H.B. DRAMA LEAGUE MEETS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 115, 1 June 1937, Page 8

H.B. DRAMA LEAGUE MEETS

System of A and B Sectiona Discussed QUESTIONNAIRE PLANNED The annual meeting of the Hawke'e Bay Drama League was* held in Hastings last evening. The president, Mr. Cecil Dutf, presided over an attend-" ance ot twelve members. A falling-off in membership and in the number of entrants in the festival was commented upon, and. the balance-sheet , showed that the ®previous year's profit of £4 10/4 had been turned into a Iosb of 13/2. The election of officers resulted; Patron, Mr. E. J. Herriek ; president, • Mr. Duff ; vice-presidents, Mesdames J* B. Campbell, R. Todd, W. A. Whitlock, Messrs. H. W. C. Baird, A. Giorgi, A. McLean, A. E. Renouff, M. 8. Spence, G. A. Maddison, W. G. Wood,, F. W. Tickner, J. D. H, Buchanan; executive committee, Mrs. W. A. Whjtlock, ' Mr. A. H. Harding, Mr. R. B. C. Chadwick, Mr. A. Cunningham, Mr. Renouff, Mr. Buchanan, Miss Marjorie Turner-Williams j auditor Mr. P. J. Priest; secretary, ''Mr. M. Greenwood; treasurer, Mr. Harding. "It is Napier' s turn to have. the festival held there this year," remarked Mr. Duff in introducing a discussion on the venue for the anriual festival. Napier had every promise of having a' theatre by next year, he added, and in view of this he thought it best that the festival should be held this year in Hastings and next year in Napier. It was generally agreed that, though Hastings was more central for the whole district, yet Napier, through its Repertory Players, had given a fillip to the League.' Venue Not Decided. It was decided to make it a recommendation to the incoming executive that the Napier representatives should be consulted in the matter, as no Napier members were" presenti at the meeting, and the date was left to the executive to decide. Mr. Buchanan suggested that a se| of curtains be made to give two different sized stages, thus reducing the time taken in changing sets. This was carried as a recommendation to ihe executive. Mr. Harding suggested that a system of A and B classes shouldi he reinstituted. Interest seemed to be.on the wane, entries had been reduced, and he thought this course would induce more to enter. Miss Helen Ford shared the same views. Mr. Buchannan said he thought the idea a fine one. He hoped, however, that the B classes would be non-coxni-petitive. The entrants would have the advantage - of the adjudicator's criticisms, but the competitive spirit, of which there was now foo' mucb, would be avoided. Mr. Donald Davies asked if the whole festival could not b© run on non-com-petitive lines, as had been done ui Auckland. - Too High a Standard? "The higher the grade you get, the more teams will drop out," remarked Mr. Duff. "This I fear, is the trouble now. The problem is : are we going to lower our standard to get more to enter? It is. just a matter of policy," Mr. Harding moved that the system of A and B sections should be instituted for the senior grade this year, but on Mr. Buchannan's moving ah ameridment that all the bodies concerned should be given an opportunity to express their views by means of a questionnaire Mr. Hardxng witHdrew iiis motion and the other was carried. Mr. Harcling said he thought there , was too much attention given to the finals and semi-finals to the excliision of the local interest, and he recomzierided that they should be dropped. Mr. Greenwood said it was the finals at Wellington which gave thd festival its national character. The matter was left for consideration by the bodies concerned, through the proposed questionnaire. Annual Report. The Hawke's Bay' Drama League had again demonstrated its value, although xn some respects tlxe past year had npt been so good as the previous one, stated the annual report. The support given to tlie annual festival held for two uights iu August iu tbfc Hastings Assembly Hall, had showu that the love of drama was still widuspread and that the efforts of the leagvie to deepen appreciation of dramatic art and all it stood for were appreciated by the public. A juuior section had been hold during the year and had proved a success. Four senior and two junior teams competed. CongratuJations were extended in the report to the Napier Repertory Players, wlxo had secured first place in the senior section, and to the Napier Girls' High School and Hereworth School, who tied for first place ixx the junior section. Mr. Arnold Goodwin, of Auckland, had acted as adjudicator. The New Zealand final festival had becu held iu Wellington. On ihe recommcndatiou of tho Hawke's Bay executive, the uationai executive had decided that in f'ulure teams going forward to the finals would be bracketed equal, and not first and secoud, as in the past. This would help to eliminate any ehance of favopr. "It was with great regTet that in October last the vresignation was reeeived and aeeepted of Mr. Kelsey, us secretary, owing to his ieaviug tlie district. Appreciation of his servico.s was conveyed to hira and entered in the records," said the report. ' Thanks were conveyed to Mrs. W. A. Whitiock for her special interest and help in connection with tlie festival and general affairs of the league, to Mr. Goodwin. who so eapably acted as adjudicator, to the Press for generous reports of the festival and other 'meetings, and to all others who assisted in advancing a love of drama in the district.