What Makes Marrzipan Drama Different From Other Performing Arts Classes?
(Written from the perspective of a Year 13 student doing work experience with Marrzipan!)
I can’t say I have ever witnessed 5 and 6 year-olds chuck their drawing books and art equipment out of sight; leave their closest friends behind, and so eagerly depart to do something else in the middle of their school day! However, Marrzipan Drama changed this for me when I watched Manon Humphrey turn up to primary classrooms across Auckland, to collect students for their weekly drama class.
I was lucky enough to join Manon and three of her Wednesday classes for my year 13 career taster day. It truly made my day watching the kids almost sprint to their drama room; where they excitedly put their costumes on, ready to rehearse their plays. I was astounded by what I saw in just 45 minutes with each group. I saw students being “weird” or fully themselves. I watched others fully committing to their characters – crazy costumes and all – and saw almost all of them have no fear of judgment or trying something new. All of which I wish I had learned as a kid!
So what makes Marrzipan different from all of the Performing Arts classes I have seen (and taken part in as a kid) before? The creativity, the fun, the fearlessness, the confidence and the fact that I could see every kid was so excited and proud to be a part of it. This wasn’t a chore for them, it was a weekly highlight and something that was pushing them out of their comfort zones and their shells in all the right ways.
Manon was obviously a huge driver behind this, with energy that matched that of all the kids combined and so much positivity and encouragement, whilst still being authoritative and well-respected. Talking to her between classes, I was so surprised to hear that some of the kids had been too shy to talk to her (or even each other!) on day one – as these were no longer the kids I saw in front of me. This day was an eye-opener for me about what drama can do for young children. Not only can it be fun, but especially in an environment like the one provided by Marrzipan Drama, it boosts confidence and individuality like no other, and is something I now feel everyone should get their kids amongst!
Marrzipan wishes to thank Tara for choosing Marrzipan to be a part of her work experience week, and for this lovely article she wrote about us. We are delighted she can see the differences our classes make, after just one day with us!! We wish her all the best in her future career.
