[WATCH] #BenoniHasTalent: Farrarmere’s Caitlin wins Drama-mammas internship to New York

Mother and daughter team Caitlin and Cel Arries, of Farrarmere, were named the winners of the reality series Drama-mammas in the final episode on VIA TV last night (August 7).

Caitlin (18), a matriculant at Benoni High School, won a three-week internship to the Serenbe Playhouse, in Atlanta, USA, and left for New York on May 30, where she stayed with a host family in Serenbe.

“It was a small community and I made good friends with other interns at Serenbe – I even had a golf cart to zip around in from where I stayed to the playhouse, as it was not too far,” the bubbly teen said.

The City Times chatted to Caitlin and her family at their Benoni home on the weekend to find out more about the Drama-mammas experience and ultimately emerging as the winner of the internship to Serenbe Playhouse.

How did you get selected for the show?

I am a student at Live Arts Little Theatre (LALT), in Boksburg, and the owner, Louw Breytenbach, wrote a script for the show and sent it to VIA and it was approved. All the students in our drama school auditioned; there were about 100 of us and it was narrowed down to 10 students and moms. Then it was narrowed down to four learners and moms and I was one of the lucky four to be chosen in the audition process.

What were your expectations?

I was not expecting to win, to be very honest. That is why in the final episode I cried a lot when I was announced as the winner. My parents always taught me not to expect anything – you work for it and go in without expectations; you just work hard to get it. What I did the whole season was to work hard and tried my best to get noticed, and it worked out for me in the end.

How did it feel like being on a reality TV show?

While we were shooting it was very awkward because my facial expressions would give away everything. So, if I did not say anything my face did. I really had to be conscious of my facial expressions. Also, while the show was airing, I would get random messages from people on social media platforms and they would tell me that I am their favourite and they love me so much and they hope I win. That was really awesome and I couldn’t believe actors receive messages like that all the time; I was in tears.

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How did the show impact your daily life?

Drama-mamas was shot in November last year and I was in Grade 11 writing my final exams. It was difficult from me to balance studying, shooting and writing my exams. Benoni High and the production company helped me to try and balance the two. The school would let me write my exams earlier or on a different day, if need be, so that I could be on time to shoot the show. My school played a big role in me being able to shoot Drama-mammas and the production company would give me a bit of leeway if I was writing on the day we were shooting.

How much of what we saw was “real” drama, and how much was scripted?

How it worked was they would give us a scenario and we would work from that. If emotions took over, you would just go along with it. We would play with whatever is happening and put that on screen and that is what you see on Drama-mammas.

Tell us about Louw, as a person and his Live Arts Little Theatre?

I was very privileged to meet Louw. He is one of the most amazing and patient people I have ever met because it takes a lot to deal with me – and I must say he does it very well. It was a very special moment to be in New York with him, especially since he has walked my whole high school drama journey with me.

LALT is a family; a place where people are comfortable and they feel like they can be themselves. It is a safe space.

Did you make friends with the other contestants?

I made very good friends with the other contestants on the show; we got along really well from day one. Uwen du Plessis and I became very close during the show because he is my brother’s age – so he was my little brother on set.

Was there a lot of competition between you guys?

Yes, we were competing for the internship to go the Serenbe Playhouse. You could also see people’s true colours come out; the competitiveness and what they would do in order to win.

What was the highlight of being part of the series?

The highlight was when I won the internship. It was amazing and I have never felt so content with myself and with what I have done in a very long time.

Any lows?

While we were shooting I did encounter a few lows, like when I was at the bottom of the leader board. I would say to myself “OK, I am at the bottom but how will I rise from this?” I would always rise from what got me down and I use that motto in my life as well.

Did you ever feel like you had made the wrong decision by taking part?

I never felt like I made the wrong decision by doing the show. There were times when we may have felt a bit tired and down, questioning why do I want to do this, but as soon as I start performing I remembered why I was doing it and why I love it so much. Performing is my life and if I want to continue with it, then I have to learn to endure the long hours and other elements that come with it.

What did you learn from the experience?

I learnt a lot about myself through the Drama-mammas experience and I learnt a lot about my mother as well. I also learnt that I am stronger than I think and if I just carry on and I do not let things get me down, I will come out on top.

Would you say it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and why?

I would say going to Atlanta to work was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because there are so many children that live in America that want to do this. I got an opportunity to do it and I was blessed to work at such a big theatre company.

What did your family and friends think of the show?

My family thought the show was hilarious because sometimes my mom is just a bit ‘extra’. My friends on the other hand, because I am in an English school, found it very difficult to understand what is going on in the show because there were no English sub-titles – but they continued to watch.

If you hadn’t won who do you think deserved to win?

If I had not won, I would have hoped for Uwen to win only because there is a lot of things that I know he likes that they do at the playhouse.

What did you win?

I won a three-week internship to work at the Serenbe Playhouse. I worked in all areas, such as a stage hand, teacher’s assistant at summer camp, helped set up for gala and I worked in the box office. It was a well-rounded experience.

Tell us about your experience in New York?

New York is amazing. It is very busy; just like we see it in the movies. I had an amazing experience, I also got to watch a show and I would not have changed that for anything in the world.

What advice would you give to youngsters interested in a career on stage?

Don’t stop working. You need to work really hard as natural talent will only get you so far, then you need to work. I worked very hard even if it does not seem like it. Just put in your work and whenever somebody closes a door in your face there is another door opening for you.

What are your future plans?

I plan on going to study drama next year, and I am currently in the process of signing with an agency in South Africa that will be able to get me more jobs, like I did on Drama-mammas or bigger projects, like movies or starring in soapies. Once I complete my degree, I would like to return to Serenbe Playhouse as part of their apprentice company.

What has mom Cel got to say about the whole experience?

The experience for me was awesome and all my children at school would say that they saw me on TV. But, why we did it was for Caitlin and because she wanted it so much, we wanted it for her. It was all for her although, I did get a bit of airtime I must say.