HAG News

HAG - Charitable Company

Sat, 5 Jun 2010 11:07:39 +0100

HAG is changing from an Incorporated Association into a Charitable Company limited by guarantee. This should not affect the way we operate but will make it easier to develop the Group, specifically to raise funds and build a Drama Studio and Workshops.

The process is not yet completed and we are still waiting on the Charity Commission to approve our application to become a charity. Existing members are being invited to sign transfer forms and agree the change at the AGM to be effected when all is ready.

The existing Constitution of HAG will be replaced by the two new governing documents of HAGCo. These comprise the Articles of Association and the Rules for the company. The Articles cover the Company legal requirements and the Rules the details of the operation as previously recorded in the Constitution. There are no changes except those needed to effect the change.

Copies of these documents can be accessed by these links: 
HAG Co. Articles
HAG Co. Rules

HAGBlog

Wed, 19 May 2010 08:41:59 +0100

The Hartley Arts Group has a new blog site where members can contribute their thoughts about HAG and the various productions that we perform.
hagblog.hartleyartsgroup.com
Members need to register to be able to post. Anyone wishing to make comments also must register.

Classic Acting Coarse!

Fri, 9 Apr 2010 18:28:17 +0100

For our May/June production we are presenting a selection of short plays from Michael Green’s Art of Coarse Acting Series. (The title replaces the original idea of Classic Literature Coarse!)
A Coarse Acting Show is a closely-observed imitation of stage disaster. We have selected these five as prime examples of the best in Coarse Acting:
Stalag 69 A typical WWII German prisoner-of-war drama. An intense production marred only by the installation of the set upside down.

Oedocles, King of Thebes the spoof Greek tragedy presents a fine example of a Coarse Acting script, enhanced by Coarse management and direction. While doom and disaster stalk the main characters, a Chorus of ill-assorted females, spitting copiously, reduce the most tragic scenes to mirth.

Moby Dick is a rather over-ambitious attempt to reduce the epic novel (685 pages long) into a series of quick-fire scenes. Complete with sailors, wenches and a whale!

The Cherry Sisters, a hitherto undiscovered fragment of Chekhov, is a desperately sincere piece, with a real tear-jerker of an ending, spoiled only by the fact that someone has to die standing up in order to cope with a faulty prop.

Cinderella the traditional panto as performed by many an amateur dramatics company. All the usual panto clichés. The overall net effect is an air of desperate jollity let down by the ineptitude of the performance.

One feature common to all Coarse Acting shows is that they think every performance was a success. “Believe me, old chap, the audience never noticed anything wrong.” is the Coarse Actor’s battle-cry.

Once again the Hartley Arts Group promises you an evening of great entertainment and acting (however coarse!)

February 2010 HAG Mag

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 15:28:45 +0000

To download your copy of the Hartley Arts Group Magazine, or HAG Mag, for February 2010 click here.

Classic Literature Coarse!

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 10:29:09 +0000

On Thursday 18th February and Tuesday 23rd February we will be holding play readings and auditions for our next production which runs at the end of May.

We are going to be performing a selection of one-act plays by Michael Green from his Art of Coarse Acting series. Below are some of the items we are considering:

Oedocles, King of Thebes the spoof Greek tragedy presents a fine example of a Coarse Acting script, enhanced by Coarse management and direction. While doom and disaster stalk the main characters, a Chorus of ill-assorted females, spitting copiously, reduce the most tragic scenes to mirth.

Pride at Southanger Park written by Rupert Bean and edited by Michael Green, is supposedly an adaptation of a long-lost Jane Austen novel, presenting a naturally developing and utterly hilarious set of acting disasters. As the performance crumbles into low farce, the cast plough on, determined to prove themselves the equal of any BBC adaptation.

Moby Dick is a rather over-ambitious attempt to reduce the epic novel (685 pages long) into a series of quick-fire scenes.

The Cherry Sisters, a hitherto undiscovered fragment of Chekhov, is a desperately sincere piece, with a real tear-jerker of an ending, spoiled only by the fact that someone has to die standing up in order to cope with a faulty prop.

Julius and Cleopatra, a Roman spectacular, illustrates two of the Laws of Coarse Acting — one, that every person in a Coarse crowd is hideously deformed or crippled for some reason, and two, that when stabbed, all pain is always felt in the bowels, no matter where the wound is!

Trapped! in a send-up of a traditional English thriller, the cast find themselves not trapped when the over-energetic lead actor knocks down doors that were meant to be locked. Adding to the fun is a corpse that walks ? because it cannot fall ? through the jammed door and the Stage Manager who has to read in a part.

With these choices we hope to satisfy the demand to enable as many HAG members as possible to get involved. There is a good mix of male and female roles and people can audition for as many parts as they like. If we have to, and the plays do allow for this, parts can be doubled. We may not select all of these plays depending on their actual length but with this list we must be able to find something for everyone. Being short plays the learning should not be too much for any one individual which is important given that it is just 14 weeks to the show.

The running theme here is classic literature, Greek Tragedy, Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Herman Melville, Chekhov, English Thriller. Our artistic designer is already having little peaks of delight about the poster and publicity.

Please pass this news on to everyone you know, and not just HAG members, so that we get the widest possible turnout for the readings and auditions.

Any questions to me please
Jason Farrow