Summer of 77 is the final presentation for Victoria University’s new Master of Fine Arts (Creative Practice) Theatre students, showcasing seven performances over a two-week season. Finn, who has an Honours degree in Theatre from Victoria, has spent his summer at the production helm with Dr James McKinnon of the School of English, Film, Theatre and Media Studies.
Despite his theatre training Finn knew early on that he didn’t want to be an actor. “I’m much better at creating the story and helping others perform it, than doing it myself,” he says. “I love working with people and figuring out how they tick – that’s the really cool part,” he says.
Finn says his favourite thing about being a summer scholar has been learning about arts management. “I’ve never done any publicity work before and that was a steep learning curve for me. There’s been a lot of networking and upskilling which was really interesting,” he says.
As the season concludes, Finn is tasked with writing a recommendation for next year’s production, as well as documenting each of the theatre projects for future reference. “I feel really fortunate to have been a summer scholar with the MFA programme. It’s a great course with a city full of opportunities right on our doorstep,” says Finn.
Ambitious and forward thinking, Finn intends to pursue his writing skills to a high level – and he did get into the IIML Master’s in Scriptwriting course. “I think being able to write well will open doors in a number of different industries,” he says.
For more information or to book tickets visit Summer of 77