THE AWARDS 2023
Best Production – Llew Vale Community Bank Award – $200 & trophy
Outstanding Achievement Awards – 3 x $50
Adjudicator’s Choice Award – 1 x $50
Victorian Drama League Youth Encouragement Awards – 2 x $50

ADJUDICATOR: Richard Keown
The South Gippsland One Act Play Festival includes a separate youth section, known as the Young Players Festival, which runs on Saturday morning.

We are making a direct approach to schools and drama teachers in the region, to see if you have any students who would like to take part in the formalised structure of such a festival.

You would be aware that the traditional festival format has the company which has just finished its play having 5 minutes to strike their sets and props, while the incoming players have 10 minutes to set up for their new play. Each play should be no longer than 30 minutes and there must be at least 2 players.

The adjudicator watches each performance from a position amongst the audience, gathering notes for comments after the whole of that section. There are usually certificates of participation and awards presented to the winners of different categories. For students of drama – and perhaps even the teachers of drama – it can be a rewarding experience, both in the hearing of critical comments from the adjudicator, and in the viewing of the work of other companies.

At Foster we’ve always expected our adjudicators to be ‘constructive’ so that none of our actors or directors needs to feel humiliated by the public nature of the criticism.

ENTRY FEES & AWARDS
Entry fee for youth productions is $30.00, whether they be from schools or community groups.

Thanks to our local Toora & Foster Community Bank, backed by Bendigo Bank, there is a $200 prize plus a trophy for the best production in the Young Players Festival. There are also 3 awards of $50 each for outstanding achievement plus an additional adjudicator’s choice award and Victorian Drama League awards.

BACKSTAGE FACILITIES
At the festival FAMDA members are available backstage to help things run smoothly. If our assistance is needed we would like advance notice and will work at the direction of the company – after all it’s your show.

Black curtains are standard, and most of the companies bring their own simple travelling sets to use against the blacks.

Within certain limits on the day we can provide simple variations of lighting. For anything special we need to know before you arrive on the day. There is provision backstage for effects and music through front-of-house speakers [a CD player], plus an amplifier and microphone.

There are two dressing rooms, and plenty of parking for vehicles either behind the hall, or in the street.

INVITATION
All in all, it’s always been a very enjoyable occasion, with an astonishing range of dramatic fare.
We would like you to be part of it with us.