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Featured Member - August 2004
Jan Cozens is our featured member for August.
As a child, Jan delighted in gathering all her cousins
together in school holidays and organising skits to perform for all the
adults. As a teenager she used to attend Fancy Dress Balls at what is now
the Tivoli Theatre, where her novel choice of costume (a milk bottle, a
washing machine and an ice cream cone among others,) guaranteed her a
prize every time.
Jan studied
Theatre Arts at Curtin University from which she graduated in 1995 but the
lack of transport, plus a lack of confidence, stopped her from any active
participation in theatre until 2000. This was the year she dropped off
some items for our wardrobe and was warmly welcomed by Nicola Bond, who
suggested Jan might like to attend the forthcoming auditions for
Rebecca. Although she didn't get a part in the play, she did end
up doing props, including the use of fresh flowers - a break in theatrical
tradition.
Since then Jan has been the props manager for 12 productions
and has had two onstage roles, in Joyful and Triumphant and
Trial By Jury.
Although she enjoys acting, Jan is gets more satisfaction
from the creative processes involved in props. Many people look on this as
a relatively minor part of a production but this is far from the truth -
as anyone who has ever done it will testify! Simply finding some of the
props a play requires can be a challenging task and it's essential to have
the job properly organised. Items may need to be placed onstage, or on one
side or the other backstage to be ready when needed. There is nothing
worse for an actor than to be madly searching for an essential prop
seconds before his or her entrance!
Jan also appreciates the teamwork involved in backstage work
and advises all budding actors to firstly gain experience backstage. An
actor's true mettle can be gauged by the way he or she relates to those
managing the props.
Thank you Jan. We hope you'll keep filling this
valuable role for many years.
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