Editor:
Fifty years ago, four Elphinstone Secondary School teachers got together to establish an amateur theatre group. Eileen Glassford, Allan Crane, George Matthews and John Burnside named their group the Driftwood Players.
Many of the early members were fellow teachers. Meetings and rehearsals were often held in Eileen Glassford’s house at Cosy Corner in Lower Gibsons.
Without an appropriate theatre space in which to perform, they used school gyms, local halls and even the upper floor of the Elphinstone Museum as, over the next many years, they entertained audiences from Port Mellon to Madeira Park. The majority of the productions were comedies because it became obvious that comedies made more money and money was needed to cover the costs of royalties and hall/gym bookings. Actors quite often used their own clothes as costumes and provided the set pieces as well.
A number of the early plays were entered in zone competitions with repeated success.
Eileen, Allan and George have since passed on but, several months ago, John was able to see the Heritage Playhouse while here on a visit.
I’m sure it was satisfying for him to see a facility made possible by the cooperative work of both the Gibsons Landing Heritage Society and the Driftwood Players.
Let’s reflect on the idealism and passion of the Driftwood Players’ founders, and think how proud they would be to know that their dream lives on. Happy 50th birthday, Driftwood Players.
Colleen Elson, Gibsons
