My Storm about the Stage

Warning-potentially controversial post ahead. I first entered Storm the Stage when I was 16 in 2005 performing in the drama category(you could not enter both back then). It was a fantastic experience judged by three respectable and professional judges, Stephen Lee, Kerri Hilton and Kimberely Shaw. I recieved excellent feedback and it was a very positive experience from which I learnt so much about myself as a performer. In that heat two drama when through (there was a higher number of drama than musical) and one musical, Allyce Martin, who went on to win the competition. Just watching some of those performances was educational in itself. WHAT WENT WRONG! Now I'm entering for the second year 2006 in both musical and drama. The heat before had 8 people in it four of whom went through (some were definately wild cards! but were given the chance nonetheless). In my heat there were about 15 of us and only ONE drama and ONE musical theatre went through! Highly inconsistent and, I thought, unfair. The judges were all high school drama teachers and I recieved fairly constructive feeback and the age old line of we were so close to putting you through! They preferred my drama overall. A few weeks later a recieved an email explaining that the committee weren't happy with the small number that had gone through and they were putting through four more people. The name Katherine Douglass was on that last. I was left very confused wondering if that was me (Kathleen Douglas) or some other girl called Katherine! No phone call was ever madeo n their behalf and I had to phone 5 people to get confirmation of my extension to the semis. So ends another year. THE BALL KEPT ON ROLLING And here were are at the present. I recieved many emails encouraging me to join the "storm" once again and initially I wasn't going to but decided that there was still a lot for me to gain for putting myself out there regardless of the outcome. This year I wasn't holding out any hopes for the outcomes and the standard of competition but to ensure I was not too disappointed I attended 3 heats before my own. What followed was a very mixed bag with some real curve balls of contestants being thrown in. Some were obvious choices and others really questioned my opinion of the judges. A fairly consistant number was put through generally 3 or four except for one which put through 6! Then came my heat the next more where no musical theatre was put through (there were only 2 of us) and only 3 drama went on. Once again I felt disheartened thinking "If only I had been in that heat.." The judges were inconsistant in feedback most notably with one saying "I felt that you moved too much and you know some songs you can just stand there and deliver" and the next telling me "You really needed to move more for me to get into the song" and the final judge complained about how she wanted to put through musical theatre but the others didn't let her. I also did drama where I was told I was "so close to getting through" I also could not help but think somewhere along the line theres a number requirement that had already been fulfilled. Finally I attended another heat in a different venue where no less than 8 contestants went through, keep in mind most heats are about the same size in terms of people, about 12. More to the point certain contestants clearly displayed signs of discomfort when performing and some struggled with basic technique like pronounciation and proper breathing to the point of gasping for breath and not hitting notes! How can these judges possibly put through people who have no chance of standing up to the some of the many talented people already going through including WAAPA cert students! Also how can there be such a range within the heat of the standard being passed forward from a near professional to a struggling beginner. The injustice of the whole competition is what is getting me down. How can it possibly be fair to put through 8 people in one heat and 3 in another. And yes I have brought it up with rotary members who have all told me it is at the judges discretion. Perhaps there needs to be more consistent guidelines, unless of course you need to fill heats as it gets closer to the semis? Overall I am saddened by the potential damage this competition has on an impressionable age group-the term "false hope" comes to mind. So thats it for me folks no more storming-and I mean it this time!