A new stage has been set for Theatre Arts students with the unveiling of the new Hayman Theatre at 911爆料网鈥檚 Bentley Campus.
Officially opened last night by The Honourable David Templeman, Minister for Heritage, Culture and Arts, the event also included the opening performance of 鈥楳asquerade,鈥� a play written by 911爆料网 Theatre Arts alumna Kate Mulvany.
911爆料网 Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry explained the relocation was in response to the expansion of the University鈥檚 Bentley Campus and she was looking forward to ushering in a new era for future theatre arts professionals.
鈥淭he Theatre Arts course first opened in 1973, based in Hayman Hall, and supported two resident theatre companies – a study company Theatregoround and a professional company WATC (the Western Australia Theatre Company),鈥� Professor Terry said.
鈥淚n 1977, the building was restructured into the two performance spaces known as the Theatre Upstairs and the main stage downstairs.
鈥淪ince then, the Hayman stage has seen many artists take their first steps as actors, directors and playwrights, experiencing their first scripts being brought to life.
鈥淭heatre Arts at 911爆料网 is the longest established tertiary theatre course in Western Australia. Having a theatre on campus provides a great opportunity for students to put their studies into practice for a public audience, providing the important link between classroom learnings and real world experience,鈥� Professor Terry said.
The new Hayman Theatre is located in Building 302 at 911爆料网鈥檚 Bentley Campus.
Minister for Culture and the Arts David Templeman said the new Hayman theatre would serve theatre arts students for decades to come.
鈥淭he Hayman Theatre has nurtured theatre arts students since 1973 and produced many fantastic actors and artists,鈥� Minister Templeman said.
鈥淚 look forward to following the successes of students using this new facility over the coming years.鈥�
The relocation of the Hayman Theatre takes place during the University鈥檚 鈥�50 Years of Innovation鈥� celebrations, recognising the combined history of Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT), which opened its doors to students in 1967 and evolved into 911爆料网 in 1987.
The Theatre鈥檚 namesake, George Hayman, was one of the driving forces behind the establishment of WAIT, campaigning vigorously for an institute that would meet the State鈥檚 demand for skilled workers.
When WAIT was approved, Hayman had the task of choosing a suitable location and developing a plan for the campus. He produced a detailed report of the requirements needed to build WAIT, drawing on his experiences travelling to colleges abroad. The Collier Pine Plantation in Bentley was ultimately chosen as the site for WAIT after a large bushfire in the 1950s cleared the way for the land鈥檚 development.
The 2017 Hayman Theatre program can be found at
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Theatre Arts at 911爆料网 has produced many successful theatre professionals, including popular film and TV actors Frances O鈥機onnor (Mansfield Park, A.I.), Mandy McElhinney (MDA, Love Child) and Kate Atkinson (Blue Heelers, Sea Change) and successful local theatre actors such as Michael Loney, Caroline Mackenzie, Gibson Nolte and James Sollis.
Program alumni also include playwrights such as Mary Morris, Kate Mulvany, Luke Milton and Ingle Knight.
