Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer
LEFT: Tesfa Edwards (right) copped The Best Actor award for his role in 'Two Can Play'. RIGHT: Sabrena McDonald earned the Best Female Monologue award for 'Slim Actress' at Tallawah. The actress is a member of the Independent Actors Movement, which earned seven awards and an additional seven high commendations from the tertiary drama festival, which was held recently at the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. - PHOTOS BY ANDREW SMITH/PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
THE GROUP Independent Actors Movement (IAM) swept the Tallawah 2005 competition and scooped out a significant number of awards, with the University Dramatic Arts Society (UDAS) coming quite close on their heels.
The tertiary drama festival took place at the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts, University of the West Indies, Jamaica recently. When the stage dust settled, The IAM had earned seven awards and an additional seven high
commendations.
IAM's cache of awards included Best New Play (Sabrena McDonald), Best Supporting Actor (Damian Radcliffe) and Best Supporting Actress (Sabrena McDonald) for their hilarious, energetic and refreshing musical on sexually transmitted diseases dubbed Self Defence.
BEST DIRECTOR
Radcliffe took home two additional trophies. He earned the distinction of being dubbed Best Director for his work on Trevor Rhone's Two Can Play, as well as the award for Best Male Storyteller with From Tiger to Anancy. McDonald also earned the Best Female Monologue award for Slim Actress. Tesfa Edwards rounded out the number of awards the group earned by copping The Best Actor award for Two Can Play.
The group also earned commendations for production (Self Defence), acting (Slim Actress), poetry (Lion Heart Gyal), stage properties (From Tiger to Anancy) and sound (Two Can Play).
HIGH COMMENDATIONS
The University Dramatic Arts Society achieved a total of six awards and a further four high commendations. Four of these awards and two of the high commendations were earned by their staging of Patrick Brown's poignant drama December.
The play was dubbed Best Production for 2005. It also copped the Best Actress (Leslie Ann Bernard) and Best Make-up, and Best Set awards while it was highly commended for directing and acting.
UDAS's additional awards came with the Off the Page award earned by Apologies of a Poor Black Man and Best Male Monologue for Kenyatta's Akimbo, a production also highly commended for its lighting.
The competition was adjudicated by Michael Daley, Amba Chevannes and Colleen Lewis, and 21 category awards and a further 21 high commendations were given out.
List of winners
1. Best Production
December - UDAS
2. Best New Play
Self Defence - IAM,
Sabrena McDonald
3. Best Director
Two Can Play - IAM,
Damian Radcliffe
4. Best Off the Page
Apologies of a Poor
Black Man - UDAS
5. Best Actor
Two Can Play - IAM,
Tesfa Edwards
6. Best Actress
December - Leslie Ann Bernard
7. Best Supporting Actor
Self Defence - IAM,
Damian Radcliffe
8. Best Supporting Actress
Self Defence - Sabrena McDonald
9. Best Male Poetry
Ketch di Riddim -
Ivine Hall, Dike Rostant
10. Best Female Poetry
Rupunzel - EXED,
Thealdra Baker
11. Best Male Monologue
Kenyatta's Akimbo - UDAS
12. Best Male Storyteller
From Tiger to Anancy - IAM, Damian Radcliffe
13. Best Female Monologue
Slim Actress - IAM,
Sabrena McDonald
14. Best Female Storyteller
Fairytales Revisited -
Irvine Hall
15. Best Sound
Solo Love - EXED
16. Best Costumes Expressive Language - Theatre Xpressions
17. Best Set
December - UDAS
18. Best Use of Music
Pretty Woman - Theatre Xpressions
19. Best Lighting
Ketch Di Riddim - Irvine Hall
20. Best Make Up
December - UDAS
21. On Stage Properties
Trapped - EXED
