DRAMA FESTIVAL ENDS

Chronicle (Levin), 9 July 1948, Page 4

DRAMA FESTIVAL ENDS

Top Awards Go To Otaki And Plimmerton Last night saw the conclusicm af the thirteepth annual dyama festival canducted by the Southern WpJlingtQn Federation oi Women's Institptes, when there was a large audiencp at Otaki tc* see the final thrpe plays. I Following the performances, the adjudicator, Mys. Eigie Lloyd, reviewed the various plays which the festival had produced and awardedthe first prize for'drama. tp the Otaki W.I. and first prize fey coanedy to« the Pliminerton. W I. Adjudged second in Jrama was the Leyin W.I,, while Paremata W.I, ' was third. In the cpmedy, Paremata W.I. v/as sepond and Te Horo, W.I. third. 1 The Otaki W.I.'s dramatic production was glso adjudge'd the best gll round play in the southern festival, and will in consequence be entered to compete with the Hutt Valley and Marl- , borough Federations' choice of the trials in the Opera House, Wellington, before delegates to the Dominion Federation's annual conferenCe. The foliowing were the successful praductions in the Southern Wellington Fe'deration's trials; Prama "Dark Brown" (Otaki W.I.) flrst. Producer: Mrs. Len Moss. CaSt: Mesdames Empson, Hunter, ' Housiaux and Gower, Miss Rose Eg'dell and Messrs. L. Moss. and Townrow. "Men are Missing" (Levin W-I-) second. Pro'ducer: Mrs. A. A. Savell. Cast: Mesdames C. Nichol, Kathleen Black, Bowater, Wilkin-

son, Perigo, Hesp, O. Hudson, Wiison, Kircaldie and Banfield an'd Miss J. Perigo, "Her Affairs in Qrder" (Paremata . W.I.) third. Producer: Jeane Power. - Cast: Winsome Bradey, Dolores Sarcich, Helen Riggir, Christina Hamlin, Myrtle Gestro and Jeane Power. Comedy I "Orange Blossom" (Plimmerton j W.I.) first. Producer: Roma Deli-| cate. Cast: Roma Dehcate, Ericj Hackley, Peggy Pearce, Mary Tovey, ■ Hnda Lag'den Betty Bowater and j Jack Lagaen. "The Playgoers" (Paremata W.I.) j second. Producer: Jeanne (Power. i Cast: Colin Power, Dolores Sarqich, I Myrtle Gestro, Ivy Robertson, ] Christina Hamlin, Leapna Hancock, Helen . Riggir and Jeane Power. J "Makihg it Pay" (Te Horo W.I.) | third. Producer: Mrs. Donal'd ( Grant. Cgst: Joyce Wickham,! Kathleen Macdonald, Nan Wa,lker, Mavis Hodder,, Gladys Marino., Nona Smith an'd Mar8'^ret Johnson. Adjudicator's Commept i The standard throughout was : much h'igher, the choice of plays better and the settings good, saidi Mrs. Lioyd, when- reviewing the fes- 1 tival. Her decisions had been made' aftbT'a great- deal ' oJf thought, and the drama had given her most 'difficulty. The winning play, "Dark Brown," had "won by a whisker," : £ihe added, the Levin W-I-'s "Men Are Missing" being very close. The make up on the whole had been goo'd this year, though there had been slacknpss in some -of the plays.. The voices of the players had a babit of "dying away" and she had noted this right throughout the festival. There was not always evident the good team work so necessary in ali pro'ductions. Some players had been severely handicapped by the stage on which they were required to play. The acting •TI round had been good and the festival had been an extremely good one. The audiences, she said, were excellent. In conclusion, Mrs. Lloyd extended her -congratuiations to all the producers. ' LAST NIGHT'S PLAYS The following were the plays pre-. sented last night prior to the announcement of the results: — "Symphony in Illusion" Produced by the Otaki W.I., this play was set in the doorway of a war " ruined church with the flashand roll of distant guns providing ,the background. The curtain first rose to reveal the players informally discussing and arranging the props, and after the final scene of ;the play the players were again seen removing the props while discussing the production in which they had just participated. The play followed a United ^Nations theme and indicated the difficulties of maintaining a peaeeful world when individuals were themselves continually squabbling. The cast was: Mesdames Gower, Empson, Hunter and Hewitson, and Misses Lysbeth Empson and Rose Egdell. The producer was Mrs. Len Moss. This was a very good effort said the adjudicator in her remarks. (The play was a particularly difficult one, as much depended on the setting and lighting. Many rehearsals of this would be necessary and shp doub.ted if this had actually been the*case. The last movement had not been as fast as the first; There had been a really good attempt at 'the setting, which was tricky. The ruins of the church had been too symmetlieal and the gun flashes too regular. "It was a pity that the da'wn had come up with a click," she added when commenting on an early morning scene. "It certainly spoiied the illusion.", As she had said before; however, it was difficult to arrange the lighting effects foi such a production. The players had had stout hearts to try such a difficult and tricky production and she must congratulate them on the result. As the "Old Woman," Mrs. Hunter had been good at times but had not been consistent. The "mad giri': (Rose Egdell) had been very good showing a real appreciation of the part. Mrs. Hewitson as "Mary" had good voice control. "Making It Pay" Produced by the Te Horo WX

this play tells of the efforts of the proprietress of a tea rooms to ■ attract society to her business h'j j invitihg^- high personages to the . shop. Unfortunately,- the proprie- : tress' landlady, a whisky-loving, ; qne time show girl walks in on a day when a prominent Duchess "and a well-known actress are due tq arrive. The situation has every appeapance of becoming embarrassing imtil the uhweicome guest suddenly displays' a flair for teacup reading and fortune telling. She instantly becomes the tea rooms' most popular attraction and bus- ' iness flourishes. The cast was: Joyce Wickham, Kathleen MacDonald, Nan Walker, Mavis Hodder, Gladys Marino, Nona , Smith and Margaret Johnson. The pro'ducer was Mrs. Donald Grant. The setting in this play was excellent, said the adjudicator. It was a pity, however, that no light had t?een placed outside the door of the tearooms to in'dicate sunshine. Inside the arrangement had been good, but it lacked colour. The production had turned out to be a "one man show," though it had not been written as such. "Mrs. Chipp, the fortune teller" (Nan Walker) had held -the play together, and had acted the part well. The proprietress (Joyce Wickham) and "Meg" (Kathleen Macdonald) had been rather lacking in colour. "Mrs. Burton" (Mavis Hodder) had perhaps not been quite "snooty" > enough for her character. She had, however, been better near the end as had her daughter (Gladys Marino) . As in- the plays right through the festival, there had been too much stress laid on little words. The actregs (Nona Smith) had been quite good, but should have been • more sophisticated. These were all faults of a minor nature which 'should be corrected with experi'ence, added. Mrs. Lloyd. ' "Dark Brown" I The prize-winning play, "Dark Brown," was produced by the Otaki, W.I. The scene opened in the living 'room behind a tobacconist shop, |and the story tells of a wife who is Italked hy her relatives into becoming ' Suspicious of her hushand's ifrequent.weekend visits to a neigh- ; bouring district, ostensibly to visit 'a sick aunt.. Her suspicions are heightened by circumstantial evii dence, but all ends happily when the husband dramatically reveals that he has toeen required for a ! time to takd up his late father's duties as a hangman, and was not !anxious for his wife to know of j this. I This play was very strong and 'full of atmosphere and tension, said ,the adjudicator. The setting was very good and followed the • direc(tions, but it had been a pity that ithe side curtain had partly con- ■ cealed one of the x players. Care I had been taken in the detail of the iplay, even to the ringing of a bell S'm the. shop as customers came in. The frocking was good and the newly-engaged couple in the play, "Fred" (Mr. L. Moss) and "Bella Crewe" (Miss Rose Egdell) had been particularly good. "Fred" had ' well achieved the awkwardness of |a "first love" and his make up and whiskers too had been well done. "Grandma" (Mrs. Empson) had been in character and had been very "convincing. "Mrs. Persophelous" (Mrs. Gower) had played her part with a good deal of feeling and her voice tim'ing and movement were good. One felt immediately what kind" of woxhan she was, ■ added the adjudicator. "-Arthur'' (Mr. Townrow) was good as the husband and his movement and timing was very good, as was the feeling he conveyed in the part. His wife "Jenny" (Mrs. Housiaux) was good also, but could have been more dramatic and could have made more of her part. Prior to the commencement of the productions, the president of the' Southern Wellington Federation, Mrs. H, S. Powell, welcomed the teams and thanked all others who had assisted and lent properties. During the evening, Mrs. Bessie Anderson, of .Wellington, a wellknown radio personality entertained with humorous recitations anc clever impersonations.