ONE-ACT PLAYS PRESENTED

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22796, 23 August 1939, Page 3

ONE-ACT PLAYS PRESENTED

GREAT SUCCESS FOR DRAMA GROUP

WORKERS’ EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION Far greater success than could have been anticipated attended the first production of plays by the Drama Group of the Workers’ Educational Association in Christchurch last evening. The Little Theatre at Canterbury University College .proved too little for the number of people who wanted to see the plays, and so many were turned away that a second performance wiu be necessary. . . , The group have in the past read plays, but last night was the £rst time that the members have produced plays completely. Six plays of one scene each were presented, and if three or them had been done on one night and three on another, the cipngestion would have been avoided. As it is, all with be acted again and a welcome opportunity to see them once more will certainly be taken by many. The evening’s entertainment was a credit to the producer of all the plays, Mrs J. P. O’Sullivan, and to the amateurs who showed such enthusiasm for the work. The players the parts and showed keen understanding of the aims of the authors. Settings were not meagre, but there was no evidence that a disproportionate amount of effort had been spent on them. The many spectators, who did not pay for admission, were surprised and delighted at the excellent and varied programme of entertainment. Next year, it is hoped, the group -will extend its activity and a fliree-act play will be produced, which is considered a step up from the one-scene works. A bigger theatre will be needed. In Noel- Coward’s "I’ll Leave It To You,” Mrs Owen Jones and Mr Garnet Campbell had the pick of the lines, which they justified, and in “The Old Bdll,” by Bernard Gilbert, Messrs E. W. Maine and T. McGregor were the leading players. "Footprints,” by Methey, had an 18th century setting and a cast of women. Misses E. Lindsay, S. Sanders, and M. White were the most important. “The Price of Coal,” by Harold Brighouse, was set in the living room of a Lancashire colHer. and had only four payers. No leading parts could be picked from the five actors in “Little Glass House,” by Philip Johnson, set in 1810, but in the modern comedy by Arthur Pinero, “Playgoers,” there were eight casted. Frank Capstick and Mrs M. Ballantyne had the leading parts. Other players in the casts were Mesdames Honiwell, A. J. Jack, R. O’Brien, M. Cook, C. Winter, V. A. Gale, L. Nielsen. Willyams, R. E. Cooke, C. Clark, P. Heath, Misses Winnie Fail, Flewellyn, W. Mason, P. Tierney, M. Dearsley, and Estelle Cook, Messrs Tom McGregor, W. Booth, and W. Hobbs.