ABOUT WCYT
West Coast Youth Theatre is a vibrant, professionally led drama school for actors and creative youth 7yrs+, based in New Plymouth, Taranaki.
Founded and led by professional actor, director and multi-faceted creative Holly Shanahan, WCYT grew from Holly's performance work with young people on her return to Taranaki in 2014.
Over the years, it has grown organically into a vibrant hub for young people and the performing arts.
We provide opportunities for Taranaki youth and young adults to learn and develop in both stage and screen craft. Our students are performers, thinkers, players, investigators and doers of all things. We think outside the square, we perform, we make, we act, and we PLAY. (The play's the thing, right??)
Develop your skills for theatre and film, perform, build confidence, learn about the professional industry and above all, have a good time doing it.
Each year brings a range of topics, based on individual student interests, skill level and opportunities for development - we believe in catering what we do to our students, so no two classes or years are ever exactly the same.
Junior and Intermediate drama sessions focus on being BOLD; developing and sharing our unique strengths and imagination, building confidence and practical skills in a wide range of theatre and film acting forms. Some of the topics we cover include improvisation, developing character, scripted performance, voice, physical theatre, self-devised work, mask, traditional theatre 'clowning' and film and television acting.
Senior theatre varies depending on the year and focus topic. Devised and contemporary ensemble theatre is a key focus, as is giving young actors professional level tools for contemporary and classical theatre and screen performance. We continue to incorporate childish play, imagination, individual creativity and improvisation as core elements of our work to Senior level. Senior drama sessions usually involve a film or television component across each year.
I believe a wide and varied performing arts education in theatre and film is key to a successful future in the performance industry - and indeed, to success as a confident, competent, generous, unique, open-minded, bold and creative individual in the world.
xholly
WCYT also hosts industry tutors for one-off workshops across the year, and co-ordinate the drama component of the Taranaki Performing Arts Conference.
OUR TEAM of teachers at WCYT are personally selected and trained by Holly in the specific WCYT way of working - we pride ourselves on great people and teachers to foster you and your young person's passion for acting, exploring, expressing and creating.
Get in touch! No question is too small, no student too shy, we’d love to have you. X
HOLLY SHANAHAN
Founder & Artistic Director
Senior Theatre, Film
Holly is a graduate of VUW Theatre and has worked extensively in professional film and theatre for over two decades.
She is a NZ Film and Television Award winning actress, an award winning short film director and two time Chapman Tripp Theatre Award nominee.
Her personal stage highlights include the Melbourne premiere playing Elizabeth in 'Skin Tight' directed by Justin Martin (Prima Facie, West End/Broadway), her stage debut as Anya in a star-studded Circa production of 'The Cherry Orchard', and devised collab with Taki Rua in 'Sydney Bridge Upside Down', directed by James Ashcroft.
Most students would recognise the popular Power Rangers franchise she appeared in for two seasons, but she prefers other fond memories, such as playing an Irish bar manager in (failed!) sitcom 'Welcome to Paradise' with the late-great NZ director Geoff Murphy and a cast of great actors and friends.
Of American, Scottish and Pākeha descent Holly's key interests are ensemble and devised theatre, staging contemporary work, challenging students as to the magical possibilities of live performance, mentoring screen actors, and creating safe spaces for people young and old to truly play, explore, and be themselves - to experiment, to be brave, to fail and fail again, and realise that it's all ok!
Holly also loves reading, flowers, silly jokes, and managing actors - which she does full time alongside her work with WCYT. She is proud to have worked with and mentored some fantastic emerging actors, and launching great young talents into professional film and television work.
KATHERINE (KAT) LOWE
Intermediate / Pre-Senior
Kat is our resident Canadian! She began her relationship with the stage as a dancer at age 2, and continued as a competitive dancer from the age of 5 until she was 18.
Kat attended performing arts high school in and went on to complete a degree in Theatre and English from Acadia University.
She then moved to Auckland where she continued to perform and study.
Kat has trained in a wide variety of film and theatre modalities since then - with the likes of Kacie Stetson, Robyn Beruchel, Scott Williams, Red Leap and Fiona Samuels.
No stranger to the camera, Kat also appeared in television and film work before settling in Taranaki.
Kat has taught for WCYT since 2020, and has loved seeing all of the kids grow and improve over the years. Theatre is such a great space to explore all of the things that you’re going through in ‘real life’ and she loves creating a safe place for kids to do this.
The connection, the ability the explore the different sides of yourself, and the vulnerability and bravery that it takes to put yourself out there as an actor are some of the things that she loves the most about acting and the performing arts.
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