Bruce Mason

Education

Victoria University of Wellington.

Career

In 1980, he was awarded the prestigious Commander of the Order of the British Empire. The Bruce Mason Award, one of the most important playwrighting accolades in New Zealand, is named in his honour. Mason was also an actor, critic, and fiction writer Mason"s most well known play is The End of the Golden Weather, a classic work in New Zealand theatre which 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.

Theatre was an avenue for Mason to highlight social and political issues in New Zealand society. He translated Chekhov"s The Cherry Orchard for radio in 1960.

Published in 1987 was The Healing Architecture, a cycle of five plays, including The Pohutukawa Tree and Hongi which focus on Māori culture post European contact. Mason was born in Wellington, the country"s capital.

At the age of 5, his family moved to Takapuna.

He attended Victoria University College where he took part in drama. In 1945, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts He served in the New Zealand Army (1941–1943) and the Naval Volunteer Reserve (1943–1945). He later worked for the New Zealand Forest Service (1951–1957).

He edited the Māori news magazine Te Ao Hou (1960–1961), a culturally significant publication.

In 1977, he was awarded an honorary degree by Victoria University. He was also a theatre critic for the capital"s newspapers from the 1950s to the 1980s.

Bruce Mason died in 1982 from cancer. 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. In 2009, The Pohutukawa Tree was staged by Auckland Theatre Company, directed by Colin McColl and starring Rena Owen and Stuart Devenie.

Achievements

• He was a co-founder of Downstage Theatre, New Zealand"s first professional theatre in 1964 and wrote a weekly column Music on the Air for the New Zealand Listener from 1964 to 1969.

Works

More photos

• book

  • The end of the golden weather;: A voyage into a New Zealand childhood (Studies in New Zealand literature)

    (Series; Studies in New Zealand literature. Edition; 2nd r...)

  • The end of the golden weather : a voyage into a New Zealand childhood.
  • End Of The Golden Weather - A Voyage Into A New Zealand Childhood