GDA NEWS MAY 2008

Gloucestershire Drama Association - Registered Charity 1011080.

This is the last newsletter of 2008 before the AGM. Once again, apart from entries in the Diary of Events, there’s not much content for this newsletter, but there are plenty of productions in the offing, as you will see below. There is also a course coming up, but that won’t take place until after the AGM – let’s hope there is a committee left to run it!

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2008

The AGM will take place at St John’s Hall, Churchdown at 7.30pm on Saturday 20^th September. Calling papers and the agenda, notes, nomination forms, attendance registration forms, and last year’s minutes all accompany this newsletter.

There remains a desperate need for new officers and committee members. You may remember that the only officer elected last year was the treasurer, John Wathern (who is standing down this year). The rest of the committee were elected to unspecified posts on the understanding that they would share out the work between them, which they duly did. I specifically announced that I was not prepared to stand as chairman in the absence of a secretary, but ended up as chairman anyway, as well as newsletter and e-update editor and, as it turned out, co-organiser of the One Act Play Festival with Margaret Gelberg. It also falls to me, in the absence of a secretary, to organise all committee meetings and the AGM. I will definitely not take on the role of chairman next year if there are no nominations for secretary, so will you all please consider putting yourself forward for that position – and, indeed, any other committee role. If we do not have a chairman and secretary this time around, the recommendation to the incoming committee is that the constitution of the committee be revised and that the powers and functions of the GDA be reviewed and revised. This would be with a view to making the administration of the full-length play competition, the 1 act play festival and the play writing competition the sole functions of the committee. This would mean that need for a chairman and secretary as such would be obviated, as only work relevant to the competitions would need to be carried out.

Rococo Players

Thanks from the Chairman and Committee of the Rococo Players (our only remaining amateur outdoor Shakespeare company) by helping with FoH duties for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Societies who provided a team were May Hill Players, Phoenix Players and Upstagers.

The Rococo Players will be putting on Macbeth in November at Woodchester Mansion, Berkeley Castle and Warwick Castle. Details and a booking form are included with this newsletter.

ONE ACT PLAY FESTIVAL

As most of you will know from the e-mail updates, the Festival attracted 15 entries, including 3 youth productions, and it was a most successful week. Jane Levan, the adjudicator, performed her role with her usual wit and with constructive criticism and a great time was had by all. Audiences were good and the GDA coffers will not have been depleted. The final results are shown separately with this mailing, but you will see that all the adult awards were won by Brenda-Read Brown’s Once This Was a Poet.

I, unfortunately, didn’t get to see it, but I am told by all who did that it was a superb production and worthy of its multiple awards.

It can be seen again as part of the Cheltenham Literature Festival on 14^th October

(not 13^th as previously notified).

The awards presented on the Saturday evening were as follows:

Best Play

Once This Was a Poet – Tewkesbury Arts and Drama Society

First Runner-Up to Best Play

Late Entry – Lechlade Players

Second Runner-Up to Best Play

Last Tango in Little Grimley – Bishop’s Cleeve Players

Best Original Play

Once This Was a Poet (Brenda Read-Brown) – Tewkesbury Arts and Drama Society

Best Play by a Youth Society

Round the World with Class 6 - The Village Players

Best Actor

Ian Bishop - Tewkesbury Arts and Drama Society

Best Actress

Paula Fancini-Hooper – Tewkesbury Arts and Drama Society

Best Performance in a Supporting Role (Mike Simpson Cup)

Joe Durrant & Pam Jell - Tewkesbury Arts and Drama Society

Best Youth Performance

James Turney & John Greenough – Highnam Young Players

Adjudicator’s Award (Evans Trophy)

In The Mood - Lydney Scene Setters

Diary of events 2008

Please make use of this diary - it’s free publicity for your society!

September

17^th –19^th St Andrews At The Sign of the Crippled Harlequin 01452 724589

Norman Robbins

24^th – 27^th Crown Players Alarms and Excursions tbn

27^th GDA Working with Masks 01452 332000

Workshop

October

14^th Cheltenham Festival

of Literature (TADS) Once This Was A Poet 0844 5767979

15^th – 18^th Wotton-under-Edge DS It Could be Any One of Us tbn

Alan Ayckbourn

November

4^th – 15^th Rococo Players Macbeth postal bookings

4^th – 5^th at Woodchester House only - see

6^th – 8^th at Berkeley Castle attached form

11^th – 15^th at Warwick Castle

11^th – 15^th Phoenix Players A Doll’s House 01452 522795

Henrik Ibsen

11^th – 15^th St John’s Players An Ideal Husband 01452 617517

Oscar Wilde

26^th – 29^th Dolphins Dramatic Society

(Dolphins Hall, Tetbury) The Wizard of Oz 01666 502900

December

16^th – 20^th Crown Players Rumpelstiltskin tbn

Pantomime by Joy Davis

January 2009

9^th – 17^th Wotton-under-Edge DS Dizzy Spells (pantomime) tbn

15^th – 17^th Hardwicke Players Jack and the Beanstalk tbn

February

15^th – 18^th Phoenix Players Whipping It Up 01452 522795

Please forward to me the dates, name of society, name of production and box office phone number for inclusion in our the next (November) newsletter by 15^th October. All productions notified will be also be publicised in the frequent e-updates for those of you with e-mail addresses.

Full Length Play Competition 2007-08

The competition closed on 30^th June, and the winners in the various categories will be announced at the Awards Ceremony after the AGM on 20^th September. If you have an award from last year, please ensure that it is returned either to any convenient committee meber as soon as possible (telephone numbers and address enclosed

or without fail on the night.

Play Writing Competition 2007-08

This competition is now closed. There were 5 entries

and the winners will be announced at the Awards ceremony.

GDA web site

We now have 3 member society profiles on the site. Do make full use of this site. Don’t forget – this web site can be visited by anyone interested in drama in Gloucestershire and you might just pick up a few new members by putting yourselves on it – especially if you include a link to your own site.

If you haven’t visited it yet, you can find it at www.glosdrama.com

Club Secretaries

Please notify me of any change of secretary as soon as possible.

If you want someone else to receive newsletters and e-updates, please let me know.

Society Profiles

We are happy to print a ‘snapshot’ profile of your society and we can also advertise any scripts, costumes, props etc that you are willing to hire or lend to other groups. We will print any news from our member groups so please forward information – you will find an example on the web site, where all such articles will also be published.

Publicity

We will include flyers about your productions or your society with the newsletter.

We will send this newsletter in future only to member societies.

Thanks to those groups who send us a copy of their own newsletter - it is much appreciated.

Child Protection Policy

Don’t forget the GDA acts as an ‘umbrella’ organisation for applications to the Criminal Records Bureau for checks for Child Protection Policies for your society.

We also provide help in writing your own policy.

For more information, ring the GDA chairman on 01452 830958.

Return to GDA home page