Bruce Mason

Infobox Writer
name = Bruce Mason
birthdate = birth date|1921|09|28|mf=y
birthplace = Wellington, New Zealand
deathdate = death date and age|1982|12|31|1921|09|28
deathplace = Wellington, New Zealand
occupation = Playwright, actor, critic, fiction writer
nationality = New Zealander
spouse = Diana Manby Shaw (1922-2007) married 1945

Bruce Edward George Mason (September 28, 1921 – December 31, 1982) was a New Zealand playwright, actor, critic, and fiction writer. [ [http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/default.asp?Find_Quick.asp?PersonEssay=5M37 Dictionary of New Zealand Biography - Mason, Bruce Edward George] ] [ [http://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/writers/masonb.html New Zealand Book Council (from "The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature") - MASON, Bruce] ]

Mason is known for his classic New Zealand plays "The End of the Golden Weather" (filmed in 1991) and "The Pohutukawa Tree". He was a co-founder of Wellington and New Zealand’s first professional theatre Downstage Theatre in 1964, and wrote a weekly column "Music on the Air" for the NZ Listener from 1964 to 1969.

He met his wife Diana while studying at Victoria University College in 1939. A noted obstetrician specialising in women’s health, she shared his interest in the arts. They had three children, Belinda, Julian and Rebecca. Bruce Mason died in 1982 from cancer. Diana Mason died in June 2007, nearly 25 years after her husband's death.

The Bruce Mason Centre in Takapuna, Auckland is named after him. It was opened in 1996 and contains a 1164 seat auditorium. The Playwright Cafe displays Bruce Mason memorabilia, including his original desk and typewriter. [ [http://www.bmcentre.co.nz/index.asp Bruce Mason Centre] ]

References

* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0556625/ Bruce Mason at IMDb website]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104188/ "The End of the Golden Weather" at IMDb website]
* [http://www.bmcentre.co.nz/index.asp The Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna]