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Actors unite against crime

DRAMATISTS Against Crime, who produce the Stop Crime Drama Festival, will select suitable candidates for the yearly showcase during audition sessions in North West.

DRAMATISTS Against Crime, who produce the Stop Crime Drama Festival, will select suitable candidates for the yearly showcase during audition sessions in North West.

Festival directors Martin Koboekae and Julian Seleke Mokoto, who conceived the festival more than a decade ago, have devised a simple approach that entails youngsters being invited to stage plays with an anti-crime theme.

Youngsters are encouraged direct, act do the lighting to and even handle their own stage management chores, giving them the space and time to express their views on the futility and folly of crime and criminality through music, drama, dance, poetry and prose.

Each audition piece must cater for a cast of five and run for a maximum of 15 minutes. Presentations should convey strong anti-crime messages without resorting to vulgarity.

Auditions will take place in Potchefstroom tomorrow at 2pm, Taung on Thursday at 2pm, Mmabatho on Saturday at 11am and Rustenburg on Sunday at 10am.

Qualifying productions will be featured in the festival in Mmabatho, Mafikeng, in March.

They will vie for prizes in categories including best production, script, director, actor and most promising production.

Presley Chweneyagae, who starred in the Oscar award-winning movie Tsotsi, romped away with the best production award for his debut drama Cell Number 4.

This festival is supported by nation-building partners including Sowetan, Absa and the Aggrey Klaaste Nation Building Foundations and the North West sports, arts and culture department, and through the different messages articulated by the participating youths shows the many different causes of juvenile delinquency.

Suitable candidates will be paired with established artists to act as coaches and mentors, with the main objective being the realignment of the entries's plots, cast sizes, structure and standard and quality.

Some of the professionals who have played this - and other supportive roles - are Kere Nyawo, Phumlani Didi, Carol Behane, Peter Mashigo, Chief Sibola, Thapelo Motloung, Monde Mayephu, Rapulana Seiphemo, Mzokes Thwane, Dieketseng Mnisi, Douglas Tsimane, Mduduzi Mabaso, Kgolofelo Kola, Selaelo Maredi, Seputla Sebogodi, Kholofelo Kola, Boikie Mohlamme and Tina Mnumzana.

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