"THE POHUTUKAWA TREE"

New Zealand Listener, Volume 37, Issue 944, 13 September 1957, Page 30

"THE POHUTUKAWA TREE"

N a bitterly cold Sunday evening recently drama enthusiasts turned out in Wellington to see Bruce Mason's The Pohutukawa Tree, presented by the New Zealand Players Theatre Trust in their "Workshop Theatre." They crammed the Players’ studio, filling _- available seat, some sitting practically in the rafters and others round hidden corners, to enjoy and applaud a fine play. To explain "Workshop Theatre," I quote from the programme: "Workshop Theatre’ aims to present original New Zealand plays in try-out productions, In this way the author can assess his work before an audience, and the management judge its appeal. It also creates opportunities for actors to work with experiented producers. There is no attempt at décor beyond the bare essetitials for the actors. « « : ; The Pohutukawa Tree, which Richard Campion produced with Bruce Mason, deals mainly with racial conflict in New Zealand; to be exact, in and around Te Parenga, a beach settlement on the Hauraki Gulf within sight of Rangitoto. : e’ve had this sort of thifig before -in Broken Barrier-and with a similat cast; the fine old Maori lady, the attractive young Maori girl, the shiftless pakeha youth and the contrasts with the European family. But whereas in Broken Barrier the characters (for mé) were hazy, in The Pohutukawa Ttee they were clearly written and played with verve and feeling, particularly by Hira Tauwhare it the demanding role of Mrs Aroha Mataira. Few have the gift to capture, as ‘Mr Mason has done, the thoughts and

feelings and stubborn pride of the an old Maori woman of high birth-the type of Maori who, in not so many years to come, will have disappeared altogether. In the play, this woman of noble descent and isolated from het race is determined to live out her days with her son and daughter on the land once owned by her péople, after the ‘rest of hér tribe have left to make their homes elsewhere. Mrs Mataira and her children aré reduced to working for the well-to-do Atkinsons, present owners of much Maofi land, The play deals with her relatioriship with the Atkinsons, her deep Christian

faith, her despair at the downfall of the children and her rejection of them, and finelly, after turning from her. réligion, her decision to die. Its success depended almost entirely upon a convincing portrayal of this exacting role, and Miss Tauwhare’s interpretation left little to be desired. Her voice was strong and beautifully controlled, though she did not use the Maori intonation except in her singing of the fertility song. As Queenie, the wayward 16-year-old daughter who brings shame to her family, young Mary Nimmo acted with ease, in spite of much jerky dialogue in the first act. Her graceless boy friend Roy McDowell was not handled comfortably by Paul Skinner. Ronald Lynn in the part of the Reverend Mr Sedgwick, the new friend of Mrs Mataira, was capable without being impressive. The words were thete for him, but at times they remained just _ words. He was given the opportunity to make just a little more of the Reverend Mr Sedgwick. Maia Sullivan did well in the part of Mrs Mataira’s 18-year-old son Johnny, who dreams of Robiti Hood, reads Robin Hood comics, and in the second et gets drunk, smashes a window of a theatre and leaves behind a note signed "Robin Hood." I was not entirely happy with this character. We jare told in the play that Johnny is immature-that he should grow up, but not that he is simple-minded. Yet the Johnny we Were given was almost a simpleton, The remainder of the cast helped maintain a high standard of acting. ‘The Pohutukawa Tree handles its racial issues well, notably in the scene where Queenie is offered cast-off clothing by the Atkinsons, and also where Roy refuses to marry Queénie because of her colour, in spite of her condition, But there were moments when a more delicate touch was neédéd, particularly when this theme was introduced through Johnny’s dialogue. The wedding scene (the marriage of Sylvia Atkinson) provided an effective touch of comedy. But in the more ‘dramatic moments of the play there were some embarrassingly long pauses which, if intended to be poignant, didn't come off. Indeed, the audience was left wondering if the actors had forgotten their lines. And I thought the last act a little slow. In spite of minor weaknesses, Mr Mason has written an interesting play which may be a real contribution to New Zéaland theatre. A wider audience

should be allowed to judge.

S.

C.