BAILEY Shultz has his sights firmly set on the bright lights of the professional stage after being selected to perform in this year’sState Drama Festival.

The annual festival showcases a dozen of the best student performances from around the state which are chosen through a rigorous auditionprocess.

Bailey was informed he was selected after his dramatic flair caught the eye of festival organisers at the State Drama Camp he recently attended in Sydney.

During acting workshops, the Year 11 student from Bulahdelah Central School joined a group of fellow young thespians to write, produce and perform a short play.

Bailey said it was announced the group would be included in the festivalfollowing their performance on the final day of the camp.

“We were told our play is the only one in the history of State Drama Camp to be picked to go straight into the festival without going through the audition process,” Bailey said.

“The whole group worked really well together which showed in our final performance.”

Bailey said the success of the play lies in the combination of a compelling storyline and believable characters.

“The play is about how we don’t talk to each other anymore, instead we have become too dependent on social media at the expense of face-to-face communication,”he said.

“It’s about peeling back the layers of communication and exploring the changes in human interaction as a result of technology.”

Bailey is no stranger to the stage having previously dazzled audiences in Eisteddfods, school musicals and plays.

He has also experienced the glitz and glamour of the big screen as an extra in a movie filmed at Seal Rocks.

With these successful credits to his name, the confident16-year-old said he plans to continue acting long into the future.

“Perusing acting as a career is a dream,” Bailey told News Of The Area.

“I’m also looking at going into the Police Force as a back-up, but whatever career path I eventually take, acting will always be a big part of my life.”

The State Drama Festival will be held at the Seymour Centre in October.

 

 

By Daniel SAHYOUN