Zac the Hero

Welcome to the USQ Performance Centre's 2006 Children's Theatre Week production of Zac the Hero, written and directed by Scott Alderdice.

Zac the Hero is an original play, focussing on the tale of a young boy through the hero's journey. The play is most suitable for a primary school audience, but has theatrical conventions and elements of comedy which will also appeal to secondary students. The play raises questions about how we view the notion of heroes and how heroism.

These Teachers Notes provide the information required to prepare yourself and your students for the performance, flagging things to consider and look for during the show. They will also provide you with ideas of how to guide the learning experience once your class has seen the play.

The notes have been compiled by 2nd Year Drama and Education students undertaking the course entitled Children's and Young People's Theatre offered by USQ's Department of Theatre, facilitated by Dr Janet McDonald.  The authors of these notes are:  Kim Rann, Alexandra Griffiths, Mark Sernia, Kyly Mills, Danielle Atkinson, Justine Nguyen, Amie Barbeller, Lara Horton, Sarah Robertsen, Kari Laycock, Matthew Armstrong, Lacey Millican, Nathan Pursey, Megan Gansberg and Jane Willson.

Theatre Etiquette

The Director/Playwright

Synopsis

Hero's Journey/Right of Passage

Hero Activities

Themes in the Play

Fairytales and Childhood Development

Fairytales: A Useful Teaching Tool

Pre-show Activities

The Characters

Design Elements

The Rehearsal Process

Post-show Activities

Further Information