The final year of high school is a busy time for any student.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But it's extremely busy for Hunter School of the Performing Arts student Savannah Geddes.
The Tarro actor has been juggling her HSC commitments, a role in two theatre productions and a part-time job at Hoyts Cinemas.
She will take to the stage at the Civic Theatre in Newcastle on Thursday as Tiger Lily in Hunter Drama's production of Peter Pan Jr. Six days later she will start her HSC exams.
"Acting is what I love to do and I don't think I would be happy without having it in my life. I've had to balance it all and still stay happy and sane. I have been happy to put in the effort to make it all work," she said.
"This is what I'd love to do for a career. It's a bit unrealistic to think it can be a career, but they do say follow your dreams. It really is my dream to do this professionally."
Savannah will star alongside Maitland actors Anaiya Mahony, who plays Brave Girl #1 and is the Tiger Lily understudy, and Jack Norman who plays Michael Darling.
"The energy of the cast is incredible. We have a cast of all different ages and I love seeing the younger kids bring so much excitement and energy into their characters. I like to see them learn and grow," she said.
When Savannah auditioned for the show she was called back for two roles - Tiger Lily and Wendy Darling.
She has her sights set on a career in the performing arts and has filled her life with as many acting-related activities as possible.
Her other production - Hunter Drama's Into the Woods, will open at the Civic Theatre in December.
"Being on the stage is what I really want to do. It's so personal and rewarding. You get reactions firsthand," she said.
High quality junior production
Savannah has struggled with self-confidence in the past and said it's often difficult when an audition for a role is unsuccessful.
But, it's taught her to keep on trying. And, it's made her realise that it's okay for her acting talent and singing ability to be evolving. After all, she's still finding her way in the realm of the performing arts.
She said the stringent auditioning process for Peter Pan Jr had created a high-quality cast that was filled with enthusiasm and determination to create an entertaining show.
She began her audition with a song called Neverland.
"If they are interested in seeing you act after that they give you a cold read, which is a script and you read it as you would play the character," she said.
"On another day we did the dance audition so they could see how we all worked as a team and how we are able to embrace a character through dance."
She was thrilled to hear she had been called back for the role of Tiger Lily and Wendy Darling.
"When I came in for that we did some songs and some chemistry work and I got the role of Tiger Lily," she said.
"It's a very strong role, I don't usually get a very strong and powerful role. It's different to what I would usually play and it gives me an opportunity to really connect with the ensemble and the audience in a really cool and powerful way.
"It is an involved auditioning process. You wouldn't expect it to be so involved for a junior show. It's quite a long process to get to where we are now, which means the quality is very high. Everyone is so enthusiastic and passionate about it."
Tips for efficient study
Savannah's busy schedule means she has to make the most of her study time.
She uses the way she learns as a basis for her study routine.
"I make sure I use my time properly when I am studying. I like to make sure I am really retaining the information, that's how you can manage a lot of things at once," she said.
"I am a visual learner so I really like to relearn my notes. I need to have a physical plan in front of me. Especially with English, I need to rewrite my notes so I get it into my brain. It's like writing notes on your script.
"I never think of theatre as work, it's always a release from something else. It's a time when I can focus on one thing for a certain amount of time. My job is to focus on my part and the show for the time that I am there and then after that I can go back to thinking about school and other things."