S. G. ROBERTSON AWARD | riccartonplayers

S G ROBERTSON AWARD

The S G Robertson Memorial Award, is made annually at the Christmas Party to the Riccarton Players member who has made the most positive contribution to the society in the preceding year.

This respected thespian is to be honoured annually by our society by seeking nominations from the membership annually for “an individual who has made the most positive contribution to Riccarton Players in the preceding year” and this award is made at the Christmas Party, where a “reviewable cash grant is made towards furthering the theatrical skills of that person”.

The individual so nominated must respect and be respected as well as have the values attributed to the individual in whose name we make this award; they must be a consistently active member; have attributes such as inclusivity; be a positive role model; be a humble achiever and in fact, be a “general all round good bastard”.

Stewart Galloway Robertson

Riccarton Players is indebted to the talents of Stewart – his talents as a builder, artist, designer, director were put to full use when working with our society.

His clever sets, staging, and ability to always ‘pin-point’ what was right or wrong with a given production was uncanny – even to the point of criticizing his own productions and his perception of the script and the actors’ interpretation.

A respected theatrical perfectionist, many were the Christchurch Theatrical groups that turned to him seeking advice, and there was always a willing positive reply forthcoming – especially if it offered at challenge.

Throughout he retained Riccarton Players as his ‘home club’, and it was with us that he received status as a Life Member having been a keen advocate and worker on the conversion working space within the Wood’s Brother’s Grain Store, into what became The Mill Theatre (now vacated due to the 2011 earthquake).

Stewart was a person whose personal ambitions were often ‘put on hold’ for his total love of the magic of theatre, and he was always prepared to listen, mediate, and offer himself as a ‘sounding board’ for ideas that were productive and beneficial towards the ‘good of the cause’.

Stewart was a true patriarch for some 15 years to Riccarton Players, and his passing deeply affected the whole of the Garden City Recreational Theatrical Community. His respect for others feelings often was to his own detriment, but as such was also an admirable trait of this remarkable man.

It is for the above reasons this respected thespian is honoured annually by our society by seeking nominations annually for “an individual who has made the most positive contribution to Riccarton Players in the preceding year” and this award is made at the Christmas Party, where a “reviewable cash grant is made towards furthering the theatrical skills of that person”.