The Masque calls for new scripts and kicks off its 2024 Play Reading Programme
Following the recent success of its One-Act Play Festival, The Masque is presenting its 2024 Play Reading Programme, providing the chance for writers to have their new scripts brought to life, as well as the opportunity for the public to be part of the development process.
The Programme organisers are calling for writers to submit their scripts to be considered for one of the monthly Play Reading sessions that will take place this year.
Faeron Wheeler, producer of the programme and Programme Manager of The Masque, says:
“The Masque continually seeks ways in which we can inspire, nurture and launch original, South African work. In 2023, we established play reading sessions which were coordinated by Melanie O’Connor Horn, who curated our recent One-Act Play Festival. The sessions received such overwhelmingly positive feedback last year, we decided to formalise the initiative into a programme that will run throughout the year and hopefully for years to come.”
Melanie O’Connor Horn will again oversee the final selection of plays for the readings, as well as coordinate the directors, actors and schedule for each reading.
Wheeler says:
“The selected plays will be allocated a director and actors to rehearse for a table reading, which will be presented to a small audience and a panel of experts. The goal is for the playwrights to hear the play spoken out loud and to get feedback from audience members and experts to help the piece grow.”
“We also invite people to come and join us at the monthly sessions to be part of the discussion process. Audience members complete a theatrical experience, so their feedback is invaluable to help the play evolve.”
The plays will not only be selected in the early part of the year, so writers can continue to submit new work throughout 2024. The slots are limited so plays submitted later on may only be considered for the programme next year.
Plays that are part of the Play Reading Programme will then be considered to be presented as part of the next One-Act Play Festival at The Masque.
Wheeler says:
“We kicked off the season on 7 May with Knock Knock, a play by renowned author Dawn Garisch. The discussion session afterwards was engaging and productive, and we are so looking forward to the next sessions.
“We encourage people to come and be part of the process, as well as urge writers to submit their scripts to us for a play reading evening themselves.”
To submit a play for consideration for the Play Reading Programme, click here.
The next Play Reading session will take place on 4 June, with An Ordinary Life by Kitty Smith.
The play examines devoted love – contrasted by ambition and social acceptance in a western society. Experience their peculiarities, the games they play and the hilarious characters who pop by their home in Wembley, London.
A look at what lies behind the silk sari, the warm Indian welcome and its colourful traditions. In London, families of Indian origin have a sub-culture that is both admired and derided – but remains mysterious to many. It’s an immigrant community that is often lauded for its family values, educational excellence, and professional achievement.
Explore the unusual world of Kamseela and her husband Kavi, their marriage, and their eccentric relationships.
Tickets cost R50 and are available here.
Travelling Incognito by Ginny Swart, is scheduled for 23 July to be followed by one play reading a month for the rest of the year.
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About The Masque
More than 60 years old, The Masque is an iconic venue in the Cape Town cultural landscape. A unique and historic space, it has been home to many amateur theatre societies over the years and was established by local attorney Bertie Stern with the objective of encouraging voluntary participation in all forms of theatre by all people.
Stern had a vision to provide a platform for both amateur and professional performers regardless of their social or political situation at that time. When The Masque opened, it was one of the only theatres in Cape Town that was open to people of all ethnic backgrounds.
A registered Non-Profit Organisation, The Masque strives to make theatre accessible to all – onstage, backstage and for the audience. Run by volunteers with a focus on community, the theatre showcases all genres of performance and is as widely inclusive as possible. The Masque is wheelchair friendly, has a fully licensed bar and snacks are available before shows and during intervals.
In 1993 Bertie bequeathed The Masque into trust for the benefit and growth of community theatre. The theatre was totally destroyed by fire in 1997 and it took two years to rebuild (thanks largely to the generosity of the late Joan St Leger-Lindbergh). The Theatre is still owned by the Stern Masque Theatre Trust and is managed by a board of volunteers.
At the helm of the operation is a team with professional theatre experience. Continuing its work into the post-Covid-19 era, The Masque seeks to present high-quality amateur theatre productions, providing a service of artistic engagement with the local community, celebrating diversity and building on the Theatre’s reputation as a sought-after professional venue-for-hire.
The Masque Box Office is open from 9am to 2pm every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
Cash bar and simple snacks are available for sale at the Theatre.
