Like There's No Tomorrow

LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW is theatre like you haven't seen before. It's a collaborative project which provides Wanaka teenagers with the opportunity to workshop with some of NZ's top theatre practitioners as they weave their own stories and experiences into the narrative. During two weeks of intense devising and rehearsing, they'll explore resonant youth issues including binge drinking, party culture and risk taking behaviour in order to develop an unforgettable play to be performed in the Festival of Colour 2015. 

The audience will be part of the action as the drama unfolds at an after-ball party at a downtown Wanaka bar. Moving from space to space, they'll meet the ghost of someone who's recently died in a party stunt that went tragically wrong. Is he another example of teenage excess, a victim of underage binge drinking? Or is he a guy who was living life to the fullest?  This is the dynamic community production for next year's  Festival of Colour and we need your help to make it happen.

WHO

Like There's No Tomorrow will see raw talent nurtured by successful role models who are at the cutting edge of the industry. The show stars Drama and Music students from Mt Aspiring College who get to work on a professional show and build their acting, production and music skills while being mentored by award-winning members of Wellington's Playground Collective. It is scripted by the hugely successful Eli Kent (who has been called "the voice of a generation"), directed by Robin Kerr (who has just been nominated for most promising new director in the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards) and  Sara Brodie is a supporting mentor, bringing her experience in directing two previous community productions - Riverside Drive, and Tracing Hamlet. The show will take place in Gin and Raspberry in downtown Wanaka.

WHY GIVE

We need just $5,000 to get this project over the line. It's such a great opportunity for local students and it speaks about important issues that simply cannot be ignored.  Like There's No Tomorrow will stand tall within the professional context of the Festival of Colour and ignite the energy of the students as they explore matters of concern to so many Kiwi teenagers and their families - binge-drinking, party culture, risk-taking and the tragedy of lives lost so young. The opportunity to both perform and be part of a unique site specific show exploring the complexities of young people's social lives will have an incredibly positive impact on the students involved.  Many education theories (Lombardi, Curtis, Knapp) site real life experiences as being the most beneficial in students' learning. And the audience is bound to come away from the show with new insights into the questions the show raises as well.