Bruce Mason, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Bruce Mason

New Zealand playwright

Date of Birth: 28-Sep-1921

Place of Birth: Wellington, Wellington Region, New Zealand

Date of Death: 31-Dec-1982

Profession: playwright

Nationality: New Zealand

Zodiac Sign: Libra

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 awarded the prestigious CBE. 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.
The Pohutukawa Tree was Mason's first major success and explored Maori and Pakeha 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.
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 Maori culture post European contact.