H.B. DRAMA LEAGUE FESTIVAL

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 181, 18 August 1937, Page 7

H.B. DRAMA LEAGUE FESTIVAL

Napier Repertory Wins with "300th Performance,, JUDGE WELL PLEASED Tlie remaining four of the eight oneact plays entered for the soventh au« nual i'estival of the Hawke's Bay Drania League were presented in the Hastings Munioipai Theatre last evening, bringing the festival to a successfui close. At the conclusion of iast night' s piaya the adjudicator, Miss Heien Gardner, of Wellington, gave her criticisms and also announced the placings for the plays in the competitive seotion. Miss Gardner followed her opinion of each play as a whole by an iudividtlal criticism of every member of the cast. Sho complimented those responsibie for the stage-management on the clever way in which scenes Avere changed in the iew minutes aiiowed. There wore two sections, the A soction, which was competitive, and the B section, which- waa non-competitive. Miss Gardner piaced lirst "The 300tli Ferformance," presented on the hrst night of the festival by the Napier Ltepertory Rlayefs. This play, Miss Gardner said, was the most difficult one in the festival and the only one which required off'stage eifeets, Tlie play doserved tlie award for its difficuity in playiiig and producing and i'or the dramatic endeavour shown, Miss Gardner awarded this periormance hor "B" ccrtifieate, saying tliat she soldum awurded an "A" ccrtihcate uniess n play was practieally porfect. With inore reliearsing and thougbt, however, she considcrcd this performauce woulu bo woi'thy of tliu "A" certiiicate. , Second place Was giveu to "Tbe J'loposal" presented by the ^ Havelock i'layers, this being a less diHlcult play. Lt was also awarded a "B" certiiicate, Cups were presented by Mr E. J. Hernck, patron of the Drama League, to the producers of tlie successl'ui piays, Miss May MacDonald and Mrs TurnerWilliams. The plays presented last night were as i'oliow A SECTION. NAPIER REPERTORY PLAYERS (B TEAM). "The Language of Love". — Miss Deborah Deeds, Valerie Lewis; Mrs Pcnolope Jones, Mavis Tonkin j Susan Marvcl, Aiison Douglas; Letitia Marvel, Beveriey Hannah; Rosemary Marvel, iSancy Hai'vey ; Elissabeth Marvel, Joyce Annau ; Jono lliohards, Eileeu Wiliis. (Produced by Miss May MacDonald). This play had a distinct charin and a pleasiiig touch of colour, Miss Gardner said. The production was adequate, the settiug eifectivo and tho costumiug quito ' corrcct. There were some good entrahces. The play Was one which was not difficult to aot, 'Tho diction of some oi' tho players was not good, but tlie performauce ali the suuio Was charmjng. HAVELOCK PLAYERS "lho Proposal," (Tohokov). — Natalya Slcpauovna, Miss M. Turuer-Williams ; dtephan Stepanovitcb Tohubukov, J\lr D, R. Davies; lvuu Vassil^-evitch, Mr M. F. Greenwood. (Produced by Mrs LTirner-Williams). This play, Miss Gardner said, Was the cleverest oue presented during the whole festival. The subjecb was one which was difficult ta handle, but adinirable restraint was shown without overdoing the actiug. lt was good, natural work, and showed a kuuwk;dgo of stage-craft. The setting was oii'ective, which was remarkable since it' waa difficult to givq foreigu touelii witli sUch a short time available for scenery changes." The mako-up was also good. With a siuali cast, of course, there was not so much for the producer tc do, and in this play there wero no . offstage eii'ects necessary. There were a i'e.w awkward moves which sliouki have becn easy to avoid with a cast oi' only three on the stage. The players appeared to be experiencod performers. CATHOL1C DRAMATIO CLUB "March Wedding" (Mnriel and Sydney Box). — Diana Wilton Eileen Hamiin ; Mrs Wilton, Ann O'Halloran ; Toni, Yolande Luke; Alisoli, Betli Poppelwell; Mavis, Ruth Herron j Atieo, Betty Seott ; Miss Moulton, Moira Fitzgibbon. (Produced by Mr A. Stanley Warwick). This was a play which did not call for a groat amount of stagecraft and expericnced technique, said Miss Gardner. The diction Was quite satisfactory, but the performers played too much on the footlights instead of making use of the full stage. This restilted in some awkward movements. Many of tho pJayers lacked something to do, there being a tendency towurds awkward standing about. All of the cast dropped'their characters at tiines, and one was given the impression that they did not tit themselves iqto tho story. "You must go beyond the part you are playing and tliink ahead of the story," Miss Gardner pokjted out, There was, perliaps, a iack of experienco, but tho periormance ? was un eli'ectivo one. B SECTION. L-IAWKE'S PAY 1.ITTLE THEATRE SOCIETY "The Babes in tbe Wood" (V. C. Cimtou-Baddeley).— Fairy Foxglove, Cyntliia Jefl'crd ; Eustice, E. E. Rivers; Geftrude, Murgaret Nutter; WickeU Uuole, J, Lo Conite; Filthy Fred, A. R. Caro; Cook-Eyed Liouel, Leuu Fuil. (J,roduced by Mr Lcoti Fail). Nothiug was overdono or buriesqued in this play, Miss Gardner remarked. 'L'he acting was clever, and ib was "a Gelicious periormance, " well rehearsed. The seuse oi tragedy was vvdl su&tained. Stugo ellccts and costuiniog were eti'ectivo. T'bo huinour of tlie situatious was "put over" to tbu audience without auy teiidency toWards exnggeratiun. lt was always diffieuit to do tbis, and to sense wbere tlie audieuce wouJd laugh. "1 have thoroughly eujoyed the whole festival," Miss Gardner concluded.