DRAMA FESTIVAL

Te Puke Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 54, 18 July 1939, Page 2

DRAMA FESTIVAL

PAENGAROA GAINS FIRST PLACE ' TAURANGA COMPETITION First place-in the sixth annual dramu festival of the Tauranga District Federation of Women’s Institutes was secured by the Paengaroa Institute on Wednesday, last at tlie festival at tire Tauranga Town Hall. Last year Paengaroa were beaten' by only one point. They presented the play .“’Op . o’ My Thumb” by Fenn and Royce, In announcing her decision, the judge, Mrs Prenton, of Hamilton, remarked that the Paengaroa play was ‘‘a joy from end to end. She considered that the producer, Mrs Grud 'ff, had acted wisely in altering a male part in the play. Mrs Grudnoff had shown a distinct knowledge of stagecraft. A noteworthy feature of all productions was the clarity of speech, and the high standard of acting was also commented on by the .adjudicator. Mrs Pren.m hoped that the institutes would' compete in other festivals. The Paengaroa cast were: Madame Jeanne Marie Napoleon de Galli i ,t J.hdier, Miss Agnes McDowell; Mrs Galloway, Miss Gwen Conway; Rose pOrdan, Miss Sylvia Spratt; Celeste, Miss Shelah Singleton; Amanda Affleck, Miss Ngaire Conway. . ■' This play offered particular scope for the' younger players of the 1 cast who all displayed good stage presences and used their voices to good effect. The story centred around the romance oi Amanda, an employee in a Soho laundry, who, through' lack of opportunities was forced to live in the realm of imagination. The gong which the winning team receives was presented to the presidyn of the Paengaroa. Institute by the Mayoress,; Mrs L. R. Wilkinson. The. rosebowl which goes each _ year. to the Institute which had not previously won at the festival, and which gains the highest marks, was given to the Mount, in recognition of their sportsmanship in putting on a play which obviously was not fully prepared. TaoVanga and Gate Pa were ineligible for the bowl, both being previous winners.