Stella Marjorie Jones (née Claridge, 5 April 1904 â€" 6 June 1991)
was a New Zealand playwright and writer.Jones was born in Kimbolton,
near Feilding, New Zealand. She had six sisters and two brothers and
her parents were Louise Mary Claridge (née Taylor) and James Henry
Claridge.[1] She grew up in a variety of small towns around the
country, as her father was a newspaper editor and worked on a number
of regional and small-town papers. In 1931, she married Arthur Thomas
Jones.[1]Jones began her career writing short stories and articles
which were published in the literary journal Landfall.[2] However, she
is best known for writing the successful play The Tree (1957), the
story of ageing parents and their three daughters, one of whom returns
to the family home after a 15-year absence.[3] Jones had submitted the
play to the 1956 Southland Provincial Centennial competition for an
unpublished play, winning second place.[4] Nevertheless, the play was
rejected by a number of New Zealand theatres. It was purchased by a
London agent, and it had its professional debut in Bristol,
England.[3] After success in England, the New Zealand Players, who had
previously rejected it, toured the country with the play.[3][5] The
play was one of the first New Zealand plays to reach a wide audience,
and was praised by critics. The New Zealand Herald newspaper wrote
that it was a "compelling and first-class piece of work".[3]
was a New Zealand playwright and writer.Jones was born in Kimbolton,
near Feilding, New Zealand. She had six sisters and two brothers and
her parents were Louise Mary Claridge (née Taylor) and James Henry
Claridge.[1] She grew up in a variety of small towns around the
country, as her father was a newspaper editor and worked on a number
of regional and small-town papers. In 1931, she married Arthur Thomas
Jones.[1]Jones began her career writing short stories and articles
which were published in the literary journal Landfall.[2] However, she
is best known for writing the successful play The Tree (1957), the
story of ageing parents and their three daughters, one of whom returns
to the family home after a 15-year absence.[3] Jones had submitted the
play to the 1956 Southland Provincial Centennial competition for an
unpublished play, winning second place.[4] Nevertheless, the play was
rejected by a number of New Zealand theatres. It was purchased by a
London agent, and it had its professional debut in Bristol,
England.[3] After success in England, the New Zealand Players, who had
previously rejected it, toured the country with the play.[3][5] The
play was one of the first New Zealand plays to reach a wide audience,
and was praised by critics. The New Zealand Herald newspaper wrote
that it was a "compelling and first-class piece of work".[3]
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