picnic at hanging rock.

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When three head schoolgirls and a teacher from the prestigious Appleyard College mysteriously disappear during a day trip to the geological marvel, 'the Hanging Rock,' they leave the whole of Australia in fits of uncontrollable curiosity. With even the wealthiest of high-society foreigners getting their hands dirty in this hugely outrageous occurrence, seemingly everyone is involved in this dark tragedy in one way or another. With the media raving over the disappearances and badmouthing the expensive college, the stiff snobbiness of the college slowly disintegrates into a mess of haunting hysteria and dazed mystery. The play is all a huge mystery that is never solved, and the play itself leaves room for ambiguity, imagination and possibility. There is no conclusion or denouement in the book by Joan Lindsay, and this is reflected in the staging of the play. 
~
"Much happens, but little is resolved. Life is often like that."

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   "Picnic at Hanging Rock" was performed as a school production, and I was lucky enough to be a part of such a spectacular, high-quality execution of a remarkable tale. The play was an enthralling juxtaposition of ethereal blonde schoolgirls in pristine white dresses and deranged, intoxicated murderers, (literally) drenched in blood. The play was staged on three different platforms (as shown below) each obscured by a "scrim;" a type of gauze fabric that allows the audience to see through it when light is shone from behind it, yet is able to conceal everything behind it and instead have images projected onto it. The three huge scrims added a dreamlike haziness to the staging of the play, reinforcing the misty illusion and lack of clarity of the retelling of events at the Rock. 

 The three platforms, obscured by scrims. The scene changes were designed to be extremely nimble; as the lights faded on one platform, they illuminated another, on which lay a completely different location.

The entire set was painted a rich shade of creamy white, and our costumes all followed suit besides a few "coloured accents" including bow ties and neckties for the men, and parasols and ribbons for the ladies. Delicate sun hats and lacy gloves adorned the school girls during the picnic scenes, and "Mademoiselle" (above) had a beautiful veiled hat and an embroidered dress. 

The delicate purity of the costumes reflected the precise trends of the 1900's; tight-fitting corsets, lavish fabrics with high, empire waists and elaborate embroidery. With corsets, fake eyelashes, pantyhose, tightly curled hair, bows, bloomers and far too much blush, the schoolgirls were dressed up like little porcelain dolls decked out in their finest whites. The puffy sleeves and the voluminous skirts did make for some sweaty bodies, but the juvenile excitement of all the cast members when we put on our costumes made me want to rewind time and live in the 1900's, where people really did dress like that everyday. 

 

 The men were decked out in double-breasted blazers and slick, colourful silk ties which screamed for attention against the neutral colour-scheme. One or two of the posher, richer men even had walking canes and top hats! As for the lower class men, neck scarves, simple canvas hats and ragged button-down shirts and waistcoats sufficed. It was lovely to have everyone looking smashing in proper costumes that were especially tailor-made to fit us, styled to fit the trends of 1900.

One of the cast members said something I'll never forget, because it was so relevant to how we were all feeling at the end of this incredible journey;

"It's times like these when you realize how lucky you are to have been part of something so special." 

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Our beloved director also said something very important, because it made me treasure my fascination and passion for the arts instead of brushing it off like I usually do. Her words made me infinitely thankful for being a part of something that will forever be a huge part of me, a learning experience, an opportunity I can proudly say I seized with both hands.

~

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 "There is a reason why I've spent the past 20 years of my life working with young people and directing productions of all kinds. The reason is because the theatre is memorable. When you grow up and look back on your life, you're not going to remember the endless math lessons or the exams you took. You're going to look back with a smile on your face and tell your kids about the time you were in the school play, and you had the time of your life."

  
I had the time of my life during the making and execution of "Picnic At Hanging Rock," and I learnt more than I would ever learn in school. I learnt about teamwork, about taking a risk and trying something completely new. I learnt about consequences and commitment, and as we all reluctantly walk away from this experience, we take with us the lessons, the new friends and the infinite memories we made together as a cast during these magical past few months. To be a part of a production of such a tertiary calibre is truly an honour, and I wouldn't trade my priceless experiences for the world. As for my naive, depressed and vulnerable character role, Sara Waybourne, I know that she'll always have a place in my heart. 

Some pictures of me:

Have you ever been in a play/production? How did you feel about it?

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photograph credits to cui-lyn and karin (click through for their flickrs!)