AMATEUR DRAMA

Taranaki Daily News, 1 May 1937, Page 5

AMATEUR DRAMA

(By "Haromi.")

START OF THE SEASON ALL GROUPS REVEAL KEENNESS. MR. LATHAM APPOINTED JUDGE.

The summer recess period, when amateur drama groups and clubs lie more or less dormant, giving way to the more seasonable out-of-door pastimes, seems to have extended longer than usual this year, and this will probably prove detrimental to drama festival entries, festivals being this year put forward by several weeks. However, all enthusiasts are keenly mapping out lists of activities and feverishly searching for "the" play on which to work for festival production. Hawera Activity. The committee of the South Taranaki area of the British. Drama League had a difficult task before it to select and arrange for a suitable festival ijudge at this late hour, but players, producers and public alike will be pleased with the newly annotmced appointment and acreptance of Mr. Paul Latham, Wanganui. Mr. Latham has had wide experience and is considered one of the Dominion's most competent advisers on stagecraft and theatre technique. In the North Island elimination and the Dominion final festivals in 1935 Mr. Latham was one of the judges, atid since then he has judged in Hawkes Bay, Wanganui, and various festivals. These many appointments give added impressions and comparisons which assist considerably in any constructive criticisms given - by him, upon which competitors rely to improve their productions. The news of Miss Elizabeth Blake's unexpected visit to England and the cancellation of ,her appointment for the southern festival were received with certain dismay, and the southern committee was fortunate'in securing a judge of Mr. Latham's calibre so late in the season. W.E.A.'s Consistent Work. During; the past thriee weeks the 20 oi 30 members in the W.EA. group have been working in their usual qiiiet and consistent manner. The first play prepared and read in this period was John Galsworthy's much discussed and well known work "Escape," those takmg part beihg Mesdames ,J. C. Robb, Harris, Shakespear, W. Oliver, J. W. Harding, Misses Tomlin, M. Quin, D. Sheat, J. McCall, B. Entwistle, B. Earl, O. Harding, and Mr. A. E. Morris. The following week G. B. Shaw*s three-act play, "Candida," was the choice, and Mesdames G. Villars, W. G. Simpson, Misses" B. Earl, B. Entwistle,' O. Harding and Messrs. A. E. Morris and L. Toy took part. On Tuesday night three one-act plays were chosen, with a view to consideration for a festival choice. "The Long Xmas Dinner," -'a; splepdid work by Thornton Wilder, was presented by Mesdames Harris, W. Oliver, G. H. Percy, Misses D. Sheat, G. Robb, Tomlin, Morrison and Messrs.VC. Sage, L. Toy arid A. E. Morris. "Back to Adam," a niodern comedy by Harold Brighouse, which was recently presented by the repertory, was read by Mesdames Oliver, Percy, Misses T. Ingram, G. Robb, Tomlin, D. Sheat, B. Entwistle and Messrs. W. Oliver,' Morris and L. Toy. The third play was a tragi-drama, also well known to central and southern audiences, "The House With the Twisty Windows," by Mary Pakington. Mrs. Harris, Misses Olga Harding, B. Entwistle and Messrs. C. Sage, L. Toy, A. E. Morris and W. Oliver took. part. The group is at present reading many works and trying to decide entriesjj for next month. One entry is oertain, with a probability of two. Hawera Repertory. The Hawera Repertory Club is steadily growing in numbers, all members showing, if possible, greater co-operation and enthusiasm than last year. At the annual meeting recently those newly elected brought the membership to 53. The first entries filed for the southern area festival have been received from the club, and there will almost certainly be a fourth. Producers have not yet been decided in every case, but certain entries will he H. Brighouse 's comedy "Back to Adam," "Ladies .in Waiting," by Wendy St. John Maule, and "Twentieth Century Lullaby." On Tuesday the repertory players will present in their rooms Stephen Phillips' Renaissance tragedy, "Paolo and Francesca." Mr. G. Chuck will direct, and the principal characters will be taken by Miss Nancy Kent, Mr. M. J. Burns and Mr. J. C. Thomson. South Taranaki. The last open evening . held • by the B.D.L. was a success, three one-act plays being staged by various groups. "Eden End," one of G. B. Priestley's best plays, will be presented next Saturday for the May evening, the cast being selected from the various affiliated groups. News of Other Groups. The Hawera Junior Plays, winners of last year's .junior section at the festival, are hard at work "selecting." One certain entry will come from them, and possibly they will manage two. The Women's Club drama circle has one festival entry in view, but the final decision has yet to be made. Contributions to Column. During the drama season "Haromi" would welcome from secretaries of country and town groups throughout Taranaki reports of plays presented, practise readings and general progress, suitable for inclusion in the- amateur drama column. Reports may be addressed to "Haronu," Daily News, Hawera.