Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Goal: OSA members get only one chance to together and opportunity at the annual convention (July 4th) for staging the dramas etc. The purpose is to provide at least another opportunity about six months apart – in December/January/February time frame.Time period: Depending on the weather of the area this can be held in October/ Nov(Kumar Purnima) or January/February(Saraswati Puja) or Holi time. Or both to make it thrice an year (4 month apart). This will be decided by the local lead chapter and the associated chapters.
OSA National's involvement: OSA executives will assist but not conduct the festival. It will appoint a regional Drama festival coordinator from among volunteers in each region and a National Chair. BOG(OSA Board of Governors) may help in this as all chapters are represented in the BOG, through their Presidents or his representatives. OSA shall provide Coordinator with a $500 cash advance to use in reserving Halls etc. OSA executives and BOG will also work with the other chapters / cities in the region and help define the region and participating states.
The OSA will also fund 4 award for each region. Best Drama, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best comedian. Additionally, a best youth volunteer will be awarded. The Best Drama award will be a running Cup. The rest will be medals.
The festival pictures will be posted in OSA web page and reports published in Utkarsha.
Concept:
The national Chair of Regional Drama Festival, will find coordinator and coopt them in to his national committee.
The Coordinator in consultation with the President of the local chapter and the other representatives of the other chapter or cities will fix a date, in the time frame suggested above.
Once they do so they will ask reserve a good hall in the locality, preferably free. But if necessary take it on rent and intimate everybody the time and place. They will use OSA advance for appropriate use.
Then they will form a drama related Yahoogroup and communicate with others what the need of the various groups are, who are the local families willing to host them. They will coordinate with the local drama group(based on city or chapters) and volunteers, to make sure every family in the region gets the news and participates, at least as a spectator.
The groups will come from other places to the destination on Friday evening or Saturday morning. They will stay with host families, helping grow cohesiveness and camaraderie.
The drama festival consisting of 4 to 6 dramas (45 min to 1 hour long) will be between 2 pm to 8pm with a break between 5:30pm to 6:30 pm of the Saturday. Or what ever is suitable to local groups. Exact details will be worked out between the regional groups & host chapter.
If chapters can raise money through brochures/admission etc. The local chapter can keep the surplus money, after returning $500 advance to OSA National.
Current Feasibility:
Since this will be 1st year we have thought that it will be staged only in two areas unless there is clamor from other regions:
Region 1 – Detroit, Toronto, Ohio, Illinois
Region 2 – NY, NJ, Washington DC, Maryland and Pennsylvania.
Region 3 - ?
Region 4 - ?
2 comments:
This is comment of DR. Niranjan Tripathy sent by e-mail:
Dear Sandip Babu:
For some reason, I was not able to post this message in the blog, so I am posting it here.
A Drama Festival is excellent concept, going by the enthusiastic response we always get from chapters in staging dramas during OSA conventions. One concern may be that the associated travel costs may be too prohibitive for some chapters. A possible solution could be to invite the chapters to make a video submission of the play which they (the chapter) may haved staged at a local event (eg. Kumar Purnami). A committee may then review all submitted DVDs and declare winners and runner ups.
This will give the chapters an incentive to produce better plays locally. Other may be tempted to stage one if they are not doing it already. All they have to do is folllow up by submitting a video recording for the national competition. They will not be bound by the hassles or cost of traveling and still enjoy the opportunity to exhibit their local talent and compete at a national level.
Just a thought.
Regards,
Niranjan
Denton, TX
My response:
Dear Niranjan babu:
I got it posted there. I am not too savvy an user to tell you why it could not be posted. The link is above.
You have raised a couple of nice suggestions. This will however contradict the one purpose of the regional drama festival - i.e. to increase inter- action among people living within 150 to 200 miles, which in Texas context would mean inter city competition.
Thus to reduce the travel costs there will be car pooling, family hosting etc which will also increase the bohemie and interaction. It will increase also growth of local leadership - more of their recognition in a region and help in various activities of present and future.
Your thought is novel. I did not know it is possible and being done. But I join you to say, why not? We can prepare these videos and share with neighboring regions, who can't see live. For example the top dramas can be made available to all other regions in DVD format to see, learn and enjoy. Thus this will make people think and come up with various other innovations, there is no limit if people start thinking.
Best wishes,
Sandip
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