Cuppers
From OUDS
OUDS Cuppers is Oxford University’s mammoth intercollegiate drama festival. Held in 7th week of Michaelmas term it is a weeklong event reserved exclusively for freshers and is the key starting point for any budding director, aspiring actor, potential producer, keen technician or enthusiastic marketing manager. OUDS Cuppers acts as an opportunity for any first-year dramatists to put together a half hour show, perform to an audience and represent their college in the process. Moreover each show will be watched by a panel of judges who will hold feedback sessions at the end of each day and decide upon those who deserve to win prizes for their work. The best shows will be given an additional slot on the Saturday to perform again, often to great critical acclaim.
In OUDS Cuppers there are no rules, except that the performance must be under thirty minutes long and there is a limit on your marketing budget. Other than that, you can perform anything you like from Shaffer to Shakespeare, devised to improvised, monologues to musicals and everything in-between. We thrive on your enthusiasm and encourage you to be experimental with your choices – this is, after all, a chance to find a new talent that you didn’t know you had or a new style that you didn’t know existed. As well as awards for best actor/actress etc there will also be prizes for the production company that most expertly displays the spirit of Cuppers.
Last year’s schedule saw over fifty individual entries taking part and, although absolutely frantic, it was one of the most successful festivals in recent history. It may sound like a big project but please don’t be daunted, once you start you’ll realise how easy and rewarding it can be to organise a show in Oxford and if you start small you may one day be putting on a term-time show at the Playhouse. You have all the support from the OUDS Committee and from your college OUDS Reps that you need and on top of that Oxford’s very own technicians’ society (TAFF) are on board to answer all your technological needs. To calm any nerves you may have, we will be holding an informal OUDS Cuppers introductory meeting at the BT in 1st week where you will be able to ask any questions you may have.
Please find all the necessary documents downloadable under the ‘Cuppers Documents’ link at the bottom of the page. If you need any further advice or support please email committee@ouds.org and one of the team will reply to you with incredible speed and astonishing clarity. If you need specifically technical-related questions answered please email taff-ctte@maillist.ox.ac.uk. Good Luck!
Key Information
- Shows must be no longer than 30mins.
- There is a £50 budget limit. (The £25 entry fee that is paid to OUDS is not included within this budget).
- New writing, adapted, devised, improvised, comic, tragic, musical theatre and anything else are all eligible for Cuppers
- Any number of entries per college.
- Any size of cast from monologue to ensemble.
- Awards for Best Production, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Marketing, Technician, New Writing, Design, Experimental Show and Spirit of Cuppers.
- Feedback sessions held each evening for the shows that performed during the day.
- Support is available from your OUDS College Rep, the entire OUDS committee and also TAFF, the technicians society.
Schedule
- Monday of 4th week is the deadline for entry forms and cheques. One hard copy plus a cheque should be put in an envelope and delivered to the OUDS pigeon hole at the BT as well as one soft copy sent to secretary@ouds.org in an email entitled 'Cuppers Entry'.
- Wednesday of 5th week 1.30pm Technical meeting at the BT. It is essential that each show has one representative in attendence to hear vital information regarding the technical aspects of the BT, health and safety as well as picking up the all important 'Cuppers Technical Sheet' on which you must state which lights/set/props you are going to use.
- Wednesday of 6th week is the deadline for technical sheets. They should be emailed to secretary@tabsareforflying.co.uk.
- Sunday and Monday of 7th week each show will have a 20min technical rehearsal.
- Tuesday to Friday of 7th week Cuppers Performances
- Saturday of 7th week Best of Cuppers and Awards Ceremony
Cuppers Documents
Cuppers Entry Form 09 - Click to download the entry form for this year's Cuppers
N.B. If you had already downloaded the documents before 10/10/09 then you will need to download these new ones because some of the information on the old literature was incorrect.
