Stewarton drama group hold open evening and auditions

They will follow that up the very next evening, by holding open auditions for Cinderella which will be open to anyone in the local community over the age of 18 who would like to get involved in the pantomime that the group hope to perform in Stewarton during the first week of December.

The group are always keen to meet people in the local area who are interested in any aspect of drama or theatre arts and the informal open evening and pantomime auditions will be a perfect opportunity for people to come along and find out more about getting involved either on stage or off stage.

The group meet on Wednesday evenings in their own premises, complete with a fully functional stage, rehearsal room, costume store, kitchen and lounge, in the scout building, Corsehillbank Street, beside the tennis courts in Stewarton.

At the open evening, the group will explain how productions are cast and will demonstrate what will happen the following evening at the pantomime auditions, to help any new members feel comfortable about the process.

This usually involves all those who are interested in a part reading aloud a short section of the script, so that the director can select the right actors and actresses for the parts.

The group then get to work on the technical side of the production where there is always plenty to do building the scenery, designing and painting the set, collecting or making the props, preparing the lighting and sound plans, and choosing the right songs, music, costumes, make-up as well as planning the choreography.

Season 2018-19 was a tremendous success for the group. The season opened with an informal open evening in August when a rehearsed reading of a short play was performed for the enjoyment of all those attending.

The comedy drama play Time of My Life by Alan Ayckbourn was the first of the group’s two major public performance last year which played to packed houses in the Stewarton Area Centre in October 2018.

Later in the season the group performed Neil Simon’s hilarious American comedy Plaza Suite which delighted audiences in May 2019. In addition to this, the group performed a further “in-house” production of Three Scottish Plays in their own premises in January 2019.

And the group’s trophy cabinet is now proudly displaying seven new pieces of silverware, following on from their recent success at drama festivals across the country with their production of A Galway Girl which made it through to the National Final of the Scottish Community Drama Association’s One Act Play Festival, where they performed as one of the top eight plays in Scotland last year.

The group are inviting anyone, over the age of 18, interested in local theatre to drop into their premises in the town’s Corsehillbank Street on Wednesday, August 7 from 7.30pm.

This will be a great chance to come along, see round the premises and have a chat with existing members and find out more about the Open Auditions for Cinderella on Thursda, August 8 at 7.30pm.

Alternatively, for only £30 a year you can become a patron of the award-winning group and receive two tickets for each of their annual shows in the Stewarton Area Centre as well as a complimentary copy of the group’s monthly newsletter ‘Cuelines’ and invitations to any in-house ‘Patrons Evenings’ that the group perform within their own premises.

Drama Group President Walter Findlay said: “We’d love to meet you if you are interested in any aspect of theatre.

“Whether you fancy treading the boards, helping out backstage, building scenery, working on lights and sound, making props or costumes, singing and dancing in our pantomime chorus, or simply supporting the group by becoming a patron, please come along and meet us on either, or both, of dates in our premises - Wednesday, August 7 and Thursday, August 8.”

“If you’d like more information please email us at stewartondramagroup@hotmail.co.uk or log onto our website www.stewartondrama-group.co.uk or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/stewartondramagroup."