Auditions, Internships, Theatre News & Music & Dance News Around South Africa

Blue Monday Platform

If you are looking for entertainment for your next function, team-builder, social event or party, if you are a young artist who would like to showcase your talents and skills, or if you are keen to check out a variety of new acts – come and see what is bubbling under on the entertainment scene at the next PANSA Blue Monday Platform on Monday 11 November from 6pm.

Blue Monday Platform is a forum to encourage new performing artists to explore, create and innovate. It is ideal for artists about to embark on their career to get some exposure. It is a platform that operates on a basic "open mic" theory where the Platform is yours for up to fifteen minutes. Participants can perform anything from poetry to rap, sketches to play excerpts, mime to music.
 

The Blue Monday Platform is an initiative of PANSA – the Performing Arts Network of SA – which focuses on creating opportunities and support to the professional and newly-professional echelons of the performing arts industry.

Blue Monday Platform is on a mission to change the perception of arts, get newcomers involved in the industry and new audiences into theatre foyers, and also as a showcase for eventors, theatre managers and the public to see what is out there and available. The Blue Monday Platform is trying to make theatre universal, accessible and appropriate for all walks of life - and appealing and challenging to newcomers – and youth in particular - to engage with their culture.

Get involved in Blue Monday Platform. Entry is free and all are welcome. The bar is open, and it is a perfect opportunity for networking.

Where: Catalina Theatre, Wilsons Wharf
When: Monday 11 November
Time: 18h00

Entry: free and all are welcome

For more info: Radwinn on kzn@pansa.org.za / 074 272 7055

RISING STAR AUDITIONS

Urgent reminder regarding auditions we are holding this week for the RSPA 2014 Elizabeth Sneddon, Shakespeare for Schools Festival production, The Tempest.

Auditions are open to any 2014 Grade 7 – 12 learner, they do not HAVE to be current RSPA student. Rehearsals will take place early 2014 in the form of a production class, on a Friday 15h00 – 17h00 in Westville. For further information and the monologue that must be performed at the audition visit www.rspa.co.za/news/auditions.

All people auditioning will be expected to sign a production guarantee to commit their time and focus to the success of this production.

If you have any questions please contact me

Yours in drama

Gill Brunings

Principal

083 326 3257 | gill@rspa.co.za | fax 086 574 7102

Vuyani Dance Theatre Auditions

Vuyani Dance Theatre (VDT) invites dance aspirants aged between 18 and 26 to audition for a year-long apprentice training programme.

Interested candidates must have completed their matric and or studied dance at a tertiary institution to take part. Prior experience, teaching and singing skills will be an added advantage.The training will give qualifying candidates insight into VDT’s repertoire, and may include both national and international touring experience.
Auditions will take place in Johannesburg at The Dance Space (old MID building), 01 President St, Newtown on Thursday 5 and 6 December from 09:00.

Candidates should send their CVs, recent head and shoulder picture and a one page motivational letter. Only 15 candidates will be selected for the 2014 programme.

For further information call 011 838 7666 and e-mail your particulars: luyandas@vuyani.co.za or info@vuyani.co.za
Closing date: 25 November 2013.

Applications for Dance Umbrella 2014 open

The annual Dance Umbrella Festival will run from March 6-16, 2014 and applications to take part in this prestigious event are now open.

The Main programme will comprise only commissioned work from South African choreographers, invited international works and selected works from the Dance Forum residency programme.

Choreographers can apply to be commissioned and must contact Dance Forum at 011 492 2033. Anyone who wants to apply for a commission fee can also download the application on www.danceforumsouthafrica.co.za. Closing date for this is November 30, 2013 and no late entries will be accepted.

Dance Umbrella is re-introducing the Fringe Programme which is open to work that runs for up to 30 minutes. The programmes for the Fringe will be curated and once the programme is finalised, no additional entries will be accepted.

Stepping Stones: Only youth, community groups and choreographers who do not work regularly will be featured on this programme. The running time may not exceed ten (10) minutes. Once the Stepping Stones programme is full, no other entries will be accepted. There is also no guarantee that all entries will be programmed so it is advised that you apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Closing date for Fringe and Stepping Stones is December 6, 2013.

General application forms can also be downloaded at www.danceforumsouthafrica.co.za or by calling Lindiwe at 011 492 2033.

The venues for the Dance Umbrella and all technical facilities within the budget, the theatre, publicity, posters and programmes are provided free, at no cost to the participating choreographers, dance companies or groups.

For further information, please call 011 492 2033.

National Arts Festival 2014 Fringe opens for applications

The National Arts Festival, Grahamstown is now accepting applications for Fringe productions wanting to take part in the 2014 edition of the Festival.

The Festival will take place from 3 to 13 July 2014.


Application for the 2014 Fringe can be submitted, via the Festival’s website – www.nationalartsfestival.co.za from Thursday, 31 October. Interested artists, performers, directors and producers can also request application forms and information booklets from the Fringe Office by email - fringe@nationalartsfestival.co.za, telephone – 046 603 1103, or fax – 086 233 2119. The deadline for registration is Friday 17 January 2014.

The National Arts Festival is sponsored by Standard Bank, The National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, The Department of Arts and Culture, The Eastern Cape Government, The National Arts Council, City Press and M Net.


About the National Arts Festival: The National Arts Festival, now in its 40th year, has proved its sustainability and has grown to be one of the leading arts festivals in southern Africa. Its objectives are to deliver excellence; encourage innovation and development in the arts by providing a platform for both established and emerging South African artists; create opportunities for collaboration with international artists; and build new audiences.    

EMPLOYMENT OPPURTUNITIES IN THE PERFORMANCE ARTS

RMB-supported BASA Intern programme

RMB-supported BASA Intern programme open for applications.

Now moving into its fifth year, the programme is designed to allow a new graduate the chance to immerse him or herself in all aspects of arts administration. The programme also allows the intern to identify their own learning goals and work towards those during the year that the internship runs.

Qualified applicants are invited to apply for the 2014 Business and Arts South Africa intern programme, supported by Rand Merchant Bank (RMB).

The Internship gives an emerging administrator the opportunity to access mentorship, grow in several administrative skill areas through training, and also drive projects, which provide synthesis between study and practice.

The 2013 Business and Arts South Africa intern programme, supported by Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) selects interns based on their education, experience, and enthusiasm for the arts. The intern selected is expected to engage in the diverse projects that BASA is involved with, reports to the Marketing and Operations Manager, and works closely with the entire BASA team.

The closing date for applications is 22 November 2013.

Interested applicants should e-mail their CV and cover letter to: info@basa.co.za For more information call 011 447 2295.

Zulu TV auditions

 Auditions will be held in Durban next month in search of Zulu TV presenters, actors and voice over-artists…

 Leading South African arts entrepreneur Mbongeni Ngema has announced that his company, Committed Artists, is to hold auditions to find presenters, actors and voice-over artists for his new Zulu TV channel, which will be launched early in 2014, in partnership with the King Zwelithini Foundation. 

 Zulu TV will be flighted throughout sub-Saharan Africa from 22 January 2014 via a new satellite that has been launched into space by SENTECH.  

The auditions in search of Zulu TV presenters, actors and voice-over artists will be held at KZN Music House, 1 Derby Street corner Igcuce (Epsom) Road, Greyville in Durban, on Saturday 16 November 2013 between 10 am and 5pm.

 Those interested in auditioning must be conversant in isiZulu and English. Qualified radio and TV announcers and actors of all race groups as well as aspiring raw talent will be considered for auditions.

 It is essential to book a slot in order to secure an audition. Call 031-309 8159 (office hours between 9am and 5pm) or email av@committedartists.co.za to book an appointment.

 KZN-based Zulu TV will begin shooting programmes in December 2013. Primarily an entertainment channel, Zulu TV aims to screen high quality programmes in High Definition format, with a strong emphasis on local productions. In addition to music programmes, content will include coverage of heritage, tourism, arts and culture, lifestyle, magazines programmes, as well as musical theatre, drama, sitcoms, movies, short films, documentaries, religion and current affairs, with internet link up through social networking.

Shows In Durban

Comedy:

 Mark Banks is Banksrupt!

The Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre: 6 - 24 November 2013

South African comedy legend Mark Banks is back – and this time he is going for broke in his new one-man show Banksrupt! which comes to the Elizabeth Sneddon theatre in Durban from 6 – 24 November

After several years of working on the biggest comedy line-up shows in South Africa, Banks makes a triumphant return. The legendary multi-purpose improviser and lighting speed anarchist just keeps getting better! The Royal Albert Hall, the Hammersmith Apollo and the PE Opera House are better off having hosted this iconic showman.

Banksrupt! has been years in the making and in consultation with two wise men, a babbling gnome and Kobus Wiese, the show promises to be his greatest comedy work yet.

The show, which is being produced by Whacked: Special Project, incorporates stand-up, sketch and video making it one that the world could not ignore.

Bookings through Computicket. Mark Banks Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/mark.banks.official Mark Banks Twitter: @markdotbanks

No under 16s

KickstArt presents Jack and the Beanstalk

Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre: 29 November to 5 January

Kickstart rounds off the year with a fun-filled family romp: a brand new pantomime version of Jack and the Beanstalk, which comes to the Elizabeth Sneddon theatre from 29 November until 5 January.

 Written and directed by Steven Stead, Jack and the Beanstalk stars the supremely talented Rory Booth in the title role, the cast also features Jessica Sole as his love interest, Princess Jillian, Darren King as his long-suffering, eccentric mother, Flora Flatbroke, Liesl Coppin as his evil nemesis, Lady Perfidia Beastly, Shelley MacLean as the good fairy, Glissanda Goldenvox, and Peter Court and Bryan Hiles reprising their hilarious performances as the two incompetent crooks,Cecil and Claude, making a comeback after their demise in Robin Hood.

 Jack and the Beanstalk will run from 29 November to 5 January, with performances 2.30pm Tues-Sun and 7pm Sat. Booking for all KickstArt productions is through Computicket, and for block bookings of 10 or more, or sold performances and early bird specials, please contact Ailsa Windsor of Going Places: 0832502690 or editor.goingplacessa@gmail.com.

(Source - Pansa)

Music News

The Rhumbelow Theatre presents

Daniele Pascal

KZN Tour: from 15 November

Chanteuse Daniele Pascal presents two programmes: The Songs of Edith Piaf and A French Affair in venues around KZN.

Charismatic, award-winning chanteuse Danièle Pascal is one of South Africa’s most celebrated artists. Her unique style and classic joie de vivre are quintessentially Parisian and synonymous with the spirit of romance of the French cafe song.  She will delight with a selection of well-known French songs by Piaf, Porter, Aznavour, Brel, Legrand , Mouskouri, Boccara, her own compositions and many more.  She will enchant you, move you and entertain you.  She is accompanied on piano and vocals by talented and versatile pianist Pieter van Helslandt.

Fri 15 Nov 2013 Show starts 20.00 – Rhumbelow Durban – The Songs of Edith Piaf

Sat 16 Nov 2013 Show starts 20.00 – Rhumbelow Durban - A French Affair

Sun 17 Nov 2013 Show starts 14.00 – Rhumbelow PMB - The Songs of Edith Piaf

Sun 17 Nov 2013 Show starts 18.30 – Rhumbelow Pmb - A French Affair

Tue 19 Nov 2013 No Performance

Wed 20 Nov 2013 Show starts 19.00 - Alliance Francaise Dbn – A French Affair

Thur 21 Nov 2013 Show starts 19.00 – Alliance Francaise Dbn – A French Affair

Fri 22 Nov 2013 Show starts 19.30 – Schlesinger, Michaelhouse – A French Affair

Sat 23 Nov 2013 Show starts 20.00 – Rhumbelow Dbn – The Songs Of Edith Piaf

Sun 24 Nov 2013 Show starts 14.00 – Rhumbelow Dbn- The Songs of Edith Piaf

Sun 24 Nov 2013 Show starts 18.30 – Rhumbelow Dbn - A French Affair

Venues opens 90 minutes before show for picnic dinner

         

BOOKINGS

ALLIANCE FRANCAISE DBN

Contact Denise on 031 312 9582 or email: afdbn@global.co.za

SCHLESINGER THEATRE - MICHAELHOUSE

email : theatre@michaelhouse.org or phone 033 234 1314 (weekdays 08h00 - 13h00)

RHUMBELOW PMB AND DBN

R 100-00 a ticket      Bring food picnic baskets.

Pensioner Discounts 7.30pm Tue 19 & Wed 20 Nov ONLY – R 75-00

Book at COMPUTICKET or Phone or email Roland

H  2057602 / Cell 0824998636 / Email : roland@stansell.za.net    www.rhumbelow.za.net

RHUMBELOW DBN ONLY

Braais will be available should you wish to cook some meat

Limited secure parking available. Booking is essential. 

Bar Available (no alcohol may not be brought on to the premises)

(Source - Publicity Matters) 

Article by +Fred Felton 

Auditions & Theatre News around South Africa

Auditions & Theatre News Around SA

Dance audition

DANCEunLimited is looking for unemployed, out-of-school dancers to make part of its new dance ensemble. Dancers must be proficient in versatile styles...competency in Gumboots, Pantsula and/or Kasi dance, and SA traditional dance styles stands one an good advantage.

For audition date, venue and other info please contact: 0614072989 / boxunlimited2@gmail.com OR inbox Facebook Page:DANCEunLimited

Audition takes place ONLY this week and for ONLY those who have booked

Magnet Theatre is having auditions for a new intake of trainees in 2014.  There are a limited number of bursaries available.

• Magnet Theatre runs a full-time physical theatre training programme offering classes in movement, play, imagination, physical theatre, voice, dance, singing, improvisation and play making.   The programme includes production work, community work and organised visits to the theatre to expose the trainees to mainstream and community performance. They are placed in work shadow in various aspects of the theatre industry.  The participants are encouraged to maintain their connection with their communities and with their respective drama groups. The programme has been designed by Jennie Reznek and Mandla Mbothwe and the classes are taught by highly experienced theatre practitioners and teachers.
• The Trainee programme is aimed at prospective actors and performers who for one reason or another struggle to be absorbed into the training at University.
• It is full time intensive training, Monday to Friday from 9h00- 16h30.
• It is a 2 year programme starting in February 2014 and running until November 2015.
• Auditions for will be held between 7 and 11 December 2013  with call backs on Thursday 12th  December at the Magnet Theatre (Unit 1,  Old Match Factory, Corner of Lower Main Road and St Michaels, Observatory.)  Each person will be given a 10 minute slot to present their prepared piece and work with the directors. Each person who wants to audition must please contact the Magnet Theatre office to make an appointment.  All auditionees to please arrive HALF AN HOUR BEFORE THEIR AUDITION TIME to do the paper work.
• Please wear comfortable clothes you can move in comfortably.

• Please prepare a two minute audition piece – anything you feel confident about.
• Please write a short letter (400 words) of motivation as to why you want to become part of the Magnet Theatre training programme.
• Please bring:    a copy of your matric results or most recent school report, a copy of your identity document, the name and contact details of one person Magnet can contact as a reference.
• A call back audition will be held on 12 December from 09h00 onwards.  Those who are called back will be informed by end of day on 11 December.  So please make sure you are available.

Please call Anelisa or Margie on 021 448 3436 or e-mail assistant@magnettheatre.co.za to book a place at the auditions.

Applications for Dance Umbrella 2014 open

The main Dance Umbrella 2014 will run at various venues in Johannesburg from March 6-16, 2014.

Dance Umbrella, the internationally distinguished contemporary dance festival celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2013.

Dance Umbrella 2014 will remain a platform for new contemporary choreography and dance and will be structured as follows:

The Main programme: which will comprise only commissioned work from South African choreographers, invited international works and selected works from the Dance Forum residency programme. Choreographers can apply to be commissioned and must contact Dance Forum at 011 492 2033. People who want to apply for a commission fee can download the application onwww.danceforumsouthafrica.co.za.

The Fringe programme: Dance Umbrella is re-introducing the Fringe Programme which is open to work that runs up to 30 minutes. The programmes for the Fringe will be curated and once the programme is finalised, no additional entries will be accepted.

Stepping Stones: Only youth, community groups and choreographers who do not work regularly will be featured on this programme. The running time may not exceed ten (10) minutes.

General application forms can be obtained by calling Lindiwe at 011 492 2033.

Please note the following:
Once the Stepping Stones programme is full, no other entries will be accepted. There is also no guarantee that all entries will be programmed so it is advised that you apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

The selection and sequence of the programmes will be done at the discretion of the organisers, the artistic director and consultants and their decision is final.

The venues for the Dance Umbrella and all technical facilities within the budget, the theatre, publicity, posters and programmes are provided free, at no cost to the participating choreographers, dance companies or groups.

For further information, please call 011 492 2033.

A Call For New Plays

Junkets Publisher is a small independent South African publisher, founded in 2005 by Robin Malan. In 2009 it was the winner of the Arts & Culture Trust Excellence Award for Literature. It specialises in publishing The Playscript Series, new Southern African plays; as well as The Collected Series, anthologies of new Southern African plays. 

We announce a new project:

African Folktales Onstage! plays for pre-teens compiled by Fatima Dike, André Lemmer, Robin Malan & Omphile Molusi.

Junkets Publisher is looking for short stage adaptations of African folktales to include in a collection of plays for the upper Grades of the primary school and the lower Grades of the high school, especially for performance or for rehearsed class presentation. 

Guidelines for Contributors

1. Submit by email to info.junkets@iafrica.com as a Word Doc, not as a pdf.
2. Use only Times New Roman 12pt. Do not use underlining or lines anywhere in the document.
3. A sample half-page of the required format is given at the end of this call.
4. All African folktales derive from the general consciousness of the people, so all will be an ‘adaptation’ of a sort. Submitting your play will be an undertaking that this is your own work. If, however, you are adapting a specific prose re-telling, you must acknowledge this, giving the author’s name, the title of the book in which the original appears, stating compiler, publisher and date.
5. Your play should be for performance by or to youngsters at the top end of the primary school or the bottom end of the high school. Most experts are agreed that very young children should not be performing written texts in public.
6. In your retelling, go for the authentic, the robust, the vigorous. Studiously avoid the cutesy.
7. Your play should be a minimum of 1 500 words and a maximum of 5 500 words, counted from the title to ‘The End’, including everything. (Click on Tools, then Word Count.) Nothing shorter or longer will be considered. State the number of words below your play.
8. The author must be a member of a SADC country or a person living or working in Southern Africa. There is no age restriction. It does not matter whether or not you have had plays published or performed before.
9. You may submit one play or two plays or three plays, but not more.
10. Only emailed PC-generated submissions are acceptable; no hard-copy submissions. If you do not have access to a PC and email, you will need to get your work scanned, formatted and emailed by a PostNet or copy shop. We need to be able to communicate with you by email.
11. Submissions need to reach us at info.junkets@iafrica.com by 31 January 2014. No late submissions will be considered. Publication will be in early-December 2014. Only writers whose work is accepted for publication will be contacted. If you have not heard from us by July 2014, you can assume that your submission did not make it through the selection process; and please accept our thanks for submitting your work. No correspondence can be entered into concerning entries not selected.
12. This is not a competition; there are no prizes, there is no money involved at this stage. Junkets is usually a not-for-profit operation, so no fee is offered; instead, contributors will receive a gratis copy of the book. In the unlikely event of there being a profit after all expenses and bookshop discounts are factored in, contributors will be paid a small royalty pro rata. Authors retain the copyright of their individual plays.
13. As the selection will be made anonymously, your name (and postal address) should appear only on the title-page; nowhere else.
14. For further enquiries, contact Robin Malan at email info.junkets@iafrica.com or on cell number 076 169 2789.

Sample of format in which play is to be typed

The setting of the play is a wide, open stretch of veld. Whistling is heard offstage. HYENA enters.

Hyena (Sees audience, addresses them.) Hello, people. That was me whistling back there. I’m full of beans today. (Burps. Smiles.) Well, not literally. Now, down to business. I have a little plan …

There is a loud crash-bang offstage, and AMEHLO THE OWL enters, carrying a bucket, a mop, and a step-ladder.

Amehlo Oh, eish, eina! I keep not seeing where I’m going. (Drops everything.) I just can’t do this on my own. (Sits down on the upturned bucket, dejected. Mops his brow.)

Hyena ’Morning, Amehlo the Owl! I wonder, (With a sinister laugh.) if I can perhaps help you …

Amehlo Would you? That’s kind. I have to clean the sky so that the sun can paint a rainbow on it, but I seem to have mislaid my spectacles.

HYENA climbs the ladder and plucks the spectacles off a branch of a tree. He hands them to AMEHLO.

Hyena (Speaking very carefully.) Are these they?


These are the details of the above format:

• Everything flush-left; no indenting of speeches or stage directions
• Character-name in Bold uc&lc (e.g. Hyena), no colon, 1 character-space, then speech, running on, no indenting
• Single spacing within a speech
• 1 line-space between speeches and before & after ‘external stage directions’
• ‘external stage directions’ in italics, no brackets before or after. e.g. [flush left]:

HYENA climbs the ladder and plucks the spectacles off a branch of a tree.

• ‘internal stage directions’ (within speeches) inside regular round brackets, text in italics, start with u.c. letter, end with full stop, e.g. (With a sinister laugh.)
• This is how we want you to present the play to us. Our typesetter will adjust this format for the final published text.

email info.junkets@iafrica.com  website www.junkets.co.za

(Source - Pansa)