I joined the Sydney University Dramatic Society (SUDS) halfway through 2022 during the second year of my degree. I’d seen a Facebook event for auditions for a play called ‘Alice In Bed’, and I thought, why not? The show intertwined the story of Alice James, an American writer who was beset by chronic illness for much of her life, with notes from Alice in Wonderland. Suffering from chronic illness myself, I felt compelled to audition for the show.
On the way to my audition, I got lost. I’d never been to the Cellar Theatre before, and it is hard to find. I sent off a message to one of the show’s producers asking for help, and they came and found me. In that moment,standing in front of a director and producer, I met people who are still my closest friends to this day (hi Mary and Ruby!).
Since Alice in Bed, I threw myself into SUDS. I’ve acted, written, directed, done photography, costume, dramaturgy, and set. I’ve learned where my talents lie, and I’ve learned the things I will probably never do again. I’ve done things I was qualified for, and many things I was deeply unqualified for. Those are the things that are now my greatest passions.
Clearly, I love SUDS, and I love theatre. I genuinely believe it’s one of the coolest opportunities on campus, and walking into that audition room is the best thing I have ever done at Sydney Uni, and one of the best things I have done in my life.
If you loved to act in high school, obviously SUDS is the place for you, but if you have any interest in being creative, in theatre, in art, there is so much for you to discover. We may need actors to perform in shows, but we also need keen lighting and sound designers who are tech savvy and open to learning. We need fashionistas to make our costumes. We need set designers who are itching to get their hands on the SUDS circular saw. We need artists and photographers to do graphics and publicity for shows. We need spreadsheet enthusiasts to come produce our shows. We need big picture thinkers who want to direct, and we need writers with wonderful ideas. In short, we need you.
And if you’re thinking to yourself, sounds cool, but I don’t know how to join, and I have no clue if I can even do any of the things you’ve mentioned, here’s the info you need.
You can sign up for SUDS on the USU website. A regular membership is $5, and that gets you $5 tickets to ten of our shows throughout the year, by far one of the cheapest theatre experiences in Sydney. This membership also gives you democratic power in SUDS meetings, where you can vote on what shows you want to see put on, what initiatives you want SUDS to enact, and at the end of the year, who you want to be on the new executive team. A SUDS Gold membership is $25, and along with the perks of regular membership, you get one free ticket to every single show we put on in the Cellar Theatre throughout the year.
So you’ve signed up, now how do you actually get involved? Dear reader, there’s many things you can do.
The best way to get involved is to come to our general meetings. They are every two weeks, Wednesdays at 1pm, starting on February 21. GMs are where we hear pitches for upcoming shows, and the executive updates you with any information you might need about upcoming events. You can also attend our coffee catch up, which is at 12pm in Courtyard Cafe on the days of GMs.
If you’re looking for someone to show you the ropes, you can sign up for our mentoring program. You’ll be paired with an existing SUDS member who can help you out with all your questions .
If you want to get involved with a show, good news! We have auditions and production interviews coming up for Slot 3, which is a showcase of small original pieces written and directed by existing SUDS members. This is a low stress way to get involved in acting or doing production roles, and everyone who auditions or interviews will get to be a part of the show.
You can also attend shows! There is functionally a new show in the Cellar every three weeks.
And, if you’re in the party mood, there’s a SUDS party at the Red Rattler on the 16th of Feb…. Be there or be square.
SUDS isn’t the only opportunity for performance on campus though, and it would be remiss to not mention the other societies of talented people who are a part of theatre at USyd. If you’re interested in musical theatre, then MUSE is where you should look. If you’re interested in sketch comedy, there are so many revues throughout the year you can join. First semester are the identity revues, which focus on comedy that comes from artists who identify with a particular group. Auditions for POC (People of Colour) revue, Womn’s Revue, and Queer Revue will all be happening soon, so keep an eye out.
If you’re looking for more information, you can look up Sydney University Dramatic Society on Facebook. We also have an Instagram, @sudsusyd. Alternatively, you can email us at [email protected], and we’re happy to answer any questions.
I hope to see you in the Cellar Theatre soon!
