#ACTORSLIFE Comes to The Drama Factory

#ActorsLife explores actors' identities in the film and theatre industry, personal relationships and society at large! This mockumentary- inspired comedy, written by Estelle Terblanche, is a witty exposé of the neurotic, emotional and paranoid world inhabited by someone whose self-worth is completely dependent on the opinion of others.

We follow @christinetheactor, a woman trying to be everyone in all the stereotypical female roles she plays, illustrating the complexity of being female within an industry where women are largely idolized or commodified - or simply ignored. It reveals the psyche of a woman who is repeatedly suppressed and devalued because of the boxes she finds herself placed in.

This is a female actor's journey towards self-discovery and empowerment. Estelle elaborates: "It deals with the professional actor's deep desire to be taken seriously and gain respect, which stands in direct conflict with the personal need for affirmation - of wanting everyone to like you. It is a thin line to walk: dealing with the constant stresses and challenges of this demanding industry, while simultaneously striving to be truthful and vulnerable." It is a witty and touching comedy exploring identity.

Bios: Writer/Actor: Estelle Terblanche is passionate about telling stories. Her first love is acting and she has pursued this career with great determination. After completing her B.Dram (Stellenbosch) with a focus on theatre acting and physical theatre, she gained film industry experience as a casting assistant. She has travelled internationally and completed workshops in Los Angeles. She believes that observation and imagination are the building blocks of writing. Apart from collaborating with other creatives, Estelle strives to create her own work in order to tell the stories she truly believes in. Her writing work includes academic writing, a children's book, short films and a feature film script - and she is currently writing her first novel. #actorslife is a passion project inspired by her own experiences and those of her friends in the industry. Estelle is happiest when acting! She also worked with two physical theatre intitiatives (Mbody and Prematuur) and she continued to expand her skills with many film acting courses and workshops. Her work includes Films (House Party, The Price of Sugar, Hollywood in my Huis), Television (SAF3, Bolandmoorde, Troy: the fall of a city), Theatre (Dreams, Ghost Story, Boekbuddies), Commercials (not listworthy!) and Short Films (To the Passerby, I was Here, Die Onderspit). She writes primarily to create her own work and one of her Short Film scripts has been produced (An Awkward Attempt). She has recently completed her first children's book and feature film script and is working on a novel. #ActorsLife is the first big theatre project that she wrote, produced and stars in. It is very close to her heart! She truly feels honoured to work with Tamryn and Jeremeo, a really amazing team!

Director: Tamryn Spiers is inspired by untapped human creative potential. She believes it is as boundless as what we could achieve by unleashing it. She thrives off of multi-tasking to provide a constant outlet for her talents, having found solace in both acting and directing (for screen and theatre), presenting, dance, writing and working as an international acting coach. As a professional theatre director her credits include (Five women wearing the same dress by Alan Ball- NAF, On Broadway in CT 2010) ; (Fat Pig by Neil LaBute, starring Chanelle De Jager and Colin Moss- Theatre on the Square 2012 - Johannesburg, On Broadway 2011); (Autobahn by Neil LaBute- NAF 2011); (Three Sisters and The Bear by Anton Chekhov- The Galloway Theatre 2018); (The Dolls House by Hendrik Ibsen - Galloway Theatre 2018); (Frankie and Johnny by Terrance MacNally - Alexander Bar 2018); (21 Light Years by Nicola Hanekom (writer) - Galloway theatre 2017; (A memory, a monologue, a rant and a prayer by Eve Ensler and various writers - Alexander Bar 2018). She has also assisted other productions as a performance coach namely, Cold Case for Denise Newman. For School Productions she has directed Musicals for Herschel and Bishops Diocesan Colleges with cast of 200 actors for numerous years , productions include (Grease, Annie, Bugsy Malone, Guys and Dolls, Aladdin, Jungle Book, Seussical the Musical). She studied at South Africa's Cape Academy of Dramatic Arts and the London's Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. An English Major from UCT, she also studied the Royal Academy Ballet technique. At AFDA she won a Stone Award for her work in acting, directing and production design. In New York she continued her professional development under A-lister Black Nexxus coach Susan Batson, Valerie Kingston at Utha Hagen School and closer to home, Matthew Harrison from The Actors foundry in Vancouver. Tipped as talented newcomer to the theatre scene in 2011, Tamryn supported actress Denise Newman as her younger sister in her 2011 theatre debut of Jean Genet's 'The Maids'. Director Ruth Levine and co-star Susan Danford joined her list of powerhouse mentors. Tamryn understands that the roadmap to developing character requires exceptional vulnerability of self is the process that helps one understand who they are as an artist or creative. While nurturing these qualities on screen or stage, she incorporates the screenwriting perspective. Having spent 2 years with NVYF editor Gavin Sher and Matthew Kalil studying the architecture and structure of story, brought a new dimension to being able to understand the impact of the narrative trajectory as an actor. Over the past decade, working with ACT Cape Town, Tamryn has coached local and international actors helping them to "understand journey of the narrative" deep within the context of their creative expression. A part-time lecturer at SAE and CPUT, guiding second and third year students to understand how to direct, work with actors and understand screenplays has her sights set on Creative Direction. Expanding on opportunities to work with her colleges and teen students on 48-hour film productions Tamryn has assisted fellow actors in developing showreels, producing cooking shows and assisting high profile individuals in their creative career transitions. A keen activist and advocate of social justice, she has had involvement in various theatrical fundraisers, film productions and is an advocate for the prevention of human trafficking. Tamryn's aim is to bring these elements more strongly into her work in the coming years to raise much-needed awareness.

Producer: Jeremeo Le Cordeur is a creative soul, born and bred in Wellington. He is a young actor, director, writer, and photographer who graduated from City Varsity with an unstoppable drive and unfaltering commitment to his craft. In 2009, he joined Fresh Theatre Company, a presenting company specialising in musical theatre, where he performed in Life is Rock N Roll, Love in Cyberspace, and Pinocchio. In 2010, he created Vulture Productions, which he uses as a vehicle to support and create South African theatre works. He has been at the helm of many successful productions such as PIZZA'S HERE (2011), I KNOW HOW YOU SCREAMED LAST SCARY MOVIE (2011), and RISK for the 2012 & 2013 National Arts Festival. In 2013 he returned to the Artscape with FEBRUARY 14TH. The production received rave reviews, admiring Le Cordeur as "an energetic and entrepreneurial theatre maker" (Tracey Saunders, Cape Times). In 2014, he directed TANNIE DORA GOES BOS, a play written by Warren Meyer which opened to rave reviews and was later included as part of Artscape's 8th annual Woman/humanity festival. In 2016 He also created THE VULTURE PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT, an arts-photography project aimed at showcasing the work of South African theatre practitioners. Through Vulture Productions, Le Cordeur also guides the work of other artists, ensuring that whatever contributions they receive, is well spent on fostering the talents of their contemporaries in the field of performing arts in South Africa.