Senior School Drama

Tena koutou katoa, my name is Sam Hagen, and I am the Drama teacher for Kingsway Senior School, covering classes from Year 10 to Year 13. I could talk for far too long about what value I see in participating in Arts courses and programmes. Suffice to say that I see consistent opportunities for critical thinking, creative expression, and self-development.

Drama explores what it means to be human. It is a story and a question that can never be ultimately satisfied or answered; we merely gain more and more understanding. The Year 13 group has recently tackled some of life’s big questions through the medium of Theatre of the Absurd, exploring how we go about our lives when it seems there is no meaning. It’s not just about putting on a good show with a clever balance of humour and poignancy; the Year 13s have explored the importance of embracing life’s unpredictability and wildness and what it looks like to do that.

We also focus heavily on group work in Drama. Students learn and develop important skills such as co-operation, self-management, negotiation, and communication. Tensions will always arise between ourselves and the people around us, and we must learn to work together in spite of those things and unite towards a common purpose and goal. Year 12 has just finished exploring issues of social injustice, researching the stories and perspectives of the oppressed. Through the medium of a dramatic performance, students have used their ‘people skills’ to work together and produce outstanding performances, as well as a new level of understanding for those who do not have it so fortunate.

More than anything else, I love to see students come alive. Parents and teachers alike both know that there are fewer pleasures greater than watching your child or student outwork the purpose and passion that has been put in them. Exploring the fun and learning simultaneously is a core part of my Year 10 class. While on the surface, there is much improvisation and ‘mucking around’ with games, there is a deep joy present as students explore, experiment, and take risks with their skills and understanding. As students develop their passions in the early years, that satisfaction and sense of fulfilment becomes deep-seated, carrying them and spurring them throughout the rest of their years in Drama.

I think the days are gone when Drama has been viewed as just an ‘extra subject’. The Arts are no longer just an add-on for people who can afford the time and money. They are a vitally important part of our society, a language of freedom and expression that crosses divides and transcends cultures. To participate in the Arts is to join in on a timeless medium of understanding our histories, our people, and ourselves.

Sam Hagen
Senior School Drama Teacher