COMMUNITY DRAMA

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 42, 18 August 1939, Page 14

COMMUNITY DRAMA

FIFTH ANNUAL FESTIVAL

The annual drama festival for women's institutes in the Southern Wellington Federation was held recently. Opening at Manakau, when four plays were presented, the festival was continued on the second and third nights at Paekakariki. Mrs. J. Hume, president of the federation, in welcoming the teams, congratulated the members on the fact that thirteen of the fifteen institutes in the federation had each been able to present a play. Otaki produced three plays, and Plimmerton and Porirua had each staged two. She thanked all the institutes for their ,o-operation and loyalty, and expressed the hope that all the players would enjoy the session and profit by their study. Each evening the players were greeted by capacity audiences and great interest was evinced in the various presentations. Mrs. Victor Lloyd, who was adjudicator for the festival, said she was impressed by the talent which had been revealed, and by the quality of the costuming which generally was of a high order. She voiced her deep appreciation of the efforts the institutes were making to revive flesh-and-blood entertainments, and hoped they would continue their good work in this direction. Mrs. Lloyd said that in country halls there were numerous difficulties to be overcome by members in the matter of stage appointments, but owing to the resourcefulness "of the players such difficulties were surmounted, with the result that 'the whole festival was a model of organisation and smooth efficiency. The lucky winner of the coveted Manakau Silver Cup was Plimmerton with their play, ' "The Girl for the Hall," and Manakau was runner-up with the comedy "Scraps." After Mrs. Lloyd had given some Helpful criticism to the teams and had announced the winners, she was accorded an enthusiastic and popular ovation, also musical honours, and was presetted with a beautiful bouquet of spring flowers. All those members and their menfolk who had helped in any way to make the festival the success it undoubtedly ; - was were thanked by Mrs. Hume, and the playing members were entertained at supper and a dance by the Paekakariki Institute, thus ending a memorable occasion in the annals of the South Wellington Federation. The cast for "The Girl for the Hall," a comedy drama by Margery Nugent, was as follows:—Miss Rina Edginton (Flora King), Miss Eileen Casey (Win Picker ell), Miss Heather McDermid (Rose Carter), Miss May Bowsie (Lois Richmond), Miss Dorothy Lucus (Miss Piper), Miss Vella (Miss Austin), Mrs. Lagden (Miss Box), and Mrs. C. H. Tollan (Mrs. Marling). The following took part in "Scraps," a comedy by the Manakau Institute, Miss L. Shepherd (Albert Sewell), Mrs. Shanley ' (Mrs. Barker), Miss Whitta : (Grace), Miss Williams.'(Bessie), Miss Lister (Florrie), Miss Reitch (Beatrice), and Miss Cotter (Miss Wilson). The institutes which entered plays were Otaki, Porirua, Plimmerton, Paraparaumu, Paekakariki, Tawa Flat, Levin, Waitarere, and Manakau. The tarnish and rust that blemish brass and other metals, including curtain rails, can be removed by cleaning them with hot vinegar.