Ruapehu College offers students the opportunity to audition for the bi-annual school production. This is an activity that requires dedication and commitment beyond the classroom in order to produce quality shows. Under the guidance of TIC of Performing Arts, Mr David Sims, the last decade has seen very high calibre performances given including locally penned plays based on events in the Ohakune area.
Year
Title & Writer
2016
‘Mountain Uplift’ an original drama by Kim Basse
2017
‘Mollie’ an original drama by Kim Basse & David Sims
2018
‘There’s An App For That?” a comedy farce by Alan Griffith
2019
‘A Tomb With A View’ a murder mystery/black comedy by Norman Robbins
2021
‘Wheeler’s Luck’ a rural Kiwi comedy by Nigel Collins, Toby Leach and Damon Andrews
2023
‘The Melody Inside’ an original musical play by David Sims
2025
‘School Daze’ a collection of dramatic vignettes adapted from the works by Lesley Brown
In the past, a number of our students have been assessed at NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3 in Drama, including externally moderated 'Excellence' results at each of these levels. Ruapehu College is extremely proud of the reputation earned by our ākonga in the dramatic arts and recognises their commitment to achieving this.
Participating in school productions offers rangatahi a powerful opportunity to grow as learners and individuals. Through the lens of Habits of Mind and Growth Mindset, these experiences foster essential dispositions that support lifelong learning. Students learn to persist through demanding rehearsals, manage impulsivity in high-pressure moments, and listen with empathy as they collaborate across cast and crew.
Productions encourage flexible thinking, creative risk-taking, and a commitment to accuracy and excellence, whether on stage or behind the scenes. Each rehearsal becomes a space for continuous learning, where feedback is embraced and mistakes are reframed as stepping stones to mastery. From audition nerves to opening night triumphs, students develop a growth mindset, discovering that effort leads to improvement and that abilities can be cultivated over time.
School productions are more than performances—they're dynamic learning environments where teenagers build confidence, deepen emotional intelligence, and experience the joy of working interdependently toward a shared creative goal.
