OAPF 2017
Another successful Franklin & Friends One Act Play Festival, done and dusted!!
Congratulations and huge thanks to everyone involved this year, including fellow amdram societies Protea Stage Productions and EADS. To our incredible Franklinites, the dedication you showed throughout the weeks of rehearsals is commendable and we have managed to raise the bar yet again – our festival keeps going from strength to strength each and every year!
Click here for all the details, photos, awards…
The Rat Trap
MID-YEAR FARCE
We have selected a script for our mid-year production – The Rat Trap is an original script by one of our own past Franklin members, Claire Demmer, who now resides in the UK.
SYNOPSIS
Lord Arthur Harringway has a tricky problem. He’s just been given twenty four hours to live. Naturally this presents somewhat of a conundrum to him. The most pressing part of the conundrum is his annoying fortune. Because he has to leave it to somebody. But to whom?
Not one of his relations is at all nice. In fact, the thought of leaving his money to any of them makes him turn in his grave (well nearly). His relations are so odious that he devises a plan to trick them into thinking that he’s going to give all his money to them and punish them once and for all for all the trouble they’ve caused him in this large cast comedy farce.
CALL FOR DIRECTORS
If you are keen to try your hand at directing this year’s mid-year production please put your name forward as soon as possible. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t directed a full length production before. We are here to guide, support and help out any would-be “newbie” directors to make the experience enjoyable, exciting and rewarding with as little stress as possible! As a community theatre organisation we want to try and nurture talent and growth by giving opportunities to those who want to venture out and try new things and develop their craft. The only prerequisite to directing a full length play is that you must have directed a one-act play previously.
AUDITIONS
If you would like to audition for a part in this large cast two-act farce, take note of the following audition dates:
Sunday 23rd April, 14h30
Monday 24th April, 19h30
Wednesday 26th April, 19h30
SHOW DATES
The show will run over two weekends:
28th & 29th July and 4th & 5th August
Peter in Wonderland
YEAR-END PANTO
We have chosen an exciting original script for our year-end pantomime – Peter in Wonderland written by fellow Franklinite Jessica Urbani.
SYNOPSIS
On a quest to find his own identity, Peter’s shadow returns to Wendy’s bedroom to find her pining for her lost love. Hot on the heels of his shadow, Peter arrives to beg Wendy’s forgiveness for his absence and tells her a story of a young girl, Alice, who has been taken captive in their neighbouring town of Wonderland.
Deeply moved, Wendy convinces Peter to go on a mission to rescue Alice, but Peter knows that the only person mad enough to navigate them through Wonderland is his old enemy… Captain Hook…
Will shaky alliances, wayward fairies and a touch of magic be enough to rescue Alice from the Red Queen’s clutches?
AUDITIONS
If you would like to audition for this fun-filled unique adventure, take note of the following audition dates:
Sunday 20th August, 14h30
Monday 21st August, 19h30
Wednesday 23rd August, 19h30
EADS Showcase
Our fellow amdram society, EADS, is putting on a showcase in June which will be a non-competitive event and is specifically intended for groups or individuals to showcase their particular genre, be it a one act play, dancing, singing, musicians etc.
The event will take place over two weekends – 9 & 10 June and 16 & 17 June. Franklin members are keen to take part so watch this space to find out more…
Tips & Tricks for Improving ‘Behind the Scenes’
READ
Picking up a book or magazine about acting or surfing on over to an actor’s (or director’s) website or blog can do wonders for improving your abilities onstage. Simply educating yourself on the various methods that amateur dramatists and professionals use (e.g. Constantin Stanislavski and Lee Strasberg) will enable you to gain invaluable insights into all the nuts and bolts aspects of theatre. As a result, you’ll be able to apply those ideas to your next performance!
ACT
Shakespeare best summed this one up with the line “All the world’s a stage”. You can literally turn your home into a production space! Go beyond simply reading children their favourite stories. Instead, act out the different parts either alone or with them, use accents and experiment with different characterisations. Children naturally love using their imaginations, and this way they’ll be thrilled that you make reading even more fun than usual!
PLAY READING CIRCLES
Without a doubt, one of the most fun ways to practice, as it involves spending time with your friends and/or family. Basically, you start by bringing together would-be thespians (or just cool people game to try anything!) to read a play out loud in a non-judgmental, fun, laid-back setting. This can be almost anywhere: someone’s backyard, a dining room table, Emmarentia Dam (just saying), etc.
This method of practising enables you to: a) work on your public speaking skills, b) develop accents and characterisation choices, and c) educate yourself on plays you might never have heard about previously. A word of warning though – a play reading circle can become highly addictive! So before embarking on this method make sure you are ready to begin filling up your calendar with super duper fun and exciting reading sessions!!