ADLIB SEPTEMBER 2013
the Official Newsletter of Pinelands Players, established 1948 and incorporating The Cape Town Repertory Theatre Society
P.O. Box 131 Howard Place 7450
Scribe June cjwells@mweb.co.za
021 5318682
Hi Everyone
the wind is whistling by my window and it’s bleak & wet out there.
AUDITIONS FOR THE ONE-ACT PLAYS
Graham has cast and the plays are happily in rehearsal. I was at the audition and the readings were great. These two works are intriguing, can’t wait to hear how they end! I’ll list the cast in the next AdLib. This will be the first time that we are using the clubhouse as a mini theatre, with stage, lighting, sound and the bar an arm stretch away. Hope this will be the first of many exciting plays that we’ll stage at ‘home’.
Good opportunity for new and innovative stuff from creative people to give their work a ‘try out’.
CLUBHOUSE – CLEAN UP!
THIS SUNDAY, 1ST SEPTEMBER, 12.30 P.M. WE ARE HAVING A CLEAN OUT OF OUR CONTAINER AND CLUBHOUSE. SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DO EVERY NOW AND THEN.
YOUR HELP WOULD BE SO MUCH APPRECIATED IF YOU ARE WILLING TO HELP MOVE STUFF OR EVEN MAKE TEA FOR THOSE WHO ARE MOVING STUFF.
NEXT SUNDAY, 8TH SEPTEMBER, 11 A.M.THIS IS WHEN WE’LL BE DOING THE SAME THING WITH THE LOFT – WHICH IS WHERE ALL THE COSTUMES AND PROPS ARE HOUSED. AGAIN WE CAN USE ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET.WE’LL BE GETTING RID OF MANY ITEMS, COME ALONG AND SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT MAY BE USEFUL TO YOU BEFORE WE TOSS THEM.
MARVELLOUS MUSIC – VICTOR TICHART BENEFIT – A PERSONAL NOTE
With only ONE run through of all the items with lighting, sound and cues – and this immediately before the actual performance – the adrenalin was pumping as the audience crowded in. There were so many possibilities of things going horribly wrong. Oh me of little faith! With the honey-voiced Brian Winter charmingly holding it all together as M.C., a CAST cool as cucumbers and Glyn Fogell & Chris Laurie perfectly on cue with sound and lighting it all flowed smoothly.
So much went into this concert in such a short time. There is no way to adequately thank everyone who participated and lent us their amazing talents for the night, or sponsored fabulous prizes, or worked their butts off to get everything set up and taken down in 12 hours, or calmly dealt with front of house, or kept things running smoothly backstage. Listing everyone would take up too much space….and I’m borrowing this space from the AdLib!
Your place in Heaven is secure!
The hero of it all was PINELANDS PLAYERS, who made everything available for our use including their entire committee!
A Society with huge heart, spirit and generosity.
The feedback from audience members was gratifying – thank you all for your support. Victor was overwhelmed.
OTHER SOCIETIES – NEWS, SHOWS, AUDITIONS!
Hottentots Holland Dramatic Society is holding an Audition on 1 September 2013 at 19:00 at their Playhouse in Somerset West for Who Did You Say You Were?, a comedy written and to be directed by Giles Scott. More info? Contact 0723841953 or go to http://www.theplayhouse.org.za or http://www.facebook.com/PlayhouseSW.
Celia Musikanth: I am a freelance theatre practitioner, proof reader (not thesis/textbook or dissertations/maths/
science); advisor, consultant, adjudicator, public speaker, can help with preparation for auditions, a third eye (i.e. if anyone wants me to come in and give advice for productions as an objective and experienced director),character help, copy writer for publicity, etc.etc.
Lieske Bester: Soroptimist International means having friendship links all over the world. South African clubs receive support from overseas for many projects. S I Cape of Good Hope decided to assist S I Karachi Pakistan with their project: sponsoring school teachers who earn R100 per month !
On Sunday 3 November 2.30 p.m. Masque Theatre Main Road Muizenberg, we are hosting a gala production of Henceforward… with all profits to go to the project.
Tickets cost R100.00 each and include a high tea. Please join us with the knowledge that each seat filled sponsors a month of education. Contact Lieske on liesak@mweb.co.za for more info.
THEN AND NOW at the Milnerton Playhouse, presented by Bonny White 6th September.
Bonny has offered yet another evening of musical entertainment that includes 12 to 14 of her past and present singing students. Bonny’s talented young people are always wonderfully entertaining and this evening will showcase singers from beginners to advanced, performing various items from musical theatre plus some jazz and contemporary numbers. Reon Jacobs will accompany them once again on keyboard.
At only R5 for members and R10 for non-members, this is an absolute bargain for a full evening’s entertainment so don’t miss it. Doors open 7.15.
A HANDFUL OF FRIENDS directed by Sue Bolton for Constantiaberg Theatre Players will be at the Masque from 20th – 28th September. A cleverly written study of 5 professional men and women, where self-seeking can hide beneath the most cultured surface and destroy those taken for granted values of friendship & trust.
THE WISDOM OF EVE directed by Celia Musikanth for Fish Hoek Dramatic Society at the Masque from 11th – 19th October. The well loved classic ‘All about Eve’ and hit
musical ‘Applause, Applause’ were both adapted from this award winning play.
All bookings for the Masque through bookings@masquetheatre.co.za or 021 788 1898
GUYS AND DOLLS directed by Kyla Thorburn for The Gilbert and Sullivan Society runs at the Artscape Theatre from 18th October until 10th November. This well loved musical needs no introduction! Booking through Computicket.
ONE ACT PLAY FESTIVAL
THE COMMITTEE IS STILL DISCUSSING THE DETAILS OF REVIVING A PLAY FESTIVAL. WE DID CALL FOR FEEDBACK FROM SOCIETIES IN THE LAST ADLIB, BUT ONLY HAD RESPONSE FROM ONE. WE ARE AWARE OF THE ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK THAT THIS WILL INVOLVE AND IT WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTING NOT TO HAVE MORE INTEREST SHOWN. TO START WITH, WE THOUGHT IT COULD BE A ONCE-OFF VENTURE FOR 2014, AND IF SUCCESSFUL COULD BE AN ANNUAL ‘HAPPENING’ ON THE THEATRE CALENDAR.
I’LL KEEP YOU UPDATED REGARDING THIS.
FLASHMOB THEATRICAL HAPPENING
COMBINING THE IDEA OF THE TALENT SHOW & MEMBERSHIP DRIVE, THE COMMITTEE HAVE DECIDED ON AN IDEA WHICH THEY FEEL WILL BE AN EXCITING CHALLENGE AND MEMORABLE ‘HAPPENING’.
A BROCHURE WILL BE SENT OUT, INVITING PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN A ‘FLASHMOB’ PRODUCTION. THERE WILL BE AN ENTRY FORM AND EVERYONE WHO ENTERS WILL BE PART OF A PRODUCTION IN EARLY DECEMBER. THIS WILL BE REHEARSED AND PERFORMED IN ONE DAY.
THERE WILL BE PRIZES AWARDED FOR BOTH PERFORMANCES AND BACKSTAGE. IF WE ARE OVERWHELMED BY TOO MANY ENTRIES, THERE WILL BE AUDITIONS.
THE PRIMARY IDEA IS TO PROMOTE OURSELVES AND FIND NEW TALENT IN PINELANDS. WHY PINELANDS? BECAUSE OUR FIRST CONSTITUTIONAL AIM IS TO PROMOTE THEATRE HERE.
HOWEVER THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE THE CONSTITUTION WAS DRAWN UP AND WE WILL NOT LIMIT THIS TO PINELANDS ONLY, BUT WILL HAPPILY INCLUDE ANYONE FROM ANYWHERE IN THE PENINSULA.
THE BROCHURE WILL BE HAND-DROPPED IN PINELANDS AND WILL BE SENT OUT TO OUR MAILING LIST, APPEAR ON FACE BOOK AS WELL AS OUR WEBSITE.
AN AUDIENCE WILL BE INVITED TO ATTEND THE PRODUCTION AT A VERY NOMINAL FEE.
AS THIS GATHERS MOMENTUM, MORE PEOPLE ARE GETTING REALLY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT IT – INCLUDING YOUR COMMITTEE.
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Tailpiece
there is an Amateur Dramatic Society in a city in Australia. My children went to see one of their musical productions and were gobsmacked. They said they couldn’t believe that the public (full house!) were exposed to such poor direction and performances even though a great deal of money had obviously been spent on elaborate costumes and sets in a fabulous theatre. And here we are, Pinelands Players – no theatre, a tiny clubhouse with very little space to house costumes and sets. What we wouldn’t do for the support cultural organisations get in Oz!
But PP are not daunted by what we lack, we are enthused by what we can create!
Speak next month,
June.