One act festivals- friends and rellies

Having taken part in a number of local one act festivals, the old 'bums on seats' or lack of same, continues to perturb me. The various organisations staging festivals do their best to encourage bums to find seats, however, despite their best intentions, the bums on average, fail to show up in sufficient numbers. Note: This is my personal view, as a partipant, said organisers may dispute this fact. Having spoken with a number of people re this topic, the following reasons were offered as reasons for non-attendance: 1: Cost of tickets is prohibitive. (I would agree here. Two sessions could cost you $30). 2: Actors / backstage people taking part, should be given 'special priced' or 'free' tickets. (Again, I would agree. Audience numbers would certainly improve if cheap /free tickets were made available. Given there's always plenty of seats, why not fill them with our own theatre community? How often do we actors / theatre groups perform and then bugger off without checking out other plays? Money, money money, could well be that reason. 3: General lack of publicity? 'I didn't even know it was on,' said more than one individual. 4: Unlike the Finley's night of nights; the one act festivals are minus the bright lights, and are seen (by some,) as somewhat inglamorous affairs. One would be hard pressed to argue the point, although to be fair, comparing the two would be a severe case of comparing the apple with the cheese. 5: The festivals are a forum for showcasing new works (evidenced by the recent ITA festival.) Punters are less likely to take chance on shelling money out on new /unseen - potentially average plays. I for obvious reasons, won't comment on that score, however, a number of people gave this as reason for not attending. 6: Too many plays, too many sessions. The yawn factor. 7: Plays should be screened pre-festival showing, and plays below standard should be excluded. (I'm not going there thank you very much.) These are just a few comments I received. I thought them worth sharing. Note: As a local writer I find the festivals invaluable in showcasing my material, however, I find the current format, a hard sell for the theatre goers in my circle of friends and acquaintences. To add my two bobs worth, I think there is some merit in a panel selecting a suitable showcase of plays for the festival (perhaps made up of various genre's?) Of course, this won't agree with many. I suppose we need to ask, are we happy with the tried and trusted formula, or do we need to try something new. Personally, I'd vote for the new. I'll be most interested on hearing the views from the many who organise and take part in our festivals. Footnote: I'd like to close, by saying, that none of the above is a slur on those who devote their time and energy to getting said festivals to the stage. It must be a tireless and thankless job, however, it doth appear from afar, that at times the 'whole weekend' events appear tiresome, and there's a sense of let's get this thing over, and let's get the hell out of here. cheers Johnny Grim

Before I wade in as co-ordinator for the last two Dramafests, let me re-iterate that Johnny’s original post was not intended and has not been taken as a slur or attack on the organizers of any of the drama festivals. And that this response is not, and should not be taken as an attack or slur on Johnny. Johnny, I have to agree with you, the lack of bums on seats is a troubling situation, and I will attempt to comment on your listed reasons: (Please note, all responses are specific to Dramafest only, and are not meant to be representative of any of the other festivals) 1. Cost of tickets. For Dramafest this year, session tickets were $15. Working on an average of three plays per session that is $5 per play (in fact this year it would have been closer to $4 per play). Is that too much? We even offered a season ticket of $60 for the entire weekend. That works out to $10 a session or less than $3 a play. How cheap do you want us to go? Funnily enough, the Mandurah festival, which I think is the most expensive as far as tickets are concerned, is actually the best attended. (But that may be due more to point 3) 2. I cannot speak for the other festivals but at Dramafest, actors and backstage for any play are given free entry to all other plays in that session. And I think since we have started doing that, we have had more people sit in on the other plays in their session. On the other hand, we have also offered a free SEASON ticket to the director of every entered play. Out of 22 entered plays, do you know how many of these were actually used this year? ONE!!! Only ONE of the directors took the opportunity to watch the whole festival FOR FREE!!! Somehow this tells me that ‘money, money, money’ may be the excuse, but not actually the reason! 3. General lack of publicity. Comment noted. In our debrief that was our BIG area for improvement next year. That said, it is on the SAME weekend EVERY year, the newbies and general punters have ‘I didn’t know it was on’ as an excuse, the old troopers don’t… On the same point, though… Did the entering clubs even let their members know they had entered and when they were performing? 4. Inglamorous?! Is that even a word? If it isn’t it should be! Connotes not merely absence of glamour but almost negative glamour… I like it! Are the One-Acts inglamorous? Yes they are. They are a hard slog and a brutal marathon. This year’s Dramafest is the second longest theatrical event I’ve ever sat through (after ‘The Peony Pavilion’) and was comparable in length to a Ring Cycle! I don’t know how to counter that argument except to say ‘Toughen up, Princess!’? Maybe that’s the angle we should be marketing it? As more of a blood sport than a glamour event… 5. Too many new plays. Really? Seriously? How did you take that response? From my own point of view, having sat through the entirety of the last 4 dramafests, the new plays are the exciting ones, they can sometimes be absolute dogs, but they can also be gems! 6. Sorry, I take back my comment on point 4… This is where I want to say ‘toughen up, Princess!’ 7. Now this one is a can of worms all of itself… Below which standard? Below who’s standard? And when shall they be judged? There was an interesting case many years ago where a play performed in the South West Drama Festival and it was widely judged by all and sundry to be the absolute worst play of the festival. Two weeks later, it won the State Drama Festival… How? The director and cast realized that the show was an absolute dog, and so they worked on it bloody hard for two weeks, taking on board the comments from the SW adjudicator, and other people who saw it in Bunbury. And two weeks later it was brilliant! Besides, how many times has a very good play had their worst performance at Dramafest, or an average one have an absolute blinder… It’s a competition, these things happen. And, like all competitions, the competing is more important than the winning! And how many times has one of the worst plays of the festival walked away with one or even two awards at the end, because the couple of things they got right they got better than anyone else! I think the system they have in the UK is a very good one, but WA does not have the population to support it. Over there they have a whole series of drama festivals, then the winners of each get to compete in a national final, then the four winners of the national finals get to perform in the UK final. It seems very much like an FA Cup of drama festivals. Ah, if only we could… As to the future and changes in format. I don’t know, I really don’t know. Part of me would like to go back to the days when the festival ran every night for two weeks. And there is a lot on that weekend (Royal Show, Grand Finals, Pride Fair Day, etc.) but what other weekend could we do it? If anyone has any (reasonably intelligent) suggestions, I can’t wait to hear them.

Well... I've written a long response to this post... But it has been flagged as being potential spam... But has now appeared above... yay

As the director who did take up the free season ticket offer I can say, that I had a fantastic time. I do have some input however, which relates generally to all the one act festivals I have attended over the years. It is extremely tiring to sit there for three days in and out of every play. This year, I was uable to attend every session and I was very disappointed. These festivals are a chance to open your eyes to new ideas, new possibilities and new approaches. Some plays are brilliant, some are ok and others not so, but it is all part of the fun of the weekend. All in all it is a fantastic learning experience and I encourage all of my cast members to watch as many as possible. However, this encouragement mostly falls on deaf ears, as cast members have other commitments or have other reasons not to stay. The biggest advantage of the weekend is the networking opportunities provided to catch up with old friends and make new ones. I also am disappointed with small audiences and do think the cost does influence the number of plays attended by individuals. I personally would not have been able to afford to attend all the sessions this year. I was personally not aware of the allowance for cast and crew to attend the rest of the session for free, but was aware that two tickets were allocated to each entry for the one session they were competing in. I am also completely amazed that the club members do not bother to attend to support the plays which they have submitted. I do not know what the solution is. I am in awe of the amount of work put into organizing, planning and delivering these festivals and congratulate every single organization who is instrumental in continuing to run them year after year. It is not at all about the awards or the recognition, but about bringing the spirit of community theatre together for one weekend through such a huge variety of entries, determination,fun and hard work. Cheers Christine Ellis

Don't put a session on when the grand final's on. That's always been a moronic idea.

... that what with the State Drama Fest, the new Hills Festival, and the Bunbury festival (not forgetting the seasons put on by the entering clubs) that there might be a bit of one-act fatigue? Hence the low numbers? Seen it once at the club, don't need to revisit at the festival? El

I believe that lack of numbers indicates not only a general lack of interest in community theatre, but theatre budgets having been exceeded by mining funded pieces of shit (I’ll let you guess what that is). Semi professional and professional theatre in Perth is doing quite well. The new State Theatre is playing to sell out audiences and the Blue Room is having a bit of a golden age, not only in regards to bums on seats, but quality of their productions as well. And then we have community theatre. Cheaper than all of them, yet still unable to pull a decent crowd, bar one or two clubs that have a great subscriber base. Well, if we really want to be honest, let’s focus on the reputation of community theatre as being sub par, which believe me, earns that badge every now and then. Money isn’t the issue. It’s quality. People have a lot of money in W.A. Too much money and not enough sense. So, I can completely understand why they will pay over a 100 dollars to see a play with famous actors. They know it won’t be absolutely rubbish. The only suggestion I can make is that certain clubs should perhaps merge to pool resources and audiences, or at the very least stop putting so many damn plays on. Cut down to 4 or so a year and put as much work as you can in them in order to make them a viable product. I’ve seen many an excellent community theatre production to know this can be done. Which brings me to my next point; interest. I have discerned a high level of apathy amongst community theatre practitioners. Many of them that have been gun-ho about it for years, have recently given up and cannot be bothered to keep the flame alive. Which is sad. But looking at the play choices over the last few years (safe, well known plays AKA 2 hours of boredom), who can blame them? I don’t want to even see these shows, let alone be involved. I couldn’t think of anything more repulsive. We baby ourselves and our audiences too much. If you make the most offensive shows engaging and well produced, you’ll be surprised who will sit through it. I was supposed to talk about the One Acts, but I got side tracked. Personally, I don’t like them very much. People get way too competitive and bitchy for my liking. I spent most of the One Acts not wanting to be there. I loved the fact that I got a chance to have my show performed at each venue, but that’s about it. I’m not in it for the awards. The play I produced was an exercise in my art form. The fact it took home a couple of awards has no bearing on how I feel about the piece. The One Acts were supposed to be a way to get some constructive feedback. However, I was very disappointed in some of this year’s adjudicators. Not because they didn’t like it – which I am quite sure they didn’t, but because their dissertation was inconsistent and sometimes illogical. Look, I know these people are probably lovely individuals, but they are getting paid to give adequate feedback and I personally felt that, in my case, it wasn’t received. I want to get constructive criticism in order to know how to improve, but I ended up just ignoring what they said, which is really counter-productive. For me, Stephen Lee was a saving grace, because his feedback (on all the shows I saw in that session) was well articulated and completely justified. When he criticised aspects of my production, I found myself to be actively listening because I had respect for what he had to say. I also appreciated the fact he stressed his subjective response to the works. Nothing is better than something else (unless you get into the mechanics of making theatre). What I am saying is that people who won awards (congratulations by the way) shouldn’t automatically think they are better than anyone else. On a particular day, a certain person just liked it for whatever reason. And come on, guys, it’s community theatre – if you win an award, you’re not a genius. Or maybe I am wrong and sadly no one has discovered your immense talent. Sorry about the rant, but I think honesty in these matters is the best policy. I think you’ll find me hard pressed to participate in the One Act festivals in the future. Thank you to all the organisers.

I actually love the one act festivals because of the LACK of competitiveness and bitchiness. The majority of people - as far as I see - are so supportive of everyone else, willing to help move set and props, or just give an encouraging "break a leg". I also love hearing the adjudication. I was disappointed that at the Hills Festival the audience didn't get to hear the adjudicator's remarks at the end of each session. Whether or not you agree with the adjudicator, it gets you thinking critically about the plays - what worked and what didn't; what was brilliantly done and what could have been done better. As far as attendance goes, I wish I could have seen more, but work got in the way. Many of us in community theatre have irregular working hours that don't fit the Monday to Friday 9 to 5 "norm" - I had to turn down shifts in order to get to the festivals to perform, so was limited in what sessions I could attend. I also know that a lot of people were unwell this year. I don't think it's the cost that is keeping audiences away. Or the quality - we can learn as much from a bad play as we can from a good one.

Mr Kershaw, you're a legend. I love it when you speak your mind and tell just how it is, before taking your ball and going home. I love it even more when you bring it back a few months later. A few thoughts on your prose... Can we compare professional and community theatre? Me thinks we can, in that our community theatres for the most part strive for professionalism, but are often restricted by funds or qualified personnel. A case in point, see how many theatre's miss Tim Prosser's absence next year. Community theatre is seen as below par? To be honest, I don't come across that too often. More I find people comment on how surprised they are, at how good local theatre often is. I say often, because yes, there can be times when the standard varies but generally I think it sits well above the bar. Note: I've said before on this site that that I think the term 'community' theatre is a misnomer, and creates a false impression of what's on offer. I for one, (and wish it were all for one) believe we should put away the community banner once and for all, and wave the Independent Theatre Association flag with some gusto. I know people who paid lots of money to see Jerry Hall do her stuff and walked away feeling ripped off. Interesting that you suggest that established clubs should merge. That would be very communal...can you see it happening. In terms of walking away from community theatre, that is the point I made about the one act festivals. Hours of work goes into staging the things, and then only 6 people turn up to watch a morning session. If I were organising it, I would question the worth and validity of holding the morning sessions, given that audience numbers were one of our KPI's (said with tongue planted very firmly in cheek.) I guess that raises another question in, 'what is the purpose of the one act festivals?' Is it to have them adjudicated upon, or enjoyed by the viewing public. If option 1 is the aim, then I take back my original blurb, however, I'm positive that all those who take part appreciate playing to someone. You raise the point about playing safe, and here I see the one act festivals being a writers best friend. How many people do you have knocking on your door offering to stage your material? I imagine your door is a tad like mine, and seemingly minus the knocker. Talented local writers like you and Jess Messenger can show what you can do, and one day, who knows....alternatively, you can extinguish the flame and bugger off...you say you hate the one acts yet you write good one acts? A Sigmund Freud moment perchance? Sure, people get bitchy and competitive, wave a trophy or a wad of money on any street corner, and you'll find a crowd suddenly filled with desire...be thankful if you are non-competitive..it makes for an easier life... You loved the fact you had chance to have your show performed ...hallelujah brother I'm wit you on that score my honky friend. 'The play I produced was an exercise in my art form'... and lo and behold, here you had somewhere to show it...thankyou Mr Treasure and Co. 'The fact it took home a couple of awards has no bearing on how I feel about the piece.' One word for that sentiment ...bollocks! Constructive feedback was disappointing, I was hoping for... Hoping for what? One persons view, and in truth, that's what we get. A good friend of mine told me..'Johnny Grim' I love your writing, but you're a crap director,' or words to that effect. Ten minutes later I was awarded 'best director' for a show that required little directing...a grain of salt is all they offer... in the words of Mr Treasure...toughen up Princess... 'Adjudicators are lovely people'..no they're not! They're a shower of no nothing b******ds...except for those few who know what they're talking about by heaping praise and awards upon us. 'Nothing is better than something else (unless you get into the mechanics of making theatre).' That's crap Kershaw, and I suggest you read the first nine tenths of the twaddle you posted here..ha! An apology to all and sundry is required for that little faux par... 'It’s community theatre – if you win an award, you’re not a genius.' But I thought I was. In fact I told my therapist I was, and she agrees with me... 'Sadly no one has discovered your immense talent'....that's more to the point. I think you’ll find me hard pressed to participate in the One Act festivals in the future.....Oi! Has anyone got a violin they can lend me for 10 minutes? PS: Stop wasting your time writing on here, and get writing something that's going to win you an award next year..your therapist will be grateful for it. yours almost sincerely... you're very old mate...

I do believe that Bass Guy has a point, and by the end of the last season, people are suffering from Festival Fatigue - not only audiences, but actors, crew and directors are heaving a great sigh of relief when the last curtain falls. But, here's the rub. Showcasing new works is difficult at the best of times. Putting your works forward to the small audiences at the relative festivals gives you more exposure than if you didn't enter. Everyone has to start somewhere. Perth punters do seem to have an element of 'theatre snobbery' - of people I've spoken to who are not regular theatregoers, they will go to a professional performance, but it wouldn't even cross their minds to go local - community theatre, rightly or wrongly, is seen as the poor cousin. I believe we need to work on breaking that perception in order to bring our audiences up - and that applies across full length and one act seasons. "I didn't know about it" is a common catchcry - we compete against big-budget blockbusters who budget TV, radio, corporate and social media advertising - and who get the audiences in as a result. Unfortunately, we just don't have the $$ to do that. Perhaps we should invoke the media gods to pay attention to us - how about shenanigans that will get us media attention? We are all attention-seekers - it's in our blood or we wouldn't be involved in theatre!! Why not organise a flashmob or two, invade some of the very many sporting events dressed in costume or placards, do something out of the ordinary? But I digress. In terms of one-acts, I'd love to see a nationwide competition of the winners of statewide competitions - and I do believe that WA has enough 'areas' to warrant several local competitions feeding into the state competition. It would need to be better advertised (see my previous paragraph :-) ) In the meantime, I am the loudest applause to the tireless people who put mega hours into running these things for little thanks, and little reward - my hat is off to you all. You'll see me back next year - bigger and better than ever!

If one of the objectives of the one-act festival is to get bums on seats then probably the biggest killer is the ‘do it all in a weekend’ format. This format may work well for sporting festivals, but that’s a bit different. Teams have several games to play so there is a reason to stick around and see what’s going on with others teams taking part. So perhaps the format needs a change. If nothing else, a new format can generate renewed enthusiasm in the short term. Here’s an idea, and I’ll admit I haven’t considered the effort and cost involved. Have a split first round which divides into theatre groups north of the river and theatre groups south of the river (a bit of geographical rivalry never goes amiss in generating a bit of passion). Have 3 one act plays (from different groups) run at one theatre venue in the north for a one or two week season (Thursday, Friday, Saturday), and another 3 in an alternative north-based theatre. Ditto south of the river. Have adjudicators choose the best two one-acts from north of the river and another adjudication panel choose the best two from south of the river. The chosen four go to a one-off grand-final to be held the following weekend somewhere central, in or close to the CBD. This could be adjudicated by a panel that has a local celebrity judge or two who are passionate about theatre of every type. It could be a second big night of the year, the other being the Finlays, where the Independent Theatre community get together to celebrate what is good about the local (non-professional) theatre scene. This may be more elitist than the current set up, which is unfortunate, but it may improve audience numbers and overall quality.

Hi Phil, I think this idea, or something along these lines would be worth a try, providing the logistics of co-ordinating said event could be managed. Dare I say, the various theatre groups would need to come on board and a: support the idea /event, and b: assist the ITA with running the event. Many hands = light work... I'd be happy to contribute. cheers Johnny Grim

Sounds like a good idea Phil - the logistics of running the thing would be relatively easy if the clubs all pitched in. I'd like to see awards for the best comedy AND the best drama - the two being such different genres, they are often difficult to compare. But that's just my humble opinion :-) The question would be how does the club choose the play that was going to be entered? But I guess that would be up to the individual clubs to work out. A Grand Final would be fabulous - much easier to publicise (the best of the best) - and I'd say your audiences would improve dramatically. I'm on board with that one.

Where do you draw the line between drama and comedy? Sometimes a play is definitely one or the other. Sometimes it's not so clear. This year's winner, for example. There were quite a few laughs in Shoemaker's Daughter, but it was a story with serious undertones. Would entrants have to choose whether they were one or the other? www.meltheco.org.au

I personally enjoy attending one-acts when I can. Sometimes at a local club; sometimes @ festivals. As was said above, we can learn form both good & bad theatre, & as Slothwan said in another thread - $2.50 (or whatever paltry amount is charged) is not much to risk on a possibly "bad" show in the midst of other possible gems. If one or more adjudicators could be pursuaded to attend various clubs' one-act seasons (or special "heats" at selected venues as per Phil's suggestion above) & then shortlist them, those shortlisted ones would surely make for a good night's entertainment. Also if the adjudicators were part of the GF, they might have additional insight having seen a second performance of the same plays. Might also make it easier to find participants if companies don't need to plot the logistics of getting out to all the various festivals around. Could make for an exciting new idea, folks!

Lisa's suggestion could work... but again the emphasis on the competition worries me; not so much festive as furtive. How 'bout you go the whole hog and make it the State One-Act Eisteddfod? Eliot.

There is a commonly held perception that Comedies always miss out at DramaFest and Finleys... We crunched the numbers at the Finleys a couple of years ago and the big prize went to a comedy about 40% of the time. I haven't crunched the numbers on DramaFest, but I know I would have put the last two winnres of Best Overall Production ("Shoemaker's Daughter" and "Derek Drives a Datsun") as comedies.

Phil Lord said: "If one of the objectives of the one-act festival is to get bums on seats then probably the biggest killer is the ‘do it all in a weekend’ format." Which does raise the big question: IS on of the the objectives of the one-act festival to get bums on seats? I'm going to go out on a limb here, and please don't take this as the ITA's official position, it is just mine. I don't think it is!!! I think it's NICE if we do, and it certainly doesn't hurt the ITA's coffers as well. But I really don't think it is as important... This year had the largest number of entrants since 2006, and that's in a year where we had no regional entries (damn CHOGM!) IF it comes down to a choice between getting people to see it and getting people to enter it... you know, I'm going with the latter. Maybe it is time that we revisit the "Best of the Festival" night. Although that has its own list of problems attached...

With four one act festivals now running in WA, maybe a Grand Final is in order. Though if the same play were win at several festivals.... www.meltheco.org.au

Right issues might prevent that.

Local, original works - no rights issues. www.meltheco.org.au

... that local original work is published officially. Which is something I'd encourage all local dramatists to consider quite seriously. El

In response to Paul’s point, I deliberately posed it as a question (i.e. “If one of the objectives...”) as I didn’t want to assume that was an objective of the ITA. I was responding to Johnny Grim’s lament about the ‘lack of bums on seats’, and putting forward the kernel of an idea about how that problem might be solved. I recognise the importance attached by Paul to the number of groups that enter, and I also acknowledge from other comments that not everyone likes the idea of mixing art and competition (though the two are by no means strangers to each other, as demonstrated by the number of festivals, competitions and award ceremonies the abound in the world of the arts). Having said all that, the current festival is already a competition and, from my perspective, if you are going to have a competition then you might as well make it as good as you possibly can, but perhaps that’s my competitive streak coming out. I think what started as half an idea has been much improved by the thoughts of Lisa, Bree and Johnny, to the point where I am starting to think it could actually work. Most theatre groups put on their one-act performances to tie in with the current festival now, so it is probably not such a big leap to pick the best two from north and south (or whatever formula) and have a’ best of the best’ decider. This would lack the full participatory element on which the current festival is based, but as others have pointed out, there are a number of other festivals that fulfil that role.

So, hands up - who wants to organise it? The ITA already have Dramafest, which seems to be working OK for them at the moment, so I'm guessing they're not interested. (I say this as an interested bystander, and without wanting to put words into the mouths of the ITA committe.) I have enough to do at my home club, and won't be putting my hand up. In the North v South scenario, do Blak Yak, Rag and Bone and other vagabond clubs (in the homeless sense) have to choose a side? Obviously South would kick the crap out of North, so they's no doubt they would want to be on our side of the river. Or do we have a three way competition? North, South and The Unhomed? Personally, by the time Dramafest, the last of the festivals, is over, I'm pretty much over rehearsing and performing whatever particular show, and ready for a break. One more? No thanks. www.meltheco.org.au

And this is probably what I was getting at in my initial contribution. I see no other way than for the ITA to get involved and (perish the thought) amalgamate some of the other festivals to be the heats rounds, thus leaving DramaFest to be the Grand Final. And hoo boy, that's going to require Kissinger-esque diplomacy. My thought is we have two too many festivals at present- they should be scheduled as part of a single over-arching programme of events coordinated by the ITA. Autonomy is one thing, but the prevalence of these stand-alone festivals is a potential fatal drain on the resources of the Independent Theatre scene. It's bad enough having each club trying to cram their calendars with as many seasons as physics will allow- I can foresee people (like me) going into retirement/hibernation come August-September on an annual basis... El

It is always easy for us to come up with ideas, isn't it? Most of the usual suspects are spread quite thin already. It will be interesting to see what may eventuate, one way or another.

Just my two cents worth. I've always thought having the festival scheduled over the AFL Grand Final weekend to be "brave". As a footy fan I'm afraid the sport is going to win out over sitting through some one acts. And that probably extends to being involved as an actor/director/what-have-you. Rather than stress about when the show I was in was appearing during the weekend, I avoided getting involved ion any one acts this year and had a great Saturday watching Geelong belt the magpies. I enjoyed it so much I may never do another one act again. The number of festivals. The principal reason I really would second guess taking part in a one act in future is the prospect of being told the director wants to take the show to The Hills festival, the Southwest festival, Dramafest, Mandurah, ad nauseum. This on top of probably a two week run at the home theatre? Before you say "oh, that would never happen" - I did all those festivals and a full season with "The Return" a couple of years ago. The show was very enjoyable to perform and had a lot of success but by the end it started to feel like we were a travelling troupe doing the thing as a full-time job. It's too much to keep doing the same show for that length of time and that number of venues - potentially. And you really don't want to be the one in the cast saying "actually i don't want to go to that festival" or "i'm unavailable". The number of POTENTIAL festivals for a one act to be performed at these days sincerely puts me off even thinking about getting involved. I'm with McCann on this one - it's a ludicrous schedule and a punishing one for all involved when you think about it. Righto - 'nuff said

I think everyone is wasting a lot of time talking about a stupid competition for theatre and thus not making any. Since when is theatre about winning awards? The one acts are an awesome opportunity to give a new writer or director a go, or st the very least, try something different. This topic has officially bored the shit out of me. Not the first time community theatre has managed to do that either.

You know, a lot of me agrees with Daniel... The One-Acts ARE a competition, but at the same time they are so much more than that! It's what happens in and around the competition that makes them worthwile... They are a chance to get your name out there, a chance to be seen, a chance to network, a chance to see other people... I don't get much chance to get out and see full-length shows, as I'm often too busy with my own (or organising things like Dramafest) so Dramafest is a great chance to actually SEE other people and see where they are and how well they are doing, and it is a chance (as a director) to see who I am going to try and pinch for next year's projects... The number of times that someone will audition and the only thing I've managed to see them is a One-Act! Maybe what we need to do is push the other, hidden, benefits of Dramafest that people have been forgetting about. In the end, the awards are just the icing...

Daniel, I think this is the most interesting thread I've read on here for quite a while. You should stop reading, stop whining, fire up Word, and start writing your next play/novel. www.meltheco.org.au

Jeff, the only reason this is more interesting is because most of the content on here is rubbish. You do have a point. exe/word Bye.

I read through this entire thread with interest. Here's a thought. Put on a one-act play BEFORE other longer productions of an evening. Audiences get more value for money and can choose to turn up early to catch a theatrical 'starter'. Have audience feedback (through paper forms and online polls) determine the one-act plays most liked by the audiences who saw them. Have an awards night with EXCERPTS from the one-act plays and THEN have a festival of winners. Thus the audience pays for the plays that have been played and voted by audiences as a great show. People are more likely to pay for a ticket and come to see the shows, and the ones that don't work (for whatever reason) get to fall harmlessly by the wayside with no hard feelings from audiences, and people can put on as many one-act plays as they like. Adam Bennett General Manager The Western Australian Youth Theatre Company http://waytco.wordpress.com nurturing emerging talent

I can’t say I have read all of the above but I think I have the gist. I think the objective of ‘What DramaFest is and what it wants is to accomplish?’ probably need a revisit. If you have too many festivals what you get is a dilution. (Besides exhaustion) Does DramaFest want to be just another festival or the pinnacle? Every child wins a prize or a stepping stone to a greater (Blah Blah Blah) The encouragement of new work in my opinion is a must. Having an avenue that is affordable to seed an original production is the foundation that upholds a struggling and at times floundering art. One of the general ideas when faced with the challenge of improvement is to see what others are doing. How are other festivals being run? What ideas did they come up with to counteract their problems? What are their objectives, standards and limitation? What in your opinion, is the ideal festival (outside our own backyard). What festival do you hold in high regard or would aspire to be part of? I am not saying that we need to get beyond ourselves or become elitist but there needs to be more focus. I have submitted new work in the festivals and am looking for REAL feedback. Although I think I am my worst critic, looking at others’ perceptions of my work is a great tool for dissecting and questioning aspects that may not have occurred to me. I would like to see a panel of adjudicators (at least two) who can give a professional critique. I realise it is hard enough rounding up one but for a new work you are wanting the meat, potatoes and a good splash of hot sauce. Maybe there should be a separate festival for new work. A spring board. One of the festivals that I love to go to in Sydney when I go home is the Naked Theatre Companies’ Top short. They stage a season of the top three One Act Plays. Anyway, moving on. If you are wanting bums on seats, yes people are generally interested in the Football Grand Final and If they are not particularly into it they probably still have and invite to a get together. If you want the festival to be just for the people involved (inbreed) then keep it just as it is. Advertising would help. No, I mean really advertise. I had to search for the festivals this year. And yes, there are just so many people who like theatre, that are not part of the club and don’t go to every show, who would probably think, “Oh a Drama Festival, that sounds good, I might go”. Personally I love the festivals for the vibe, catch up and getting to talk theatre with others (instead of the same old others) Even down to the basic of what you liked and what you would have done differently all goes to enhance one’s outlook. To breathe new life to a difficult, time consuming organisational nightmare will take some doing but it is not impossible. We are all capable of stepping outside the box. With appreciation for those who have put in the hard yards in the past, maybe nominate a time and place for a get together, brain storm and a bit of a mind map. The first step? Action. JennyFer

I love the One Acts they are a great chance for our clubs to get together!! I do agree that the competition element is going a bit too far though with some people just overhearing some things people say arent we doing this for fun? Can I just note as a director of a play in this years fest I was unaware that i was eligible for a season pass? Not that it bothers me, I think the festivals are great but worry about repetition re Bunbury, Hills etc maybe thats the reason for low seats? Bit of a rambling comment sorry folks!!