This year’s Franklin & Friends One Act Play Festival brought a variety of plays to the stage keeping our audiences on the edge of their seats. With a variety of different genres this festival has been growing from strength to strength becoming an institution within Franklin itself. On behalf of the Franklin Players I extend a heartfelt thank you to YOU, our patrons for your continued support!
We were also very pleased to have welcomed fellow amdram societies ‘Protea Stage Productions’ from Benoni, and ‘The Inklings – TUKS’ from Pretoria who entered this fest with 2 productions ‘All By Myself’ and ‘Porcelain & Pink’ respectively.
To all participants, Franklinites and friends, a warm thank you for bringing your talents to our stage once more. My personal thanks as producer of this year’s festival also go to the committee members of The Franklin Players for their support and assistance in producing this year’s festival, as well as Vernon Janse van Rensurg and Traci Scerri. A thank you is also extended to our wonderful adjudicators Cati Muller, Lynda Bomyer and our ghost adjudicator, Thorsten Wedekind, all of whom provided constructive and insightful comments throughout the festival.
It has been a privilege to have seen the festival grow over the last two years and we are pleased to announce that 10% of all ticket sales will be donated to our chosen charity for the year, Friends of Rescued Animals (FORA).
If you missed the festival this year, keep your eyes open for our calendar dates 2017.
If you wish to become part of The Franklin Players family and our next project, simply join us for auditions for our mid-year play on 24 and 25 April 2017. Further details are available in our monthly flyer, on our website Auditions page and other social media platforms. Hope to see you there!
Keep singing, acting and dancing!
Els
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE AWARD WINNERS:
Best Overall Production – My Middle Name is Angry
Runner-up Best Production – All By Myself
Best Original script – Ashley Nader (My Middle Name is Angry)
Best Director – Jessica Urbani (My Middle Name is Angry)
Runner-up Best Director – Ben Frey (The Surrogate)
Best Actor – Michael Brownhill (All By Myself)
Best Supporting Actor – Mark Worrell (All By Myself)
Best Actress – Euwelia Louw (The Surrogate)
Best Supporting Actresses – Taryn Brehm & Traci Scerri (My Middle Name is Angry)
Best Newcomer – Dylan Liebenberg (All By Myself)
Best Novice Production – A Silly Afternoon
Best Cameo Role – Jessica Urbani (50 Shades of Gay)
Best Set – 50 Shades of Gay
Best Lighting – 50 Shades of Gay
Best Music – My Middle Name is Angry
MERIT AWARDS:
Merit Award – Best Production – The Surrogate
Merit Award – Best Adapted Script – A Likely Suspect
Merit Award – Most Socially Relevant Script – The Surrogate
Merit Award – Convergence of Theatrical Styles – Porcelain and Pink
Merit Award – Most Innovative Use of Props on Stage – Porcelain and Pink
Merit Award – Best Use of Costume – Tracey von Bulow (One Way or Another)
Merit Award – Best Poster Design – Porcelain and Pink
Merit Award – Best Ensemble – The Surrogate
Merit Award – Most Physically Convincing Performance – Gareth Meijsen (A Silly Afternoon)
Merit Award – Most Convincing Emotional Performance – Traci Scerri (My Middle Name is Angry)
Merit Award – Best Suited Casting of a Role – Tracey von Bulow (One Way or Another)
Merit Award – Best Suited Casting of a Role – Kathy Clayton (A Likely Suspect)
Merit Award – Most Improved Acting Year on Year – Wendy Brehm (50 Shades of Gay)
Recognition Award – Most Diverse Acting Roles – Ralph Roos (50 Shades of Gay, One Way or Another)
Polyfilla Award – Most Committed – Carri Lyons
ACTING MERIT AWARDS (SCORE OF 75 & ABOVE):
Acting Merit – Jessica Urbani (A Likely Suspect)
Acting Merit – Mary Collyer (A Likely Suspect)
Acting Merit – Devan Fleetwood (A Silly Afternoon)
Acting Merit – Gareth Meijsen (A Silly Afternoon)
Acting Merit – Taryn Brehm (A Silly Afternoon)
Acting Merit – Ben Frey (The Surrogate)
Acting Merit – Neil Meyer (The Surrogate)
Acting Merit – Amorita van den Heever (The Surrogate)
Acting Merit – Dirk Jonker (All By Myself)
This year’s festival showcased a line up of 8 productions, including 2 entries from fellow societies, Protea Stage Productions and The Inklings – TUKS.
Here are posters of the 8 plays that took part:
50 Shades of Gay
An extremely funny below the belt comedy that loves poking fun at life in Joburg. Every South African can relate to it. This slightly off-centre, embarrassingly side-splitting play, also has some romance weaved intricately with the emotive language of music. Audiences will be able to enjoy a real violinist at his best during scene changes. These characters are far from perfect thus making their mishaps all the more relevant.
Porcelain & Pink (The Inklings – TUKS)
Reminiscent of the times of F. Scott-Fitzgerald and written in a contemporary Wildean style, Porcelain and Pink provides a vignette of the lives of sisters Alexis and Louise, who couldn’t be more different. One of the few things they have in common is Jamie Morris, but does he know it?
All By Myself (Protea Stage Production)
Seven years alone on an island after his shipwreck have driven Larry to the edge of sanity, but that’s nothing compared to the shock of discovering he’s not – and never has been – alone!
My Middle Name is Angry
When two sisters with vastly different outlooks on life are forced to share an apartment for a week, there are bound to be clashes, tears and plenty of laughs.
A Silly Afternoon
One fine day in the middle of the night on the good morning of a wonderful English eve, there is a man who is believed to have the silliest walk of all those who silly walk. This man finds that his walk is, in fact, not silly and embarks on a series of adventures finding himself feeling that the silly world he once believed to be silly is not the silly life he thought to be so great. It is here that the audience will find themselves immersed in the wonderful silly world of total silliness, from arguing for money to silly pet shops to silly jobs. We can all get the idea of what it’s like to live a day in the life of a silly afternoon.
A Likely Suspect
This dark drama tells the story of two estranged best friends, Brenda and Iris, who meet up 13 years after a huge argument. Iris’ son has gone missing and needs Brenda, now a high ranking social worker, to pull strings and help find the missing boy. However, all is not what it seems as we follow this tale of unspoken truths, deceit, lies, sacrifices and murder. After all…“We all act stupid when it comes to love.”
The Surrogate
Felicity Plaatjies is knocked up and leaves her boyfriend, Terrence (who beats her twice a week now). She decides to cash in on her surrogacy agreement with her (previous) employer Paul and his (previous) boyfriend Ocean. Watch as the lives of four people unfold over the term of her pregnancy. Is Paul the father or Ocean or Terrence… or none of them?
One Way or Another
Just a typical day in the life of an aging Hollywood star. Everything is as it should be… Mercia’s life is filled with reporters, agents, fan mail, stalkers and most of all drama… or is it?