The President's Address
In 1968 a small community hall in Wayside Avenue was demolished to make room for new housing and the Wayside Players (a small group of dIrama enthusiasts) lost their venue. Their enthusiasm lived on.
In September 1969 a meeting was held in the library at Woodlands School under the auspices of the Parent Teachers Association and the Woodlands Drama Group was born. There were about 15 of us: teachers, parents and a few friends who managed to infiltrate !
Our first play, "Isolation at Eyam", was an all womens play with nine acting parts. We had just nine willing ladies, almost half of whom had never acted before. Undaunted, we entered it in the Nidderdale Festival where we surprised ourself by winning two awards. Facilities were limited at the school but we built flats, hired lighting and collected furniture and props, which we stored beneath a floor i n the hall, a large, dark and sometimes damp area. One had to be tough to be a member of Woodlands Dram Group in those days!
We also began to attract a following and often our audiences filled the hall for the 3 nights of every play. We were soon able to give
a little
financial contribution to the school through the PTA.
We certainly had our share of drama, although not always on stage ! It was in November 1977 (the time of electricity cuts) and the
first night
of "When We Are Married". Shortly before the curtain went up, there was a total blackout. Panic stations ! The play went
on with a row of
candles in jars and a few oil lamps! What would health and safety think of that today ? The following night we
borrowed a genrator to light the
stage but it made so much noise the actors had to shout to be heard.
In 1998, our association with the school became rather difficult. The hall was not always available for rehearsals and productions: perhaps our ambitions were outgrowing our facilities. We finally decided, not without some misgivings, to put our plays on at the Studio at Harrogate Theatre. Our time at Woodlands School was for the most part a happy one.
As a group, we have always supported Harrogate Theatre. We took part, with other amateur groups, in the very successful fund raising event, "Curtain Up" in 1997. This raised money to replace front of house curtains in the theatre. We have also entered the one-act festivals, which at one time were staged at the theatre. Since 1998, we have continued to produce two plays each year, in June and October in the Studio. We have enjoyed technical facilities and are grateful for the proffesional help we have received from time to time.
Naturally, over 37 years, our membership has been consistently changing, but we are fortunate still to have in the group a few long serving members and over the years we have been happy to welcome many new and valuable members.
Woodlands Drama Group has always aspired to encourage a grwoing interest in amateur dramatics and we shall continue to work to raise our standards and meet new challenges with confidence.