Bruce Mason

Bruce Edward George Mason CBE (28 September 1921 – 31 December 1982) was a significant playwright in New Zealand who wrote 34 plays and influenced the cultural landscape of the country through his contribution to theatre. In 1980, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.^[1] The Bruce Mason Playwriting Award, one of the most important playwrighting accolades in New Zealand, is named in his honour.^[2] Mason was also an actor, critic, and fiction writer.^[3]

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.