SANCTA Awards ceremony a great success

The ceremony was held at Randfontein High School, which pulled out all stops with a most theatrically decorated venue and excellent catering.

Patroness Dorothy Anne Gould, who is in Cape Town and then off to New York, sent an unusual message congratulating Sancta on its achievements and high standards – proven by the fact that a play has been chosen to compete in an International IATA Festival in Norway in July.

She emphasised that much of this was due to education, training and mentoring by teams of professionals who are more than willing to support SANCTA to enable members to achieve, locally and abroad, but emphasized they are hamstrung by funding and government bureaucracy. She hoped the ministers of arts and culture, at cabinet, provincial and municipal levels would apply their minds to this, especially in community theatre which is the future of the dramatic arts.

SANCTA firmly believes that the arts are a nation builder, she said. “Drama heals – takes us away from the realities of the day to day poverty, unemployment, poor education etc.” Drama is a balm for the soul for participants and audience alike.

VIP guest was Drummond Marais, who started his acting career at six years old and finished it 50 years later with a final run as Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, after which he retired. He now paints, writes and his autobiography is due out next month.

He quoted from Hamlet and used that quote to stress that life doesn’t always deal you the best hands – be it personally, financially, theatrically – but you must be positive and grab what you can with both hands to make a success, no matter your circumstances, and that theatre is a life passion, that demands total commitment from community to professional level. He gave an interesting short history on his career and how after he retired he had to face many new, different, difficult and life-changing challenges and feels that he is at a new peak in his life – to which we must all aspire, especially in our theatrical careers. Drummond is again on SANCTA’s adjudication panel, so we can learn from his years of expertise.

Noel McDonald then explained the rationale behind the new award format, whereby each of the three main genres – Drama/Comedy; Variety and Musical all have nominees and winners with an overall Category Winner.

Roy Wilkinson, of Rebel Productions, producer of the 2009 Sancta winning play “Some Father’s Sons’ that went to The IATA festival in Monaco in 2009, announced the nominees and winners.

The full list of winners:

Best Director
Comedy/Drama, Oriela Van Der Walt /Patricia O'Grady – Blithe Spirit – Roodepoort Little Theatre Musical, Kebu Mwale and Stali A – Sarafina– National School of the Arts Variety , Stephen Kotze and creative arts staff – Showcase of the Stars – Randfontein High Overall, Sarafina – NSA

Best Choreography
M, Claire Wilson – Godspell – Germiston High School V, Stephen Kotze and creative arts staff – Showcase of the Stars – Randfontein High Overall, Claire Wilson – Godspel l– Germiston High School

Best Ensemble
M – Mbongeni Ngema – Godspell – Germiston High School V The Choir Master – The School Choir – Showcase of the Stars – Randfontein HS Overall, Margaret Wray Trophy – Special Merit Award

V/Overall The Conductor – The School Band – Randfontein High School

Best Technicals
C/D/Overall for Technical Expertise – The Glass Menagerie – Roodepoort Little Theatre

Best Cameo
M Phindile Vilakazi – Various Roles – Godspell – Germiston High School V Joint Winners Warwick Vorster, Kryptonite – Rock Your Bootie – Startime Players Brian Sibisi – Dance Solo Michael Jackson – Showcase of the Stars – Randfontein HS Overall, Phindile Vilakazi – Various Roles – Godspell – Germiston High School

Best Supporting Actress
C/D Josie Wentzel – Laura Wingfield – The Glass Menagerie – Roodepoort Little Theatre M Pretty Maphosa – The Narrator – Godspell – Germiston High School V Tarryn Corrie – I Love Rock And Roll – Rock Your Bootie – Startime Players Overall Pretty Maphosa – The Narrator – Godspell – Gerrmiston High School

Runner Up To Best Actress
C/D Oriela Van Der Walt – Madame Arcati – Blithe Spirit – Roodepoort Little Theatre M Naledi Tsomele – Various Roles – Godspell – Germiston High School V Kirsty Shelly – For Everybody Hurts – Rock Your Bootie – Startime Players Overall Ntsomele – Various Roles – Godspell – Germiston High School

Best Actress
C/D Delia Leipold – Amanda Wingfield – The Glass Menagerie – Roodepoort L T M Koketso Maganyela – Sarafina – Sarafina – National School of the Arts V Tarryn Rae – For Summer of 69 – Rock Your Bootie – Startime Players Overall Tarryn Rae – For Summer of 69 – Rock Your Bootie – Startime Players

Best Supporting Actor–
C/D Neil Wilson – Jim O'Connor – The Glass Menagerie – Roodepoort Little Theatre M Ismael Songo – Crocodile – Sarafina – National School of the Arts V Michael Fergusson – Paranoid Songs and Skits – Rock Your Bootie – Startimers Overall Ismael Songo – Crocodile – Sarafina – National School Of The Arts

Runner Up To Best Actor
M– Lereko Motseko, John The Baptist In Godspell – Germiston High School V Isaac Nape – Dance Solo – Randfontein High School Overall Lereko Motseko, John the Baptist In Godspell – Germiston High School

Best Actor
C/D Graham Shirley – Charles Condomine – Blithe Spirit – Roodepoort Little Theatre

V Nicholas De Vaux – Heartbreak Hotel – Rock Your Bootie – Startime Players Overall – Graham Shirley – Charles Condomine– Blithe Spirit – Roodepoort Little Theatre

Best Production
C/D Oriella Van Der Walt – The Glass Menagerie – Roodepoort Little Theatre M Kebu Mwale and Stali – A – Sarafina – National School Of The Arts V Showcase Of The Stars – Randfontein High School Overall –Kebu Mwale And Stali – A – Sarafina – National School Of The Arts

The award winners In The One Act Festivals are:

Best Technical
In The Blood – NMCD Productions

Best Cameo Children – As animals in Under the Trees – Under the Trees – Hillbrow Theatre Project

Special Cameo Award – Zubenathi Mbele – For handwriting on the day on the programme for Under the Trees – Hillbrow Theatre Project

Best Ensemble – Under the Trees – Hillbrow Theatre Project

Best New SA Play
Judah Son of Darkness by Munyani Frankton

Best Director
Judah Son of Darkness by Munyani Frankton for Hillbrow Theatre

Best Actress
Danielle Blanchard as Helen Gardner in In the Blood – NMCD Productions

Best Actor
Cijimpi Ngcobo – As the Story Teller in Under the Trees – Hillbrow

Nominations for One-Act Plays for Naledi Awards

Best Productions
1. In The Blood – NMCD Productions – Franklin Festival 2. Judah Son of Darkness – Hillbrow Theatre – Edenvale Acting and Drama Society Festival 3. Under the Trees – Hillbrow Theatre Festival Sancta 30th Annual One Act Festival, July 2010 4. Adamastor – Waterfront Theatre Group, Secunda 3. Behind The Light – Hlananathi Community Theatre Project, Hillbrow 2. Fat Men In Skirts – Dreamworkz – Under The Auspices Of Randfontein High School 1. We Can This Is My Home – Siyonqoba Performing Arts, Embalenhle, Mpumalanga

The final nominees and winners, with other nominated groups, will be announced at the Naledi Awards on Monday, 7 March.

Finally, a special certificate was awarded to We Can This Is My Home representing SANCTA at the IATA festival in Norway.

For any information on SANCTA and its festivals, contact The National Chair, Noel McDonald on 083 309 4315, www.sancta.org.za and Facebook.