Crash Test Drama
What is Crash Test Drama?
Pioneered by Harry Paternoster and Bearing Your Arts (www.bearingyourarts.com) in Melbourne, Crash Test Drama (www.crashtestdrama.com) is a great way of trying out and developing ten minute plays !
It’s also a great way for actors and directors to practise their craft, writers to learn more about the art of writing for the stage, plus a wonderful networking opportunity.
It’s been running for 2 years in Sydney and in that time Crash Test Drama has developed plays by writers such as Kate Toon, Alex Broun, Steve McGrath, Pete Malicki, Con Nats, Sonal Moore, Charles Freyberg, Pat Brennan and Dona Parise – that have gone on to be performed at Short+Sweet and around the world !
How does it work?
Each night of Crash Test Drama we select eight 10 minute plays to be read. Writers are then notified of when their play will be performed.
At 5.30pm on the night writers, actors and directors assemble at Newtown Theatre. We pass out the plays to the directors who quickly cast their plays from the actors in attendance.
Then, with the writers present, all plays are rehearsed for the next two hours and performed as MOVED READINGS from 7.30pm (A Moved Reading is where actors move around and might make use of simple props, but they carry their scripts in hand).
Once all the plays have been performed, the audience and judges vote for their favourite plays. Everybody votes for two plays – so you can vote for yours or your friend’s and one other.
Then the votes are counted. The Most Popular play as voted by the audience wins 66% of the Door Takings, the Second Most Popular Play as voted by the audience wins 33% of the Door Takings (The prize money is split evenly between the actors, director and writer).
The Most Popular Play as voted by the audience and the Judge’s Choice both go through to the Crash Test Drama Final (If these are the same, the Judge’s Second Choice goes through to the Final).
The Judges also allocate prizes for Best Actor, Best Actress and two runner-ups on the night.
The winning People’s Choice play from the final, and the Judge’s Choice, will both win a place in the Top 100 of Short + Sweet Sydney 2011.
The Rules
EVERYBODY pays $10 cash at the door – writers, actors, directors and audience. This goes to make up the prize money for the night.
All plays must be TEN MINUTES or under. Points and votes are deducted if the play is over ten minutes – 11 minutes (- 5 votes), 12 minutes (-10 votes), 13 minutes (might as well not even bother!)
Why do we do it?
Crash Test helps to promote script development for new and established writers.
It is important that playwrights can hear their works read by good actors so that the works can be improved. To encourage talented local actors to come along (so that writers get the benefit of hearing quality reads of their scripts), we offer the prize money. Yes real cold, hard cash!
We are also looking to find great writers, actors and directors to perform in Short + Sweet Sydney 2009 !
And for those just interested in great theatre for a mere $10 you can come along and enjoy the fun. Comedy, tragedy, romance, intrigue … you never know what you will see.
When is it?
Crash Test Drama Sydney 2011 will be held at Newtown Theatre, corner King and Bray Streets, Newtown South (100 metres from St Peters Station) on the following dates:
See our website for dates and further details: www.crashtestdrama.com