DRAMA FESTIVAL AT BALCLUTHA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22268, 22 May 1934, Page 15

DRAMA FESTIVAL AT BALCLUTHA

Success was the keynote of the first drama festival held in South Otago. Eleven teams presented plays, limited to thirty minutes, and the Federation of Women's Institutes, which arranged the festival, can be proud of the result of what was a risky, if courageous, experiment. The weather could hardly have been worse. For three nights—Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday—carloads of players from outlying villages struggled through mud, flood, and snow to reach the contestsome teams came over 40 miles. It was evident that the players thoroughly enjoyed their work. The judge, Madame Winnie Frasor, in her remarks at the end of each evening, was very encouraging to the players, and after the finals gave many helpful hints to anxious producers and nervous performers.

The first prize, silver cup, went to Warcpa for "The Old Lady Shows Her Medals" (J. M. Barrie); second, another cup, to Benhar, "Wanted, a Housekeeper"; third, Tuapeka Mouth, "The Conspiracy"; very highly commended, Benhar. "The Touchstone," and Stirling, "The Specialist." Special prizes for best female performer went to Miss A. Ross as the " Old Lady" of the Hist prize play: for best lriale performer to Mr Duncan Brown, as Raggett in " The Conspiracy" (Tuapeka Mouth), and Madame Winnie Fraser gave a special prize to Master Roy Park (Pukekoma) for his work as Charlie in "A Village Jumble." Very good work was also done by Mr R. M'Kerrow as the soldier in "The Old Lady Shows her Medals," and by Mrs Gregory (Benhar) as Miss Tanquery in " Wanted, a Housekeeper." Other teams entered were Stirling, "The Cure that Failed"; Clinton, "Aunt Lizzie's Friend"; Benhar. "The Touchstone"; Pukckoma, "A Village Jumble"; Waitahuna, "The Indicator"; Kuriwao, " The Bargain " and " The Scarecrow."

Only members of Women's Institutes, their husbands, sons, or children could take part. This added to the producers' difficulties, and women sometimes had to play men's parts. One small boy cheerfully announced his impending marriage to a tall damsel and even embraced her fondly, oblivious of the audience's laughter. The players threw themselves into their parts, the prompter was rarely heard, no one 'dried up" from stage fright, and the effective settings helped considerably. Curtains, tables, and chairs were provided. Everything else had tq be brought. In the winning play the old Scotswomen's kitchen with its little treasures, the picture of Queen Victoria cut out of a paper, the worn crochet antimacassar, were splendid, while the effects in " The Specialist," where the patient suddenly sprouts to the ceiling after being given some pills, and subsequently expands alarmingly under the antidote, were well managed. Marks were allocated according to the scale of the British Drama League. Five minutes were allowed to set the stage and five minutes to change it. There had to be at least three speaking parts, and no person might perform in more than one play. The first prize team (Warepa) and the second team (Benhar) have been entered for the Dunedin Drama Festival.

That there is a real revival of interest in plays was proved by the number .of teams actually playing (eleven), and the crowded ball, there being many who had

to stand on the final night. Mrs Ayson, president of the Otago Federation of Women's Institutes, thanked the judge, Madame Winnie Fraser, for her \\;ork and for the kindly and helpful interest she had taken in the contest. Madame Winnie, who each night spoke charmingly on various topics, delighted the audience by telling entertaining stories of her own

professional experiences, after which she announced that she would like to meet the performers, who thereupon crowded round, receiving many helpful hints, for which they were grateful. Altogether, it was .a very satisfactory experiment which save great pleasure to' many people and has opened up a new avenue of interest in many rather dull lives.