DRAMA FESTIVAL

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 35, 10 August 1936, Page 5

DRAMA FESTIVAL

THE WINNING PLAYS

CONCLUDING FUNCTION

The fifth annual festival of the Wellington area of the New Zealand branch of the British Drama League was brought to a ■ close on Saturday evening in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall, when, after the final four of the fifteen one-act plays presented had been performed, the results were made known and the trophies and certificates given out. After the last play had been presented, Mr. T. Queree. president of the committee, took the chair, and Mr. P. Keesing, one of the three adjudicators of the junior playwriting competition, gave a short address on the contest. The other two adjudicators were Miss Catherine Keddell, F.T.C.L., and Mr. Eric Bradwell.

. Mr. Keesing said that all the efforts were very good. The winner was Eric de Mauny, with the play "The Lone Road," the scene of which was in a dug-out in war-time. A noteworthy thing about the play was the manner in which the dialogue unobtrusively led up to a climax.. "Paths of Glory," by Charles Treadwell, was based on an incident at the beginning of the French Revolution. Both boys were pupils of Wellington College. In commenting on the festival in general, Miss Elizabeth Loe, adjudicator in the contest for the Sir Michael Myers Cup, said that the standard, while good, was not quite what she had expected from a city with the population of Wellington. She was also disappointed in the size of the audiences. "I cannot understand why in a city of this, size there is not so much interest as in other and smaller places in New Zealand," she said. "Fire Below," presented by the Wellington Repertory Theatre, was placed first in the senior competition, and "Thread o' Scarlet" (Rongotai College Dramatic Society) first in the junior. Second place in the senior event was also taken by the Repertory Theatre, with "The Valiant."

The Hon. P. Fraser, Minister of Education, who presented the prizes, congratulated those who took part. "Wherever I have gone for a considerable number of years I have met people interested in the work oi the league." he said. "It has brought a great deal of light and culture to those who live in the remoter districts."

Detailed results are as follows: —

"Fire Below" (Wellington Repertory Theatre), 1; "The Valiant" (.Wellington Repertory Theatre), 2; "Queer Street" (All Saints' Players), 3. C Certificates.—"Martha and Mary" (Wellington East Old Girls' Dramatic Society), "Unnatural Scene" (Wellington East Old Girls' Dramatic Society), "Thread o' Scarlet" (Rongotai College Dramatic Society), "Children in Uniform" (Marsden Old Girls' Drama Club), "Eleven a.m." (Pandora Musical and Dramatic Society), "The House With the Twisty Windows" (Wellington Catholic Players), "Echo and Narcissus" (G. Helen Gardners Gazelles"), "Sanctuary" (Pioneer Club Drama' Circle). D Certificates.—"Great Aunt Jemima"' (Belfrances Players), "The Pardoner's Tale" (Rongotai College Old Boys' Dramatic Society), "Slow Curtain" (Junior Branch, Navy League, Drama Circle), "A Marriage Has Been Disarranged" (Pioneer Club Drama Circle). x . The last play presented during the evening was the one who gained first nlace "Fire Below," the cast of which included V. S. Rhind, H. A. Painter, Mrs. Charles Anderson, Pauline Shotlander. Mrs. G. A. Dargaville, Mrs. Sidney Tingey, and. F. M. Renner. The producer was G. H. A. Swan. The judge remarked that all the players used their brains and imagination, and that the play was convincing because they worked hard in building up the characters. ' All the entrances were good, and it could only be described as a splendid performThe three other plays presented on Saturday were "The House With the Twisty Windows," "Echo and Narcissus." "arid "Sanctuaryi" ~ • ' . The winning team will represent the Wellington area .. at the -North Island elimination festival at Palmerston North on August 31 and September 1. - , > -