May 8, 2006
By Ndaba Dlamini
SOUNDS of a scuffle can be heard and then voices, raised in unison, break through the black curtain that forms the entrance into the auditorium. The space is empty except for seven or eight people, little books in hand, busy acting out a scene on the stage.
In front of the brightly lit stage, the director watches keenly as the scene unfolds, stopping the action as a player inadvertently has the wrong expression. Welcome to The Actors Centre in Braamfontein, where professional actors call in to sharpen their acting skills.
"This is where active and new professional actors come in to exchange ideas and to make a meaningful contribution to South African arts and culture," says Chantal Nativel, the centre's administrator.
It is located in the Johannesburg Civic Theatre complex, where a renovated bar is used as an office. According to Nativel, the centre aims to provide ongoing training to performers, "better equipping them to be productive, creative and fulfilled within their chosen profession".
This initiative to provide skills, training and opportunities for actors, is run as a long-term, ongoing service, she adds.
"The centre is also a performance venue that provides a platform for new talent and for experienced actors to share with the community at large, thereby stimulating an interest in live performance and building an audience for the future."
There is no set curriculum, and teachers who volunteer their services at the centre are leaders in the industry. Its calendar changes every month, between February and November, "so you can make up your own ‘curriculum' depending on the classes you choose to attend", says Nativel.
"Classes are generally held on Monday to Friday during business hours and all classes are conducted in English. A matric pass and fluency in English are a pre-requisite."
Actors without any tertiary training in the craft are required to undergo an audition before they enrol. They are then given a six-month probation period to learn all the necessary skills, including sight-reading, movement, improvisation, directing and puppetry, among others.
"The joining fee to attend classes for training is R400," Nativel explains. "The centre looks for performance quality and if an actor does not meet all the requirements, the membership is withdrawn."
Started by Dorothy Ann Gould in 2002, The Actors Centre is run by a board and operates as a section 21 company. It depends on funding from individuals, the National Lottery and other such institutes.
"About a year ago we identified the need to take in and train people from disadvantaged backgrounds, those people who cannot afford tertiary institutions like universities. These are people without any tertiary training in acting but who are keen to learn and advance their acting talents."
The centre does not produce any stage shows. "It is a training space. We are not allowed to produce and charge any fees for any plays performed by the actors. For a small fee, however, we allow schools to send in their pupils to attend some of our performance classes," she adds.
The Actors Centre can be contacted on 011 877 6843, or email Chantal Nativel on actorscentre@showbusiness.co.za.
Permission to use web site material
Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as:
- Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website
(www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency
(www.joburg.org.za)";
- If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original
article on this website;
- The name of the article's author is acknowledged;
-
The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill
in this brief online form).
Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 |
