Props Youth Theatre is now the youth arm of Full Throttle Theatre Company, and is for performers aged from five to eighteen years. The Props company was founded in 2000 by directors Karen Vane and Michelle Veness. Todd Barty joined the directorial team in 2001. Props amalgamated with Full Throttle Theatre Company in early 2012.
“The most fantastic part of being the youth arm of Full Throttle is that we now have a home of our own – something that we have needed for years and have finally achieved. We have a place where we will be able to rehearse AND perform our shows, store our wardrobe and do our office work! We also have a management committee and a staff that will provide vital infrastructure to support our creative work. In addition, we will have our own website and our own regular e-newsletter to keep everyone up to date!”
Full Throttle Theatre Company is Australia’s oldest regional professional theatre company and has been providing northern audiences with quality plays for twenty-five years. Founded by legendary European director Jean-Pierre Voos, Full Throttle first existed under the name of Capricorn Line, Tropic Line, and then Tropic Sun. Not only has the company provided excellent entertainment, it has also provided diverse opportunities for regional communities to participate in creative activity and professional development for local theatre workers. Props Youth Theatre shares much of this vision, and the partnership is of mutual benefit to both organisations.
Props Youth Theatre – extended history
Props presents two productions annually and aims to give young people an experience of being involved with professionally created and presented live theatre. Props also showcases to the Townsville audience the high levels of skills of our local young actors. Props Youth Theatre aims to provide local young people interested in the performing arts with opportunities to be involved in fully realised productions under the guidance of professional mentors. Through their experience with Props, actors learn professional processes for actor preparation while enjoying working with fellow young artists.
We aim to foster creativity through a diversity of productions, events and workshops that engage children of all ages in artistic activity and play. As well as this, we hope to introduce audiences to theatre at a young age with our accessible, family shows. If a child starts going to the theatre in early childhood, they are more likely to make it a habit for life!
Props Youth Theatre will continue to present its two annual productions to give young people an experience of being involved in professionally created and presented live theatre and to showcase the talent of youth actors in Townsville. In addition to this, we are developing programmes aimed at young people from pre-school age through to young adults that cover an array of skills involved in making theatre. These include workshops and activities in creative play for primary aged children, play-reading and discussion forums to familiarise performers with a diversity of dramatic writing, social and networking evenings for young creatives, audition preparation intensives and extended mentoring opportunities in performance, direction and technical theatre.
Some of the activities and initiatives run by Props include:
- Theatrical Productions
- Kids in the City
- Play Reading Nights
- Audition Preparations
- Social Events
- Day Care Visits
Through these activities, we aim to be a hub of mentoring and training for young people with a love for the theatre and those who wish to pursue it as a career in their futures.