Finley Awards - This Saturday

Have you got your tickets for the 32nd Annual Robert Finley Awards? This Saturday 20th January @ 7pm Penrhos Performing Arts Centre, Thelma St, Como Tickets are only $18 and available through BOCS Ticketing 9484 1133 www.bocsticketing.com.au and all BOCS Ticketing Outlets. WA Amateur and Community Theatres 'Oscars' night. 35 Plays 11 Musicals Who will win on this prestigious awards evening. For further information contact Melanie DeCull on 9255 3336 melaniedecull@tazpublicity.com and check out the Independent Theatre Association's page of events on this website.

For GODS SAKE, the "Oscars" are for film. The "TONYS" are for THEATRE!

Sorry, won't be there - not until they start announcing the nominees for the awards before the event

1 hour and 12 minutes! Is that a record for the quickest first bleat about announcing nominees for Finleys before the night? I reckon it must be close. Stay home ya sook!

It's gonna be an awesome event! Everyone come and watch!

Sorry, I'm actually a bit unfamiliar with the Finleys and didn't realise the nominees weren't announced in advance. This is weird and bizarre. This is the only awards I've ever heard of that have done this. Is it an excuse to get more people to come along, because they *might* be nominated, and if they knew they weren't they wouldn't bother? If it is, then it's a pretty cheap trick. Seems a bit mean to me. And odd. And strange.

Thank you Grant. That's *exactly* why they do it - members of the ITA are renowned for saying "Everyone's a nominee if they were in a play that was adjudicated."

Every year this puny argument comes up and every year no one can answer me this one question - how will the Finleys be improved by short-listing before the night? Will there be a greater attendance - no. Will there be a greater sense of anticipation - no. Will it give the night more prestige - no. Will it give those people whose interest in theatre revolves only around themselves a reason to stay home and watch telly - yes. This is your chance to support the "community" part of community theatre. Come along to what is a great night and support all that is good about community theatre.

That's where you're wrong - if we knew who was nominated, we'd come along and support them - that would be the real community part. As the ITA refuses, then that's the exact reason to stay and watch TV or go to the pub instead. More prestige? You'd certainly get more interest, publicity and coverage before the event if you said "hey these are the nominees" then get coverage after as well with "this is who won". It'd be nice to see the ITA actually do a survey - not a strawpoll on this site - but an official one to see what people actually want. Think of it as a referendum.

Ugh this is silly. I'm still going and I don't care whether I'm nominated or not -- I just wanna support my shows and my friends. Besides, even if the ITA did announce the nominations prior to the event anyone who didn't go just because they weren't nominated should get over themselves! How selfish! Go and support you show and your peers or else stop appearing in community productions just because you think you'll get the accolades! That IS NOT what community theatre is about!

No, it's about supporting your friends and peers who are nominated - that's if the ITA actually let us know who was nominated beforehand.

Do they Finley committee take notice of what is happening in other states? In Victoria, their state music theatre awards are a HUGE event, and they DO let people know of the nominees before hand. It gives people a chance who are nominated to bring their family and friends to celebrate with them, especially handy for people who have to travel to get to these events - who I think are largely forgotten in all of this. If you have to travel 2 hours to get to the event you are less likely to invite friends/family if it will be a waste of their time. Don't forget - not everyone is into theatre, but family and friends would go to support their loved ones. And yes, people who aren't nominated DO still attend, to see who wins, to see the standard of the shows that were nominated, and just to catch up with other theatre friends/collegues. It's a wonderful, supportive and exciting night, and you have to get in quick to get a ticket. I don't understand how people can just disregard an idea, when it has been working in other states with great success, when they haven't even seen the other format for themselves, and haven't given the idea a real go either. Perhaps the Finley organisers and other poo-pooers could do some research before just dismissing? Just an idea of course....shortly to be shot down in flames I'm sure.

It should be noted that in the Melbourne professional sector, nobody goes to some awards nights any more. The Green Room Awards were turned into an online event, and then have been cancelled. Even though nominees were announced. Perhaps this whole thing is part of a larger issue with awards nights across the country? The Prompt Copy Networking emerging theatre professionals www.thepromptcopy.com Sticky Apple Legs Emerging puppetry company www.freewebs.com/stickyapplelegs Puppets in Melbourne www.freewebs.com/puppetsinmelbourne

Dear Walter Whatsyername, The Secretary has taken your suggestion to heart and will have survey forms on the night for people to express their views. And before you say that's preaching to the converted we will also publish it in the LINk , and get it put onto the web-site. ?Happier now??

Sorry guys, should clarify that the Victorian state theatre awards I was talking about is for amatuer theatre only.

It's interesting to see so many comments that suggest the ITA is some sort of elitist organisation. If you do not like the way things are done, join the ITA, rock up to the AGM on Sunday Feb 18th, nominate for committee and change the rules. How hard can that be. Don't whinge from the sidelines, get involved and make a difference. By the way I think it'd be great to announce the nominees before hand too.

who were the winners????? can anybody list them thanks

So, I personally wasn't able to make it for the Finleys - prior commitments and so forth - but other then a thread of whinging and whining about when nominations are announced nobody has commented on who won what offered congratulations or support. . . . The finley's were last Saturday night and I'm keen to see an announcement of the winners in the forums and haven't heard a bubble pop! So enforcing "emu's" request, can someone list them, please? ~ Tari The Writer is a child forever listening at the keyhole of the adult world.