Crash Test #1 - The Launch

15th March 2020 - 6:30pm (Actors, Writer & Directors), 7:30pm (Doors Open)
BrownSugar Restaurant, Cnr of King St and The Esplanade, Warners Bay, 2282

Opportunities for directors and actors of the Newcastle area to work with original 10-minute plays submitted by developing playwrights. Plays are cast, rehearsed and read with script in hand in this exciting evening. Audience members vote for the best play so winners walk away with cash prizes from ticket sales.

Starts at 6.30 for actor auditions and doors open at 7.30. Come along to our launch. Great food and venue. $15 tickets at the door.

Winners From Left to Right:
Jeff Tabley, Melody Thorburn, Bree Cunningham,Zac Smith & Adele Richards.

Winners from Crash Test #1 The Launch

Best Play: Mr. Bastard Hill by Melody Thorburn.

Best Director: Jeff Tabley - Mr Bastard Hill.

Best Actors: Female: Bree Cunningham and Adele Richards.

Male: Zac Smith.

Thank you to all that attended our premier night - look forward to seeing you all again when circumstances permit.

What is Crash Test Drama?

Crash Test Drama is all about creative development for the theatre industry in the greater Newcastle Area.

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, and it's a wonderful networking opportunity.

It is not-for-profit. ALL the earnings from door ticket sales goes into the cash prizes for those involved. The venue cost and other necessities are sponsored.

How does it work?

Leading up to each night of Crash Test Drama (excluding the Launch), we select 6-10 10 minute plays to be performed as moved readings, which is where actors move around and might make use of simple props but carry their scripts in hand.

Writers are given notice if their play gets selected.

As a rough guide, the timetable for a typical crash test night is:

6:30pm: Actors, directors and writers gather at the venue and are briefed.

6:45pm: Actors audition in 30-second timeslots and are cast.

7:30pm: Plays are rehearsed and performed.

Prizes

Once all of the plays have been performed, the audience and judges vote for their favourite two plays. The votes are counted and the Popular Vote Winner, as voted by the audience, wins 66% of the door takings, and the Popular Vote Runner Up wins 33% of the Door Takings (the prize money is split evenly between the actors, director and writer). This is after cash prizes for Best Director, Best Actor (and Runner Up), Best Actress (and Runner Up), and the Playwright's Encouragement Award have been subtracted from the takings.

The Popular Vote Winner and the Judge’s Choice both go through to the Crash Test Drama Final, held at the end of the year. If these are the same, the Judge’s Runner Up goes through.

Rules

The price for entry is $15. $10 from every ticket goes towards prize money for the night, the rest pays for venue hire. Everyone pays for a ticket, including our writers, director and actors.

You can’t buy tickets beforehand. You can only buy them at the door on the night from 7pm to 7:30pm.

All plays must be 10 minutes or under. Votes are deducted if the play is over ten minutes: 11 minutes (-5 votes), 12 minutes (-10 votes, ineligible for Judge's Choice award), 13 minutes (-15 votes, might as well not even bother!).

Check our Aims and Rules page for more details on the rules.

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!

And for those just interested in great theatre, for a mere $15 you can come along and enjoy the fun. Comedy, tragedy, romance, intrigue… you never know what you will see.

When and where is it?

Crash Test Drama Newcastle and Central Coast is held at the Bownsugar Restaurant Function centres, Corner of King St and The Esplanade, Warners Bay, NSW, 2282. Head through the front door, up the stairs, and turn left at the top of the stairs. Drinks and food are available at the restaurant, and free tea & coffee will be provided.

CRASH TEST #1 - The Launch

Will be held from 6:30pm on the 15th March, 2020. Doors open to the audience at 7:30pm. Tickets for actors, writers, directors and audience members are $15 at the door.

How do I get involved?

ACTORS and DIRECTORS

Actors must be at Brownsugar on any of our crash test nights for a 6:30pm SHARP casting session. Registration is not required. Note that the Finals are pre-cast, so there are no auditions for this show.

Directors need to register their interest in advance. If selected, a play will be allocated to you prior to the night. To get involved, send an email to the Coordinator (Jeff Tabley: jtabley@yahoo.com)

WRITER SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN!

To have your play read you must submit it beforehand. Don’t just turn up on the night expecting your play to be read.

You must be based in the Newcastle, Maitland, Port Stephens, Cessnock, or Central Coast areas. The whole point of Crash Test Drama is that the writer is there to see it.

All plays entered must be 10 minutes or less (1800 – 2100 words max). We will not even read plays that are clearly over ten minutes

Writers can enter as many plays as they wish and enter them at each CTD event (if they are selected). However, they cannot have more than one play qualify for the Finals.

The play must not have been performed in the Hunter before, including at other play reading events. The whole idea of Crash Test is to test out new plays

It’s no problem if you have already entered your play to a short play competition – or are going to. You can still submit it to be Crash Tested!

If your script is eligible to be performed, submit it to Crash Test N & CC Coordinator Jeff Tabley on jtabley@yahoo.com.

We look forward to seeing you at Crash Test Drama!

Contact

Coordinator: Jeff Tabley

Email: jtabley@yahoo.com

© Text and Images used with kind permission of Pete Malicki and Crash Test Drama Sydney.
Built by Power Digital Web Design

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse