Bruce Mason
Bruce Mason CBE | |
---|---|
Born | Wellington, New Zealand | 28 September 1921
Died | 31 December 1982 Wellington, New Zealand | (aged 61)
Occupation | Playwright, actor, critic, fiction writer |
Spouse |
Diana Manby Shaw (m. 1945) |
![Words in concrete set into the footpath](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Bruce_Mason_Wellington_Writers_Walk.jpg/220px-Bruce_Mason_Wellington_Writers_Walk.jpg)
Bruce Edward George Mason
Mason's most well known play is The End of the Golden Weather, a classic work in New Zealand theatre, which he performed solo more than 500 times in many New Zealand towns.[4] It was made into a feature film directed by Ian Mune in 1991. Another significant play is The Pohutukawa Tree written during the 1950s and 1960s. The Pohutukawa Tree was Mason's first major success and explored Māori and Pākehā themes, a common thread in most of his works. Theatre was an avenue for Mason to highlight social and political issues in New Zealand society.[1] He translated Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard for radio in 1960. His works of solo theatre was collected under the title Bruce Mason Solo (1981) and included The End of the Golden Weather. Published in 1987 was The Healing Arch, a cycle of five plays, including The Pohutukawa Tree and Hongi, which focus on Māori culture post European contact.
Background
Mason was born in
Honours and awards
In 1977, Mason was awarded an honorary
Personal life
Mason met his wife Diana while studying at Victoria University College in 1939. A noted obstetrician specialising in women's health, she shared his interest in the arts. They had three children, Belinda, Julian and Rebecca.
Death
Bruce Mason died in 1982 from cancer. His wife Diana Mason died in June 2007, nearly 25 years after her husband's death.
Legacy
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/MARFORPAC_Band_performance_at_the_Bruce_Mason_Centre%2C_Takapuna%2C_18_June_2012.jpg/220px-MARFORPAC_Band_performance_at_the_Bruce_Mason_Centre%2C_Takapuna%2C_18_June_2012.jpg)
Mason's plays are studied at schools and universities. The Bruce Mason Centre, a major arts and theatre venue in Auckland is also named after him. The centre was opened in 1996 and contains a 1164-seat auditorium. The Promenade Cafe displays Bruce Mason memorabilia, including his original desk and typewriter.[7]
In 2009, The Pohutukawa Tree was staged by Auckland Theatre Company, directed by Colin McColl and starring Rena Owen and Stuart Devenie.
The
Plays
- The Evening Paper 1953
- The Bonds of Love 1953
- The Licensed Victualler 1954
- The Verdict 1955
- A Case in Point 1957
- Birds in the Wilderness 1958
- The End of the Golden Weather (first performed in 1959)
- The Pohutukawa Tree 1960, revised 1963 (first performed at a theatre workshop in 1957)
- The Light Enlarging 1963
- We Don't Want Your Sort Here 1963
- To Russia with Love 1965
- The Waters of Silence 1965
- The Hand on the Rail 1967
- Swan Song 1967
- Hongi 1968, published 1974
- Awatea 1969
- Zero Inn 1970
- Not Christmas, but Guy Fawkes 1976
- Courting Blackbird 1976
- Blood of the Lamb 1981
- Daphne and Chloe 1982 (televised 1983)
- Do Not Go Gentle 1982 (televised 1983)
- The Garlick Thrust 1982 (televised 1983)
- Rise and Shine 1982
Further reading
Mason, Bruce (1973). New Zealand drama: a parade of forms and a history. Wellington: Price Milburn.
Mason, Bruce (1980). Beginnings. (Ed, Robin Dudding). Wellington, pp. 70-77.
Mason, Bruce (1986). Every kind of weather. (Ed. David Dowling). Wellington: Reed Methuen.
Dowling, David (1981). "Bruce Mason". Landfall, no. 138, pp. 162-167.
Dowling, David (1982). Introducing Bruce Mason. Auckland.
McNaughton, Howard (1973). "The plays of Bruce Mason". Landfall no. 106, pp. 102-138.
McNaughton, Howard (1976). Bruce Mason: New Zealand writers and their work. Wellington.
Smythe, John (2016). The Plays of Bruce Mason: A survey. Wellington: Playmarket-Victoria University Press.
References
- ^ a b c d "Bruce Mason, from The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature edited by Roger Robinson and Nelson Wattie (1998)". New Zealand Book Council. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
- ^ "Bruce Mason Award". Playmarket, New Zealand Playwrights' Agency. Archived from the original on 2 December 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
- ^ Dictionary of New Zealand Biography – Mason, Bruce Edward George
- ^ The End of the Golden Weather: A Voyage into a New Zealand Childhood by Bruce Mason, New Zealand University Press and Price Milburn, 1962, p8
- ^ "Honorary graduates and Hunter fellowships". Victoria University of Wellington. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- ^ "No. 48043". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 31 December 1979. p. 26.
- ^ Bruce Mason Centre Archived 1 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Edmond, Murray (22 October 2014). "Bruce Mason Playwriting Award". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 14 June 2015. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
- ^ "Ahilan Karunaharan wins the 2018 Bruce Mason Playwriting Award". The Big Idea. 26 November 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2020.