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The 29th Sancta Annual One Act Festival
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Sancta festival ends on a high note The 29th Sancta Annual One-Act Festival showed that community theatre is alive and well this weekend. Twelve plays were performed in the week by black and white, English and Afrikaans community theatre groups from Secunda, Hillbrow and the West Rand, with themes varying from rural to urban black culture, modern and traditional dance, futuristic, gory murder, dreams and aspirations, street life in Hillbrow, rape and incest – all very relevant in today’ s society.
The festival ended with a re-performance of the three best plays, the gala award ceremony and cocktail party. There were many high profile guests and sponsors in the audience, from as far afield as Secunda. Dorothy Gould started her summing-up of the festival with an interesting history of theatre from Greek times when it was compulsory to attend theatre because the Greeks believed the arts to be vital to an all-round life experience. Summarising the festival, she said she was amazed at the high standard of community theatre, especially in the Secunda area(from which six plays came),and praised Sancta for their vital work not only in the festivals, but in education (eight sets of courses were run in Secunda and Johannesburg)and keeping community theatre alive. She said there was so much talent for the future from youngsters of around 8 years old to experienced adults and promised to champion Sancta’s cause where possible. She said community theatre was alive and well and wanted Sancta to push it to higher levels to give these participants a chance to get to professional stage, but said people must never forget their roots, the love of the theatre that they have, and the passion and reason why they are on stage or in the technical arena, which sometimes happens in the professional theatre these days.
1. 2nd Adjudicators Special Merit Award – three-way tie to: Ayanda Mathonsi as Mpho in What Life Could Have Been; Minenhle Mkhize as Bongani Khoza in Pie in the Sky; Mandla Kumalo as Mandla “MK” Khoza in Pie in the Sky – all from Hillbrow Theatre Project. These are all children and the award was given “for being totally believable and complete purity of performance”. 2. The Adjudicators Special Merit Award – The Adam Leslie Rosebowl - went to Barry Neuwerth – Sancta festival director – “for the smooth running of the 29th Sancta festival and the programme design”. 3. Best Foyer Display – Kiss of the Spider Woman by Dreamworkz Drama Studio - an initiative of Randfontein High School. 4. Best Backstage Technical Excellence - Kiss of the Spider Woman etc. 5. Best Set – Kiss of the Spider Woman etc. 6. Best Original New SA Script – Where the Rainbow Falls by Ismail Mahomed. 7. Best Performance in a Cameo Role – Collen Khumalo for the role of Sipho in Career by Hillbrow Theatre Project. 8. Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Thando Khanye for the role of the Dancer in My Dream is by The Lenient Movement, Secunda. 9. Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Chris van der Berg for the role of Lukas in Snort (Afrikaans play – Secunda). 10. Runner -Up to Best Actress in a leading role – Khanyisile Sibiya for the role of The Mother in My Destiny by Siyanqoba Performing Arts, Secunda. 11. Best Actress in a Leading Role – A tie between: Portia Radebe for the role of Mpule in Lost Child. by Y- People in Theatre Project, Secunda and Els de Bundel for the role of Christien in Where the Rainbow Falls by Lemontone Productions, presented through Roodepoort Little Theatre. 12. Runner- Up to Best Actor – Richard Bodkin for the role of Karel in Where the Rainbow Falls etc. 13. Best Actor in a leading role – Thabo Seroke in the role of Molina in Kiss of the Spider Woman etc . 14. Best Novice Production – What Life Could Have Been workshopped by Sibusiso Hadebe and the cast of Hillbrow Theatre Project. 15. Best Ensemble Award – tie between: Kudelo Owaziyo – The Revelations by Izazi Zase,and My Destiny presented by Siyanqoba Performing Arts both of Secunda . 16. Andisa Capital Ltd Shield for Theatrical Excellence – Andisa means “Growth” – What Life Could Have Been – Hillbrow Theatre Project etc awarded for “Nurturing and growth of childrens’ theatre in Hillbrow”. 17. Best Director – Mathapelo Nyiphi director of Kiss of the Spider Woman for Dreamworkz Drama Studio. 18. 2nd Runner -Up to Best Overall Production – Kiss of the Spider Woman by Dreamworkz Drama Studio. 19. Runner -Up to Best Overall Production – My Destiny written and directed by Mandla Sibiya for Siyanqoba Performing Arts, Secunda.
20. Best Overall Production – Kudela Owaziyo- The Revelations workshopped and presented by Isazi Zase, Secunda. In his closing speech Noel McDonald thanked the adjudicators for an excellently done task and congratulated everyone involved saying “whether you were a winner or not - everyone is a winner”. He thanked all Sancta’s sponsors – Dalro, The Samro Endowment Trust for the Arts, whose grant since 2000 assists in paying the adjudicators and they have already paid the 2010 grant; The Arts and Culture Trust; Sasol Secunda and said he hoped the relationship they have had since 2004 will continue to grow. Sancta ran their recent successful festival in June; Business and Arts SA (BASA) is in the process of assisting with mentoring Sancta assisted by Rand Merchant Bank. He also mentioned that Sancta had received a sizeable grant from The National Arts Council (NAC) which would be used for education, mentoring and ensuring a 30th Sancta Festival in 2010. Details of this will be released shortly. Finally the 2009/2010 Naledi Awards. There is a Community Theatre category in the Naledi Awards and all the Secunda and Sancta Festival plays had been adjudicated for these. Hopefully there will be a “play off” this year, but all six finalists will be in contention for this year’s award. Last year's Sancta winning play “Some Fathers Sons” is off to Monaco next month to represent Sancta and South Africa in the four-yearly Festival du Mondial with 23 other international countries for the 3rd time this millennium and Noel wished them bon voyage and good luck. For any details on Sancta and their festivals, contact Noel McDonald - National Chair on 083 309 4315. |
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