PERSONAL:
Born Dunedin 11th September 1918 / Died Lower Hutt 21st October 2007.
Berwyn was brought up in a 'theatre' family in Christchurch. Her mother was an able actress and teacher of 'elocution' as it was called in those days, her cousin Vivienne Martin succeeded on London's West End stages, and her aunt Neta Neale OBE founded the still existing Canterbury Children's Theatre in the 1950s.
HUTT REPERTORY THEATRE:
After marrying in 1942 and moving to Lower Hutt, Berwyn became a founding member of Hutt Repertory Theatre and The Hutt Performing Arts Competitions Society. She was a talented actress and director for many years in Hutt Repertory Theatre and retired from 16 years as President at the age of 76 in 1995.
NZ SPEECH BOARD:
During the 1950s she started teaching children speech and drama privately and following dissatisfaction with the irrelevance of the Trinity Examination system became a founding member of The NZ Speech Board in 1964. Her passion to provide indigenous examinations to New Zealanders and to acknowledge the importance of New Zealand literature in these examinations took her travelling from Kaitaia to Invercargill as an examiner serving on the board for over 30 years. The syllabus she devised in 1976 and trialled at Chilton St. James school later became the NZ Oral Assessment in Schools standard.
During her 50 years of teaching many hundreds of students passed through her doors. When she passed away at the age of 89 she was still teaching several private pupils.
Berwyn was awarded an Honorary Life Membership of the Speech Communication Association in 2002.
Quoting the Honorary Life Membership Certificate: "Throughout her career she has stimulated in others her love for literature, language and its effective use. She has fostered excellence in her students and encouraged and supported her colleagues." .... "Promoter, supporter, initiator, committed and talented actress, Berwyn's services to theatre have been widely recognised."
HUTT THEATRE SCHOOL:
In 1980 Berwyn recognised the need to pass on practical theatre traditions and skills to children and so established a youth theatre group initially under the umbrella of Hutt Repertory and employing freelance director Robin Payne. In 1998, when upwards of 200 students were attending classes, it became a separate incorporated society, Hutt Theatre School and moved into their own building.
CIVIC HONOUR AWARD:
In 1997, Berwyn was awarded a Civic Honour Award from the Mayor of Hutt City Council for her service in the fields of Cultural Affairs and Educational Services.