DRAMA FESTIVAL CONCLUDED

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21577, 13 September 1935, Page 7

DRAMA FESTIVAL CONCLUDED

1 n » ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL NIGHT Four successful one-act plays concluded last evening the annual area drama festival of the Christchurch and North.Canterbury branch of the British Prama League, which began at the Jellicoe Hall on Wednesday night. No Jess than on the first night, the choice of plays was excellent The most outstanding performance of the festival Vfas seen Jn the part of Anna the play "The flight of j the Herons," stage 4 by the Canterbury I Repertory. Society. The iuefee was Miss Helen" Gard'ner, of Wellington. The groups, ja; order of competition, were:—The Catholic Drama Society, the St Jobn'e Drama Society, the Canterbury Repertory Theatre Society, and tne St., Andrew's Drama Society. "Barren/* by Constance PowellAnderson, is a tragic play of the de- ! nands of- arid soil upon, those whose living depe.nds upon it. It is ah Irish scene and has been played successfully before by the Catholic.Drama Society. The judge commended the players for food character studies and convincing ialogue. The casting had been a little unsatisfactory. . "The Stepmother," by Arnold Ben* nett, is a genial cut of life and was carried by its'own humour. More than in dramatic situation, its possibilities lay in its cleverly interlaced relationships of a group of people. Miss Gard'ner said that the players had made the fullest use of the stage of any group. The casting had been even ana discrimination: in handling the humour had been shown. The next piece, Flight of the Herons," by Maretta Kehhard, was artistically perfect It found.a certain beauty in the starkness of plot and surrounds. A prison setting and the euggeution of an imminent execution communicated the spirit of Russia m 1913, and the restraint of the acting gave the jieeessary tense feeling. Miss Gard'ner classed this as the finest performance of the festival. Its dramatic Intensity and its foreign effect made it most convincing. A play by: A. A. Milne, "Wur?el the evening. ;in situation this was extremely" original.

The queer condition attached to a legacy caused a domestic uneasiness and gave room for some whimsical philosophy upon legacies and money in general. Miss Gard'ner congratulated the group on choosing a play which actually played itself. It had been well done, although; it had tended to drag towards the end. . " ' Final Placiiigs The first three placings were:— Canterbury Repertory Theatre Society • .. ..1 Canterbury University. Col- - lege, group 1 .. .. 2 St. John's Drama Society .. 3 ■ Miss Gard'ner explained that she had not given ether placings, as she desired more time to consider ber criticisms and to weigh up the deciding points. This was necessary as there was so little between the groups. J A vote of thanks to M&ss Gard'ner j was proposed by Professor J. Shelley.