The writing committee. (Ashton.) A project specially prepared by the Maori Club at Auckland Teachers' Training College. PRODUCING A PLAY This year for the first time the Maori Club at the Auckland Teachers' Training College has staged a play to be shown publicly in Auckland. Not only have they acted this play, they actually wrote it. They put on the stage the love affair of Ponga and Puhihuia, whose love affair three hundred years ago reunited the people of Maunga Whau with their cousins from the other side of the Manukau. As the college itself stands in the shadow of Maunga Whau (Mount Eden), it is an appropriate theme to have chosen, and the credit of the choice goes to Mr R. A. Dennant, an English lecturer, who suggested this story to the Maori Club. Five students from the Maori Club formed the writing committee. The original story was re-written to take place within twenty-four hours, half at Maunga Whau and half at Awhitu. Having roughed out a scenario on these lines, the committee began writing the actual dialogue. Here, first-hand experience of speech-making on the marae was useful, for the first few minutes of Act I are taken up by a debate which, while based upon genuine marae procedure, also tells the audience about the situation when the story opens. Two Elders plead for peace, and two for war, whilst the Ariki listens and the rest of Maunga Whau look on. The Elders are able to explain in their argument about the expected visit of a peace party from Awhitu, led by Ponga. Into the midst of their debate comes a messenger to say that Ponga will arrive at any moment. The Ariki decides for peace, and when the visitors arrive both sides dance a haka of welcome and greetings. The first act of the play went ahead quickly—after the debate, and the visitors' arrival and welcome, Ponga sits alone with his slave, and the slave (who sees that his master has fallen in love with Puhihuia) suggests a plan by which Ponga can speak to the girl alone. The final scene of the first act shows the plan car-