(a registered charity) Theatre Week 2008 April 21st to April 26th Entries are now invited for the 47th Annual Full-Length Drama Festival
Introduction Theatre Week is now in its 47 th year and we believe it owes its success to a number of reasons, some of which I touch on below (and the following points are in no particular order!). Firstly, I am pleased to say there is a very experienced and dedicated committee and technical team behind the Festival. We all strive for professionalism in our presentation of Theatre Week, but also recognise that we, like yourselves, are in the Am-Dram game for personal enjoyment and satisfaction. This is something we try very hard not to lose sight of in running our Festival. Secondly, we are fortunate to have a well equipped theatre in at our disposal for the Festival. The building is owned and operated by East Herts Council, with whom we have a good rapport. Their co-operation is an invaluable asset. The council have this year invested some tens of thousands of pounds in replacing the flying system which we are sure will help to make rigging for performance quicker and easier. We have built up over the years a superbly loyal and knowledgeable audience. This Festival is self-financing, and we have no grants. We try very hard to maintain our ticket prices to give the best value for money and this policy, I am sure, helps to keep our seats filled. I would rather sell 200 seats at 5 than 100 at 10! In 2007 I am very pleased to say we had record audience numbers for the week a feat it would be great to repeat for 2008! Coupled with the seat prices there is the quality of the entries (some of which are clearly outstanding and have gone on the achieve good results at the NDFA All-Winners Festival), and the experience and skill of the Adjudicators we select. This year it will be a great pleasure to welcome back to Russell Whiteley, one of the country s most respected and experienced GODA members. My final point, as I touched upon in the previous paragraph, is the quality and variety of our entries: we strive to expand our base of potential teams year on year. Sadly, we have only six places to fill in any one year, but we recognise the importance of attracting new teams to, whilst also inviting back old friends that are loyal supporters of HTW. Without you, drama festivals will in time shrivel and die. So, if you have any desire to be involved with Theatre Week, please read on and learn a little more about the festival, theatre, adjudicator and the team. We cannot promise you success but we can promise a friendly welcome and I sincerely hope an enjoyable experience. None of us bite and we would love to hear from you! (If not for 2008, perhaps in 2009?) Steve Onyon Chairman Theatre Week
The Festival The Festival was instigated when a small committee from Dramatic and Operatic Society, investigating the possibilities of further stimulating amateur drama, invited neighbouring Societies and Drama Groups to perform one of their own productions under festival conditions. With rules agreed and sufficient support promised to ensure a full week s programme of six different plays, 1962 saw the first Theatre Week. While sponsorship for the first ten years was provided by the directors of shire Mercury and County Press, the publishers of our local newspaper and supporters of local drama, since 1972 Dramatic and Operatic Society have been not only the hosts and organisers to this annual competition but also the main sponsors. In recent years the Festival has been completely self financing, and unlike many full-length play festivals which draw sponsorship from either their local authority or commercial organisations, our only revenue comes from the Box Office sales. 1977 saw the demise of the Corn Exchange as the venue for drama in. It was a sad passing for many but I am sure a sigh of relief was breathed by most of our audiences. The old canvas chairs and flat-floored auditorium did sometimes demand more loyalty than was reasonable! However, we had a new home for the festival in the brand new Castle Hall and Theatre Week was proud to be the very first theatrical presentation in the new building. The competition has thrived, and in the late 80s the Festival became a member of the National Drama Festivals Association, and as such, the winner of Theatre Week is eligible to enter the National All Winners Finals. To this day the Festival is run by a team of unpaid volunteers, all members of Dramatic and Operatic Society, many of whom give up some of their annual holiday to work on the competition, and whose only reward is their love of theatre and the satisfaction of being involved with what is now recognised as one of the leading fulllength drama competitions in the country. It is very pleasing to note that on several occasions since our membership of the N.D.F.A. we have provided the winning entry at the All Winners Final, and yet again in 2000 our runner-up, Brigstowe Theatre Company with their production of Entertaining Mr. Sloane were the N.D.F.A. winners. Also in July of 2002, for the first time in, we successfully hosted the 29 th N.D.F.A. British All Winners Festival of Plays - a superb week of Full-length and One-act plays. Theatre Week pays the following expenses, based on distance from : 0 to 30 miles: 160, 31 to 60 miles 190, 61 miles and over 220
The Trophies The Trophies The following marking scheme is used at Theatre Week: Acting Production Endeavour, Originality and Attainment Stage Presentation (all aspects) 35 marks 30 marks 10 marks 25 marks The Awards The Festival opened in 1962 with only two trophies, the Mercury Challenge Cup and the Runners-up Cup. Mercury Challenge Cup (Winner) Roy Seammen Trophy (Stage Presentation) Tony Bentley Tankard (Adjudicators Award) Ted Harden Rose Bowl (Runner Up) Freston Salver (Audience Award) Our marking scheme differs from the NDFA standard as we believe because of all the disciplines involved in the Stage Presentation mark, they deserve more recognition we hope you will agree. Stage presentation covers the set, lighting, sound, costume, wardrobe, hair, make-up and stage-management. By 1973 the teams were also competing for the splendid Freston Salver - the Audience Appreciation Award. The Roy Seammen Award - an impressive stag and the symbol of (affectionately known to the HTW Committee as Harry the Hart), has been awarded since 1979 and is the Stage Presentation Award. The following year the Tankard was presented in memory of Tony Bentley, a hard working member of H.D.& O.S. and for many years the Chairman of Theatre Week. This trophy is awarded at the adjudicators discretion for any outstanding feature of the Festival. In 1995 the Runners-up cup was reluctantly retired due to old age, and replaced with the attractive Rose Bowl. This was renamed the Ted Harden Award in memory of a respected member of our society.
The Adjudicator Russell trained in Theatre Studies at Trent Park and the Rose Bruford College. He holds the London University Diploma in Dramatic Art, is an Associate of the Drama Board and of the London College of Music. As a Senior Moderator in Drama for the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance he gets into schools and colleges all over the British Isles to see some of the exciting work that is taking place in these institutions. Since taking early retirement from a senior teaching post at a large comprehensive school in Yorkshire he has been very much in demand. He has examined and adjudicated in Europe, the Far East, Scotland and Northern and Southern Ireland. Russell has a number of national Russell Whiteley. GODA finals under his belt including Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales. In 2007 he adjudicated the Ulster Finals and The AETF English Final. 2008 is also a busy year. He is adjudicating in Derry, has three AETF Divisional Finals in England and Scotland and will be adjudicating the and Wakefield Full Length Festivals. His Northern down to earth common sense and obvious expertise has made him popular with many festivals that are always more than happy to welcome him back. The HTW Team Steve has been a member of Dramatic & Operatic Society for over 38 years and has been involved with Theatre Week from the beginning of his membership, initially as part of the Lighting team and subsequently as Festival Stage Manager for 25 years. Steve Onyon (Chairman) The quarter century seemed a good time to hand over the stage-management reins, whilst still continuing as a member of the organising committee (and as assistant stage manager for three years). In 1999 he was elected Chairman of the Festival Committee and has continued to enjoy that role ever since. When not working on Festival matters his main interests outside the home are scenery build and painting, and stage engineering for HD&OS and with other local companies which perform biannually at the Minack open-air theatre in Cornwall.
The Team continued... Penny has been a member of HD&OS for more years than it is polite to mention! She is currently Wardrobe Manager for the Society and has also worked as stage manager, on the sound desk, props, call desk and follow-spot. Performance on stage is limited to four appearances in pantomime when much younger! Penny Coyston (Festival Secretary) Penny divides her time between working as a secondary school teacher in Welwyn Garden City and managing not only the wardrobe department but acting as Chairman of General Committee for HD & OS. She also enjoys being involved in costuming productions (four in total) for The Minack openair theatre in Cornwall. She describes this as a challenging venue! 2008 will be Penny s third year as Festival Secretary. Robin Barton (Stage Manager) Robin has been involved in theatrical productions for 20 years initially treading the boards but quickly shying away from the light to take on a range of backstage roles both amateur and professional. Now most commonly found avoiding the limelight, he also works in most areas of production including event power, effects, stage management and staging. Venues for production range from muddy fields and decaying aircraft hangers to fully equipped theatres from to Sheffield, Massachusetts, USA. Temporarily converting the Victorian Tilbury International Cruise Terminal into a theatre and plenty of street theatre were some of the highlights of 2005. During the day (and often through the night), Robin works for Stage Electrics in London as an Assistant Production Manager. When not at work Robin can be found developing websites and trying to live a greener life. Nik has been involved in theatrical lighting, production and stage management for the last six years after being invited to run the lighting for Ware Operatic Society s production of La Perichole. Nik Mayes (Lighting Manager) In order to gain some experience prior to lighting this production Nik approached HD&OS and has never looked back. Lighting credits include work for HD&OS, Ware Operatic Society, National Festivals All Winner Festival 2002, Showstoppers and Castle Hall. Production and stage management credits include work for both HD&OS and Ware Operatic Society. Nik is married with a young family and works full time as the Systems Manager at Sainburys automated distribution facility in Waltham Abbey, and on a casual basis as one of the technicians at Castle Hall.
The Team continued... Andrew Coyston (Electrical Consultant) Andrew first became involved with Theatre Week in 1966, at the tender age of 15. This was at the Corn Exchange, where a team of four or five operated the lighting on huge mechanical dimmers. Taking the helm in 1973, he designed the Society s first remote lighting panel, which was operated from the back of the auditorium - at last, we were able to see the results of our efforts in action. Nowadays, at Castle Hall, Andrew guides teams through the technicalities of a memory board, using a comprehensive lighting rig and versatile sound system, so that they can realise their lighting and sound objectives. Andrew always enjoys the week, meeting old and new friends in the different teams, and the challenge of each play. Sue Bennett (Social Secretary) Sue joined the HTW committee in 2005 for the 2006 Festival but has been a member of HD&OS for over thirty years. During that time she has been involved in many aspects of the Society both on stage and behind the scenes. Sue was Secretary of HD&OS for 15 years and was also President in 1999. As a regular season ticket holder, Sue has enjoyed being in the audience of Theatre Week and was once in an HD&OS entry (Abelarde and Heloise). For the last two years she has acted as a hostess for one of the visiting drama groups and was also a hostess for the NDFA All Winners Festival in 2002. Sue enjoys being a member of the team that organises one of the high spots of the calendar. Joanna has been a member of HD&OS since 1994. As a member of the Society she has directed, acted, sung, managed Front of House and been wardrobe mistress. Joanna Pierce (Front of House) A trained singer, Joanna teaches singing in her spare time. During the day she works for shire County Council as a visiting officer carrying out financial assessments. In her second year on the HTW committee, Joanna leant her trade from her father Adrian and deputised for him as House Manager at the 2006 Theatre Week, where she gained the nick name of Our Lady in Red when officiating in the foyer. Sue Hantke (Publicity Liaison) A new comer to the HTW committee, Sue joined HD&OS in the mid 80 s whilst helping with another society s entry for Theatre Week. Before that date she could be found either performing or working backstage in all areas from making props, designing and building sets to stage management for at least six other societies in and around the London area. She has been a member of the HD&OS s General, Pantomime and Publicity Committees. She still divides her theatre time between on stage and backstage. Sue has been a member of the Theatre Week backstage team since the early 90 s and since taking early retirement from teaching in 1995, has been able to give more time in the day as well as in the evening.
The Theatre Castle Hall opened in 1977 and brought to the town a wonderful new facility for all kinds of theatre and drama. Since then there have been progressive modifications and refits to make the business of presenting plays easier, more professional and more pleasurable for our audiences. The comfortable foyer and bar area has facilities for the disabled and we are able to make arrangements for wheelchair users in the auditorium. When rigged for theatre this seats just less than four hundred, three quarters of which are tiered ensuring good sight lines. The 72 channel Zero 88 illusion system is controlled from a well-positioned and spacious control room high up at the rear of the auditorium. Sound operation is also based here. We have a proscenium of 29 6 (9m), a maximum depth of 31 (9.5m) from the lip of the apron and approximately 39 (12m) under the grid - so flying scenery and cloths is possible. The stage is well equipped with drapes and borders, barrels and lanterns, and HD&OS has good stocks of additional equipment for most situations. The well appointed dressing rooms are all fitted with loud speakers for stage-sound and calls, and the theatre has installed a headset loop to all important operating positions.
What Next... To submit an entry for Theatre Week 2008 please complete the enclosed form and send it with your entry fee of 2.50 and script to the Festival Secretary. The selection of the six plays to be included in the Festival takes place in mid-january. Companies that are accepted will then be sent a detailed information pack with stage plans. More information about the Festival and the organising team is available. Please contact either the Chairman or the Secretary at the addresses below. If you would like to visit the theatre this can usually be arranged but it is best done when the building is configured for theatre. In 2007 we would recommend November 19 th to 24 th when HD&OS is presenting Canterbury Tales, or in the new year when our pantomime, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, is in the theatre from 31 st December 2007 to 5 th January 2008. However, other times can usually be arranged, or we would be very happy to meet with any potential entrants just for an informal chat, perhaps over a beer, at our headquarters building in. We have an experienced Festival team who are available for the whole day of your performance from your arrival at 9.30 am until the get-out, and we will try to cater for all your needs. At the end of the evening you will have the opportunity to meet the adjudicator to discuss any issues raised, or comments made during the adjudication. If you are a small Society and are perhaps a little daunted by unfamiliar technical equipment, please don t worry. The HTW team is there to help and we can, for instance, run the lighting board for you against your cues if required. Above all, we are all involved with theatre for enjoyment and our aim is to ensure that all our entrants have a memorable and enjoyable day Chairman: Steve Onyon 01992 586978 51 The Drive SG14 3DE steve.onyon@btinternet.com Stage Robin Barton Manager: 01279 813952 14 Blythwood Gardens Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8HG Secretary: Penny Coyston 0 1992 537440 8 Martins Drive SG13 7TA p.coyston@dsl.pipex.com Social Sue Bennett Secretary: 01992 581978 89 Queen s Road SG13 8BJ Lighting Nik Mayes Manager: 01992 552478 8 Crouchfields SG14 3LP House Joanna Pierce Manager: 01992 587157 120 Bentley Road SG14 2HL Electrical Andrew Coyston Consultant: 01992 53744 0 8 Martins Drive SG13 7TA Publicity Sue Hantke Liaison: 01992 462218 31Gladstone Road Hoddesdon EN11 0JN