – actors, singers, dancers, choreographers, playwrights – and working in a variety of genres.”
With a strong performing arts community – including the Horsham Arts Council production company – already thriving in the region, Ms Anselmi said Smart Artz would endeavour to find a niche for itself.
“There already is a really well-established arts landscape with lots of people doing high-quality work,” she said.
“In terms of where we sit, I guess that’s part of the adventure – finding out what sort of demand there is from audiences and looking at what new things might come out of the collaborations we undertake.”
The company will stage its first production in July with the musical comedy The Addams Family.
Ms Anselmi said she and Ms Riddell also had plans to collaborate with organisers of Horsham’s Art Is… festival and the Nati Frinj Biennale next year.
She said the company also had ambitions to write and produce original shows.
Ms Anselmi said The Addams Family was a natural choice as the company’s first production.
“Larissa and I have worked and collaborated together for the past three years and in that time we’ve had lots of dreams and schemes and discussions about possibilities,” she said.
“The Addams Family is a show that both of us adore. It’s funny, it’s clever, it’s witty, it’s got opportunities for fantastic characterisation, and it’s great songs and great dances.
“We’ve gone with something that really excited both of us and we thought would allow a range of performers to get involved.”
Auditions for the show will be at Horsham College dance and drama studios on Saturday and Sunday, with call-backs on Thursday, December 20, and are open to ages 10 and up.
People wanting more information can contact Smart Artz Theatre Company on Facebook or at smartartztheatrecompany.com.au, or by calling 0427 805 353.