MTNZ Members Section
Society Member:
Fiordland Players
Contact Details:
Booking Agent:
Coming Up At Fiordland
Players:
Executive
Committee:
Chairperson - Kathy Gray
Secretary/Treasurer - Noeline Adam
About Fiordland Players …… Fiordland Players started life in Te Anau in 1960 as the “Te Anau Drama Club”. Within a year, as several members came from Manapouri, the name was changed to Fiordland Drama Club. Productions were staged in the Te Anau Hall which came from the Lower Hollyford in 1948. There it had been the recreational venue for the men during the Milford Road construction in the 1930’s, it’s miniscule stage was approx. 10 x 12 feet. In 1969 Te Anau opened a new hall with a “big” stage of approximately 18 by 6 metres which allow performance of larger musical shows as well as plays, the group was again re-named, “Fiordland Players Incorporated’. Over the years, usually a small group of members, have worked hard and built up an amazing number of assets. Our lights range from moving spots through 1000’s, 650’s, 500’s and floods. Plus a control panel and transformer, which we are hoping to upgrade soon. We now have our own home proudly named “The Shed”, which boasts a rehearsal area that equals the on stage measurements of the local public hall, plus room for the cast to sit when not required for rehearsal, and a construction area twice the size of the rehearsal area. Our wardrobe, although measuring 6 x 18 metres on two levels, struggles to contain our extensive range of costumes and props. There is also a small kitchen and meeting room. Our productions are usually staged for three days Thursday – Saturday, sometime between June to September This is due to the seasonal nature of our town reducing cast availability to late April to September. The seasons are getting longer making it even harder to time productions. Over the years productions have covered most classes of theatre from One act to Full length plays, Theatre Restaurants and Musicals. We set a very high standard and are very proud of our achievements. Farce or toe tapping musicals, have been made almost mandatory by our “Te Anau Entertainment Only Thank You” audiences. A connoisseur of farce is the main stalwart of our group Kathlyn Gillgan. Until this year (2007) she had been on committee every year since the inception of our group, and with the exception of the year her daughter was born involved in every production in some way and is directing a One Act Play this year. She has held every conceivable executive and production position and has directed the majority of our productions in the last 25 years. She has memory of many members who made significant contributions over these 44 years. Another current member who has been active for well over 10 years is Margo Shaw, who runs our wardrobe department, her willingness to run a hire service from the wardrobe brings in a significant amount to our finances each year. Kathy and Margo are Honorary Life Members. Like most other amateur and volunteer groups we struggle for members (especially men) and like other groups we keep on keeping on. Two years ago the Te Anau Hall that was opened in 1969 is had a major upgrade, which included almost doubling the stage size. We finally have a back stage area for props and sets. Who knows what we can achieve with the extra room. Our geographic position limits the numbers of out of town people who attend our shows but we are always well supported by our rural community. Our town has grown amazingly in the last few years and we are always hopeful of more talented people turning up. We look forward to an exciting future.
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