Salters One Act Play Festival

Salters' One Act Play Festival

The PEMADS Salters One Act Play Festival was an annual festival which was held for the first time in 1952, and, with the exception of 1963, 1964, 1979, 1980, 1982, and 1994, ran each year until 1998. The Festival was presented by PEMADS in association with the Arts and Culture Trust and Nedbank. In 1988 the festival co-ordinator Liz Yates, administrative assistant Audrey Whitehouse, co-ordinating stage director Manny Fokos and lighting operator Ken Brown, were instrumental in expanding the festival. The 1988 event was the first in 36 years to allow outside amateur societies, schools and drama workshops to participate, with directors and performers graded into junior,novice and experienced categories.

The festival claims that a number of "firsts" occurred there:

- The first such festival to boast English, Afrikaans and Xhosa presentations.

- The first time a "final" round was contested by three selected plays.

- An English-medium school, Victoria Park High School, entered an Afrikaans play, Soet, Suur en Sielkunde.

- The same play, The Bear, was presented twice by the PE College of Education with role swopping.

- The first Salters One Act Play Festival to have not only a professional adjudicator in Bess Finney, but also a professional co-ordinating stage director in Mairi Cameron.

- The Uitenhage Toneel presented Die Sandkis there, the first "out-of-town" entry by a formally constituted amateur theatrical society.

In addition, several entrants, Victoria Park High School, Vista University Drama Workshop and PE College of Education, took part for the first time. The intention was to provide a facility for both novice and experienced directors with an opportunity to present their productions of One-Act Plays to the public. The festival was intended to be seen as a vehicle for growth, experimentation and learning, but above all, for enjoyment and the sharing experiences with the other participants. The festival was always held in the Little Theatre, Belmont Terrace, Port Elizabeth. The festival is no longer staged.

Festival Rules

A Novice was deemed to be a pIayer who had not previously won an acting award, and who had not appeared in a speaking role in more than two plays. There was no age restriction in this area. A Junior performer was deemed to be a player no more than 18 years old, who had not previously won an award for acting, and who hadn't appeared in a speaking part in more than two Non-School productions. A Novice Director was a person who presented their first attempt at Direction. Any entry had to contain greater part of dialog than of mime, singing, music or dancing, and to contain a minimum of two on-stage speaking parts.

Each play had 5 minutes to set their stage and 3 minutes to strike their sets. Penalties applied.

Minimum running time, from curtain to curtain, was 20 minutes with a maximum of 45 minutes. Penalties were applied for short or over times.

The marks were calculated based on the following criteria:-

TECHNICAL (For 24 points)

(i) Sets & Properties - 4 points

(ii) Lighting - 4 points.

(iii) Costumes and Make up - 4 points.

(iv) Sound - 4 points.

(v) Concept - 4 points.

vii) Execunon - 4 points.

DIRECTION (For 30 points).

(i) Concept and Understanding - 8 points.

(ii) Rhythm/Graph - 8 points.

(iii) Blocking - 8 points

(iv) Performances - 8 points.

ACTING (For 26 points).

(i) Characterisation - 7 points.

(ii) Emotional Truth - 7 points.

(iii) Vocal Flexibility - 7 points.

(iv) Focus & Responsiveness - 5 points.

PRODUCTION (For 20 Points)

(i) Entertainment value - 5 points.

(ii) Performances - 5 points.

(iii) Technical - 5 points.

(iv) Creative Risk/Originality of approach - 5 points.

The Entries

1983: Albert directed by Gwyn James, Bang, You're Dead directed by Paul Reakes, Happiness My Goal directed by Norman Holland, The Runner Stumbles directed by Milan Stitt, The Visitor directed by Andre van Vuuren.

1988: A Song For All Seasons, Behind the Mask, Debtor's Prison, Die Ewige Tuiste, Die Insurance Polis, Die Telefoon, Die Voelhok, Dinner For One, Murder Behind The Mask, Patchwork, Red Spy at Night, Sudenly Last Summer, The Busker of Sacre Coeur, and Top Table.

1989: Die Trommel, Nunsense, The Snake Chief, Untimely Ripp'd,

1990: A Galway Girl, Die Koffer, Die Vaal Koestertjie, Die Wildeman, Eva Se Krismiskat, It's a Gas!, Our Man, Pa, Maak Vir My 'n Vlieer, Pa, The General Reviews His Troops, The High-Backed Chair, and The Understudy.

1991: Something Unspoken, Bus Stop, Taken, The Trial,

1992: Appassionata, Die Dood van Chris en die Choreographie van Begrip, In Room Five Hundred and Four,Teechers, The Grey Angel, Weekend,

1993: Deadline Dawn, Die Parrot Woman, Fade to Black, Her Grace Will Be Here, Refusal of Suitors, Roman Believer, The Drapes Come, Toewyding, Vital Statistics and You, Me and Mrs Jones.

1994:

1995: Ai Toggie die Liefde, Ashes to Ashes, Behind the Curtains, Die Wenner Wat Verloor Het, Egoli, Fuses En Ander Konneksies, Marymeit en Miss Rosemary, Nine to Five, Nood Einde, Once a Jolly Jumbuck, Random Moments in a May Garden, Red Spy At Night, Summit, Sweat.

1996: Bitsathebook, Derde Laan Se Critics, Egoli, Living With Lady Macbeth, My Child, Tot Die Dood Ons Skei, Ubuntu, The Proposal, The Victim, Too Long an Autumn and Trolley Troupe.

1997: Bar And Ger, Dilemma, Die Hok, Die Lewe Is Soos 'n Nikkerbol, Exit, Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery, Harry's Christmas, Siyabheda Mzala (Things Are Bad, Cousin), Sorry Wrong Number, The Extraordinary Revelations of Orca the Goldfish, The Last Laugh, The Wizard of Whispers and Vagabond Vampires.

1998: A Case For Two Detectives, Die Klein Prinsie an Afrikaans adaptation of The Little Prince, Die Spinner, Insignicant Others 11, Kaleidoskoop, Op Dees Aarde and Semi-detached.

Adjudicators

1983: Daphne Greenwood (nee Daphne Mann) was a Port Alfred resident.

From 1988, Technical Director Mairi Surtees-Cameron was instrumental in persuading the visiting adjudicators to participate in the Salters One Act Play Festival.

1988:

1989: Bess Finney

1990: Anne Williams

1991: Tammy Bonell assisted by Sarita Loots as regards Afrikaans nuances and interpretation.

1992: Philip Godowa

1993: Pat Fox assisted by Sarita Loots as regards Afrikaans nuances and interpretation.

1996: Jennifer Steyn

1997: Drummond Marais

1998: Drummond Marais assisted by Sarita Loots as regards Afrikaans nuances and interpretation.