Put Us In Our Place

Mirror, Mirror on the wall and all that stuff... SOACT, the Wagga School of Arts Community Theatre is celebrating sixty years of continuous theatrical production this year.

We don't claim to be the oldest continuously operating company in the land , we know we're not but we started with a meeting in 1944 and our first production Home and Beauty was in April 1945. What sort of company are we in... who's having a sixtieth birthday this year?

We'd like to try to interest Radio National into a look back at the birth of the community theatre movement.


Nic

Hi Nic,
Happy 60th Birthday to SOACT!!
Well. we certainly are not the oldest company on Australia either... but I reckon we could be the youmgest!!
Phoenix Theatre Group will be opening it's inaugural production "Stepping Out" by Richard Harris on April 28th.

Pop on into http://www.phoenixtheatre.websyte.com.au/ for details about the play and the company.

I know that Stirling Players in Western Australia are celebrating this year as well with their 35th Anniversary. They will be performing a re-production of their first play "The Ghost Train" .

Chookas!!
Graeme

Congratulations!
I believe the Bridgetown Repertory Club WA, boast as being the oldest continually running theatre group, in the southern hemisphere. They apparently operated prior to & during the both world wars.
However there is a group in Adelaide South Australia, which has claims to have being operating just as long, except IÂ’m not sure if they actually closed down due to the war years or not?
I believe Bridgetown canÂ’t be that far off itÂ’s 100th anniversary!
They did have a certificate, that was hanging in the foyer, issued by the Bridgetown Roads Board, which preceded the town becoming an actual local Council!
I donÂ’t know anyone there anymore!

http://www.theatre.asn.au/companyResponse.php3?CID=465
You could check with Peter Francis photoart@westnet.com.au he should know all about it!
Chookas Nic

Thanks yep I know about the Adelaide Group but didn't about Bridgetown so thanks. We're in a bit of the same boat we're the surviving arm of the School of Arts which used to be huge in Wagga spawning a music club, the first library, a film group and a folk group and that goes back to 1859 and while they did the odd theatrical type presentation before 1944 you couldn't claim they were a theatre company so, we've only got to hang on four years and we will be150 years old. Nic

Onya Nic!
Claim the 150 years, it may be more advantageous to just drop the continuously operating bit, then you can still put the 1859, on your banner or marquee!
And still claim the oldest status. - The rest is only an argument!