Playwrights Advisory Board

Playwrights Advisory Board was founded in 1938 by Leslie Rees, Rex Rienits and Doris Fitton, with the object of fostering Australian theatre. 

It negotiated productions with both professional and amateur theatres, acted as an intermediary in the nomination and collection of royalties, and advised both theatres and playwrights on scripts. Rees was chairman of the Board. It was instrumental in securing publication of Australian plays. 

In 1955 its play competition was won by Summer of the Seventeenth Doll by Ray Lawler, and The Torrents by Oriel Gray.

After 1963 the Board ceased operations, its functions having been taken over by various commercial agencies and by the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust.

Ausstage listing here 

 Nov 1938 - formed in Sydney - see here - Leslie Rees chairman, Rex Rienits vice chairman, Doris Fitton honorary chairman, Betty Ward honorary treasurer

April 1939 piece here - read 25 plays - they liked Red Sky at Morning by Dymphna Cusack and Touch of Silk by Betty Roland so asked those writers to contribute. Getting queries for Wives Have Their uses by Gwen Meredith see here

Lesley Rees article July 1939 here - talks about putting on Red Sky at Morning by Cusack, Daybreak by Catherine Shepherd, Wives Have Their Uses by Gwen Meredith ("first Australian attempt at comedy of manners", Seapiece by Catherine Duncan

Aug 1939 - organised performances of several plays see here including Leading Lady by Sydney Tomholt, Morning by Betty Roland, Shallow Cups by Dymphna Cusack, The Woman Tamer by Louis Esson

Dec 1939 - report that year had received 35 long plays and 39 short ones and said was responsible for putting on 5 long plays and 5 short plays see here

March 1940 - PAB recommends 31 plays

1941 - PAB arranges for publication of Red Sky at Morning, Daybreak, Touch of Silk by Betty Roland and Interval by Sumner Locke Elliot see here - later arranged for publication of  Quiet Night by Dorothy Blewett and Fountains Beyond by George Landen Dann 

May 1944 - first comp announced see here

Mar 1945 - prizes for PAB compa awarded... Catherine Duncan wins for Sons of the Morning' Gwen Meredith comes second with 'Positions Vacant' then Dymphna Cusack third with 'They Also Serve  high commended inc 'Portrait of a Gentlemen' by George Farrell and 'The Gentle Warrior' by John Williamson  - Rees quoted on it here - also here

April 1946 - prizes for second PAC comp here - George Landen Dann and Lynn Foster share it Equal first - ‘Ha Ha Among the Trumpets,’ by George Landen Dann and ‘And the Moon Will Shine’ by Miss Lynn Foster
Second prize - ‘Stand Still Time’ by Dymphna Cusack
The following plays were commended by the panel of nine judges:
‘Time Shall Be No More’ by Mr. Linus Donnelly, of Hobart; ‘The Countless Hours’ by Mr Frederick Glover of Sydney; ‘First Fruit.’ by Mr. Arthur Moorhead of Melbourne; and ‘The Dark Soldier,’ by Miss Betty Roland.
Seventy-eight plays were received by the board from all Australian States and from New Zealand.

Dec 1947 - The First Joanna by Dorothy Blewett wins third script competition - other plays also commended 60 entries
First prize  “The First Joanna” by Dorothy Blewett
No other prize money was award-d, but the judges specially commended “Untimely Ripped” by Lloyd Ross.
They also commended “Hearts Were High” by Madge Parkin,  The Mortal Garden by Phyllis Napper
Rees, said yesterday that “The First JoAnna” was a play of professional competence that could be given on any stage. “Some other plays had notable literary quality or-excellent, base material, but in the view of the judges were ‘crude ore’ from a play-ing point of view”

March 1948 - helps sponsor The First Joanna 

Dec 1950 arranged Welsh production of Fountains Beyond see here

Jan 1953 - reported here During the past 14 years the board has read hundreds of drama MSS. submitted for technical criticism, negotiated over 150 stage productions of Australian plays and collected royalties on behalf of the authors (less 10 per cent, expenses deduction), sponsored the pub- lication of many Australian plays, mostly full-length, and conducted competitions for full- length stage plays. 

Members of the board are: Leslie Rees, Gwen Harrison, George Cassidy, Beatrice Tildesley, lan Maxwell, May Hollinworth, O. D. Bisset, James Pratt and Josephine O’Neill.
 

Full-length Australian plays available include: “Tether a Dragon,” by Kylie Tennant; “The House That Jack Built,” by George Farwell; “The First Joanna” by Dorothy Blewett, “Mischief in the Air,” by Max Afford; “Invisible Circus,” by Sumner Locke-Elliott; “Awake, My Love,” by Max Afford; “Ned Kelly,” by, Douglas Stewart; “Lady in Danger,” by Max Afford ; “Granite Peak,” by Betty Roland; “Sing for St. Ned,” by Raymond Mathew; “No Incense Rising,” by George Landen Dann; “Over to Mother,” by Phillip G. Mann. Also: “Hail Tomorrow,” by Vance Palmer; “Sons of the Morning,” by Catherine Duncan; “Caroline Chisholm,” by George Landen Dann; “Morning Sacrifice,” by Dymphna Cusack ; “Daybreak,” by Catherine Shepherd; “Red Sky at Morning,” by Dymphna Cusack; “Interval,” by Sumner Locke-Elliott; “The Touch of Silk,” by Betty Roland ; “Wives Have Their Uses,” by Gwen Meredith; “Quiet Night,” by Dorothy Blewett; “Fountains Beyond,” by George Landen Dann; “The Explorers,” by John Sandford; “Sky Without Birds,” by Oriel Gray ; “Over- proof Spirits,” by A. Ashworth and P. Kelly ; and “Portrait of a Gentleman,” by George Farwell.   

Nov 1954 announced would have 4th competition see here - more details given in Jan 1955 see here

Sept 1955 - competition awards prize to The Torrents and Summer of the Seventeenth Doll see here - runner up was Pacific Paradise by Dymphna Cusack, Flood by Eugene Hanger, Cornerstone by Gwen Meredith see here. We Find the Bunyip received honorable mention.  Plays were adapted in a week of Australian plays on ABC radio in 1956 see here.

Apr 1956 - present Cornerstone by Gwen Meredith at Independent Theatre see here.

Jan 1957 - PAB Comp won by The Shifting Heart

 Records at State Library NSW see here