COMMUNITY DRAMA

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21126, 27 August 1938, Page 20

COMMUNITY DRAMA

TWELFTH ANNUAL FESTIVAL SIXTEEN PLAYS ENTERED At the twelfth annual festival of community drama, organised by the South Canterbury Drama League, to be held in the Theatre Royal on September 6,7, 8 and 9, sixteen oneact plays will be presented. This year the festival will be more representative of the whole of the community drama movement in South Canterbury than in any previous year. The country districts, in which drama is becoming more and more popular, will be strongly represented, with attractive plays, while the leading drama groups in Timaru will be represented in the presentation of some really interesting work. The festival which will extend over four nights, will be judged by Mr A. F. Goodwin, of the School of Art and Drama in Auckland. The Drama League is extremely fortunate in securing the assistance of Mr Goodwin, who is not only an experienced producer, as w’ell as a very versatile player, but is also a highly-credited instructor in drama as well as an experienced judge, having officiated at various area festivals as well as in North Island elimination contests and at the national final. It is anticipated that Mr Goodwin will contribute greatly to the success of this year’s festival, because of the well-informed and sympathetic comment he is capable of giving on the work of the players and the general presentation of the plays themselves. The sixteen one-act plays to be presented during the festival represent a wide range of dramatic treatment from comedy to tragedy, and in the hands of the players, assisted by a most efficient “behind the scenes” staff, the presentation of the festival this year should reach a high standard indeed. The South Canterbury Drama League, in the hope of popularising the presentation of community drama, has decided to charge popular prices of admission, with special concessions to the schools. Season tickets (reserved) will be available at a moderate charge, and the plan for these will open at Beggs on Wednesday next.