Dominion Drama Festival

Season 20

Apr 24 to Apr 29, 1933

This was the inaugural edition of the Dominion Drama Festival, a national organization formed to encourage amateur theatre across Canada. The DDF was hosted by the Little Theatre for its first five years, after which time it took place in different Canadian cities each year.

The first edition featured 24 plays from eight provinces selected through regional festivals. His Excellency the Governor General, Lord Bessborough, founder and patron of the DDF, was in attendance. Other notables on opening night included the Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden and Lady Borden, Hon. Vincent and Mrs. Massey, Rt. Hon. Mackenzie King, and Col. Henry Osborne, the honorary director of the Festival. The plays were adjudicated by Rupert Harvey, an actor-director who was invited over from Britain for the occasion, and travelled across the country visiting each DDF region.

The Ottawa Drama League entries were "Ile" performed with two other plays on April 24, and "Will Shakespeare" performed with two other plays on April 25. For the casts of these two plays, see Feb. 22, 1933, when they were previewed at the Little Theatre before competing in Kingston at the Eastern Ontario Regional Festival where they won 1st and 2nd place.

Top prize of the DDF, the Bessborough Trophy, was awarded to the Masquers Club of Winnipeg (made up of members of the T. Eaton Company staff) for their production of "The Man Born To Be Hanged". The ODL production of "Will Shakespeare" took third place among the English plays.

Cast

Production Team