SHORT AND SWEET, Sydney 2011 – HERE WE COME!
I have to say how excited I am to have 3 plays in Sydney’s SHORT AND SWEET festival this year. Last year I had 2, so it’s on the up and up.
The plays are HONEY, AMICABLE RIVALS and NORMALITY
HONEY – SHORT AND SWEET – NIDA PARADE PLAYHOUSE FEB 2011. February is going to be a busy month. Just the way I prefer it. Hope to see you at the festival :)
*AMICABLE RIVALS* – NEWTOWN THEATRE FEB 2011. Directed by William Russell. Cast: Sam Atwell, Brenda Bedewi.
*NORMALITY* – NIDA FEB 2011 (Winner of CTD finals, judges’ choice) Directed by William Russell. Cast: Clare Martin, Alastair Buchanan.
From www.crashtestdrama.com – Featured Artist June 2010
Dona Parise
Dona has been writing for many years. She’s written over 70 scripts and has had 38 of them produced. Her passion for script writing was evident at the age of 12. She’s attended many courses ranging from Alex Broun’s playwriting weekend course, to script writing for TV and Film and Directing Intensive at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). Dona is also a qualified journalist. She now averages one play performance in Sydney each month. She writes, directs, produces and sometimes acts. Her plays have been performed in Griffith NSW, Wagga Wagga, Lithgow, Melbourne, Sydney and Los Angeles. She’s participated in four Short and Sweet festivals in Sydney, two Ten x 10 festivals in Wagga Wagga, Stage Rage, Writers Anonymous and is a regular contributor to Playtime – held monthly at the World Bar in Sydney. She has written, directed and produced short films screened at Newtown Flicks and Caught Short at the Tap Gallery also in Sydney. She enjoys directing when she gets the chance.
Her ideas stem from life and she writes character-driven scripts. She’s disciplined and extremely passionate about theatre and film. She is constantly learning how to entertain audiences and writes comedy as well as drama – monologues and casts of up to 10, short 10 minute, One act and full length plays.
HONEY – Crash Test Drama Sydney June 2010

Alastair Buchanan and Kate Avery
Dona’s second Crash Test Drama stint landed her with HONEY winning the popular audience vote and now will be in the Crash Test Drama Finals on 2nd August 2010. Dona directed HONEY and the cast members were Alaistar Buchanan, Katy Avery, Alana Worsley and Dudy Jap.
When Mia requests John to pour honey all over and…….. well the night looks like it might go very well, until Mia’s friend Megan makes a desperate call to her saying she needs to come over to discuss the issues her and her boyfriend are having. That puts a spanner in the works and John and

Dudy Jap and Alana Worsley
Mia’s night turns out far from sweet.
Will update after the final in August 2010.
There’s going to be some fierce competition, but it’s going to be a great night! Alastair also won ‘best runner up actor’ on the night. i also had a protegee’, Maite Carvell, who will make also be my protegee’ at the finals next month.
Break a leg everyone. Let’s make it as sweet as we can.
MELODY – Playtime at World Bar, Sydney March 2010

Director Liane Norman, Actress Kate Buchanan and Me
MELODY was performed in Sydney in March 2010. The story of an elderly woman, who is terminally ill and has not family or friends left. It was very touching and was enjoyed by the audience. PLAYTIME is a monthly event and will have quite a few of my plays on show. Thank you to Kate Buchanan who played Melody and to Liane Norman for directing.
CATASTROPHE TOP 100 scores 3rd place with audiences.
After the wonderful Week 5 of Short and Sweet (the biggest 10 minute play festival in the word!) competition was tough! A lot of time and energy goes into rehearsing and each performance night is different. There were dramas, absurd comedies and wonderfully written plays as well.
CATASTROPHE on at Newtown Theatre Top 100 in February.
Starring Tanya Ann Powell and Michael McCrann, directed by Come and support the cast and crew in Short + Sweet 2010!
Performances Wed Feb 3 – Sat Feb 6 @ 8:15pm and Sun Feb 7
5:15pm. Tickets from www.shortandsweet.org or on (02) 8507 3034.
Catastrophe is a comedy about a wife’s struggle with her husband’s obsession with his best friend.
The script won “Best Script” at Crash Test Drama in Sydney in June 2009, with writer Dona Parise winning a number of other awards for her writing.
Short + Sweet is the world’s largest 10minute play festival started in Sydney and now running in Melbourne, Singapore and Auckland
TWO PLAYS IN SYDNEY SHORT AND SWEET TOP 100 IN 2010

photo by Jom - www.jom.com.au
YES, it’s true! I now have two plays in the biggest 10 minute play festival in the world.
AFTERNOON TEA WITH SEX AND SCONES will be performed from 2nd to 6th JANUARY 2010 at Newtown Theatre and will be directed by Stephen Carnell.
CATASTROPHE will be performed from 2nd to 6th FEBRUARY 2010 at Newtown Theatre and will be directed by Con Nats.
Stay tuned and keep coming back for updates!

- Amelia Tranter, Cindi Knapton and Robert Teicher

Afternoon Tea with Sex and Scones
Afternoon Tea with Sex and Scones, had it’s second run in Sydney in November 2009 . Directed by Stephen Carnell and starring Christine Greenough, Amelia Tranter and Chris Lewis.
SILENCE wins audience vote at Crash Test Drama in Melbourne 16th Nov 09

Gavin Williams and Amy Jenkins.
Dona’s first Melbourne Crash Test drama competition resulted in her play ‘SILENCE’ winning the audience vote and is now in the finals on 21st December 09. The cast: Elizabeth Semmel, Amy Jenkins and Gavin Williams did an outstanding job.
AFTERNOON TEA WITH SEX AND SCONES – Stage Rage, Sydney: 23rd November 09
Afternoon Tea with Sex and Scones will get another run (will be performed at Newtown Theatre for Crash Test Drama AND at Stage Rage, Cleveland Street Theatre, Sydney)
Cast of three
Two females, One Male
Diretor: Stephen Carnell.


