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Friday 11 Mar 2022
Hollywood Actress Talks to Drama Students




Drama Artist of the Month


It is March, a month where theatre in schools is celebrated across large parts of the globe. This month asks of everyone to advocate in their communities to highlight the benefits of having a theatre programme in their schools. Here at school our theatre programme continues to blossom, and students are reaping the academic and social benefits that it holds.

Semester 1 of this school year saw many highlights in the Drama department. The semester was kicked off with the EdTA Wuxi China Regional Young Thespian Festival followed by the devised theatre performance pieces of our first iGCSE Drama graduating class and ended with the first-ever junior English play being successfully staged in the auditorium. A new initiative, inspired by the Music department, saw Drama Artist of the Month also take hold.

This initiative introduces students to a variety of artists within the acting/theatre community from all over the world. Students are encouraged to participate by bringing facts about the chosen artist to Drama class or creating an informative poster about the Artist of the Month. It’s a fun way to learn more about these fascinating people while earning a merit for their participation.

Mimi Kennedy

Drama Artist of the Month


Our November Artist of the Month was Mimi Kennedy. Mimi Kennedy is a sought-after American actress. Her acting career spans decades of television, theatre, and film. She recently wrapped her 8-year run on the hit Chuck Lorre comedy “Mom”. Viewers might also recognise her from another Chuck Lorre comedy, “Dharma & Greg.” Her Broadway debut was as the Pink Lady Jan in the original run of “Grease.” She has performed in two celebrated one-woman plays; one dealing with the professional life of newspaper advice columnist, Ann Landers, and the other about suffragist and abolitionist, Matilda Joslyn Gage. Her most notable films include “In the Loop,” “Midnight in Paris,” “Pump Up the Volume,” “Erin Brockovich,” “Man in the Chair,” and “The Five-Year Engagement.” 2021 releases include the Tony Hale comedy “Eat Wheaties!” and the feel-good film “Saving Paradise.”

Our Drama Department’s Ms. Boshoff met Mimi Kennedy back in 2017, after attending a taping of “Mom” in California. Since the two have become close friends. Reflecting on their relationship, Ms. Boshoff says “It has been an absolute privilege to get to know Mimi as a friend and have her as a mentor. She inspires me every day. Not only is she my favourite actress she is also one of my favourite people.” Mimi’s assistant, Cathy Tripiciano initiated the idea of a collaboration between our students and Mimi when she got wind that Mimi was going to be our school’s November Drama Artist of the Month. During Drama class students were asked to submit questions to Mimi. A selection of these questions was sent to Mimi who graciously answered them. Questions ranged from the true colour of her hair to what she does when she gets nervous on stage. She mentioned that she was deeply impressed by thought-provoking questions posed to her.

You can watch these videos and then stand a chance to win VIP-tickets to any of our upcoming school productions by casting your vote for your favourite video. The student whose video receives the most votes, as well as one lucky voter, will receive 4 VIP-tickets each to any of the upcoming Drama productions!

Finally, the Drama Department would like to thank Mimi Kennedy and her assistant Cathy Tripiciano for this wonderful opportunity. It certainly made our theatre life here at school so much more magical!

Let there be Drama!