REPERTORY PLAYERS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 77, 14 March 1935, Page 10

REPERTORY PLAYERS

Progress nf Napier Society REPORT ON LAST SEASON “J he Napier Repertory Players, from a beginning promoted by a mere handful ot enthusiasts in IU3-3, has marched steadily forward and with studied precision to a point oi becoming one ot the most financial and substantial societies ot its kind in the Dominion,” comments the annual report of the Players, which will be presented at the annual meeting on Wednesday, .March 20. •'The season just past, the second which the society has enjoyed, has shown a marked improvement on the ; previous year and has been a most successiul period, oi which all members niav well be proud,’’ says the report. “It will be reassuring to members to know that the cash balance at the bank as at February 28 last amounts to £7fj 17/6, and that the finances ot the society are steadilj increasing ‘•-Membership; The 1934 season has shown a large increase in the membership ot the society. Of the total ot 265 members, 76 are acting and reading members. ‘‘Periormances: Each year the society sets itself to produce and perforin two lull-length plays and those chosen this year were ‘London Wall', by John van Druteii, and ‘I he First Airs Eraser', by St. John Ervine, the former m July and the latter in j November. Each play attracted excellent and enthusiastic audiences, and the splendid acting ability ot the performers, together with the mastei- ! ly handling of the production by Miss May .Macdonald, combined to make j two excellent entertainments. “‘Gaining strong popularity are the one-act play evenings, three' of which were held during 1934. ’J he first ol these evenings was held in July, when there were played ‘The Spinsters oi Luslie', ‘On Dartmoor’, and ‘All The Cobbler'. In August it was decided to hold a second of such entertain nieiits, but. as the Girls’ High School Assembly Hall had been too crowded on the previous occasion it was found necessary to take the upstairs hall oi Foresters'. The following plays, ‘.Miss Letty s I.apse', ‘Elizabeth Refuses’, ‘AU tlie World’s a Links’, and ‘Line in an Apehouse’, were very much appreciated by a capacity bouse. •’it is worthy oi note that the first named ot these plays was a locally written one, .Mrs H. Al. Costello, one ot our members, having been the author, a tact ot which we should all be proud. It might here be mentioned that tins society wishes to encourage locally-written plays, and members who have a flair tor this type oi work should subnut their compositions to the committee that they may arrange to have the plays performed. ‘‘in October the fluid and last oneact play evening was held, and as one of our plays, ‘Ali the Cobbler,’ had, at the request of the Hawke’s Bay Little Theatre Society, been shown at Hastings on one ot their one-act evenings, a team from that society was invited to play at our function. Our two plays were ‘.Mother of Judas’, and ‘Road ot Poplars’, while the Hastings people chose ‘ I be Actress’. ‘‘During the year 27 new plaxprs made their debut before the footlights, either in one-act plays or in the public performances, and, as 30 others had previously made their bows during the 1933 season, it wilt he seen that the easting committee has endeavoured to give as many young players as possible the chance they desire. ‘‘Drama League Festival: 'The society again entered two teams for tho festival at Hastings held in September, and this year both teams were successful, ‘Road ot Poplars’, gaining first place and ‘.Mother of Judas’, second place, in a field ot nine teams. Oi the winner, the judge, Aliss Kiore King, asserted that it was the finest one-act performance she had ever seen, which is all the more praiseworthy because ot the fact that siie lias witnessed plays not only all through New Zealand but also in the .Mother Country. Our team was then entitled to compete in the second North Island semi-final at Hastings on October 2, but it was thought it might have to default owing to the tact that Air Halo Spencer, one of the principal performers, was taken ill and admitted to the hospital immediately following the first performance. However, a substitute was found in .Mr R. Kennedy, and our team again won, thereby being entitled to travel to Tiniaru for the New Zealand finals. . There it was placed second to Auckland in a very close finish from a field of the five best teams in New Zealand, and so gave to our society splendid publicity throughout the Dominion. Aluch ot the success of our play must go to the producer, Aliss .Macdonald, whose untiring energy was largely instrumental in the goal attained. •‘One-Act Plays; ’lhe society wishes to encourage members to produce oneact plays tor periormances at the one* act play evenings during the coming season, and any members desirous oi taking advantage ot the opportunity should submit to the hon. secretary as early as possible the play chosen and the east proposed, and so allow the committee to decide it, and when, the play may be produced.’'