November Fest opens at the University of Southern Queensland on Wednesday

Over the next four days, the final year acting students will present five pieces in an interactive and rotating formula.

Performing My Name is Rachel Corrie at November Fest is Sophie Commens, University of Southern Queensland third year acting student.

Final year UniSQ acting students will present five powerful, thought-provoking pieces in the week before they leave the university and embark on careers on the stage and screen.

November Fest runs from Wednesday to Saturday and includes four contemporary theatre pieces and one original work.

The festival is a partnership between the University of Southern Queensland’s School of Creative Arts and the Student Guild.

It invites viewers onto the stage to engage with the actors and move about the space.

Third year acting student Sophie Commens said the festival style gives the crew plenty of opportunities to show what it can do.

“The festival is an amalgamation of five students’ work, it has been really good having a hands-on approach,” she said.

“The lighting and sound design is done by students, we get to put our skills to the test. We have this one last opportunity at UniSQ before we graduate.”

Commens stars in My name is Rachel Corrie, a piece about an young woman crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer while protesting the demolition of Palestinian houses in Rafah in 2003.

The other pieces on offer include Prima Facie directed by Eloise Haugh, The Elephant Man directed by Vin McRae and Thor Morrison, and Hir directed by Dominic Vandersee.

The final piece is an original worked developed by UniSQ student Alexander Humphreys.

Sessions will be held at 11am, 4pm and 7.30pm. Ticket available online at: studentguild.com.au/soca.