DRAMATIC ART

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 305, 26 December 1930, Page 9

DRAMATIC ART

REVIVAL IN ENGLAND.

FUTURE LIES WITH AMATEURS

THEATRE AND EDUCATION.

Finding in the drama tlie greatest medium of national expression, England has never before shown such appreciation of the stage as a cultural and educative factor, according to Elizabeth Blake, of Wellington, who was for many years connected with the professional,stage in England, both as an actress and producer.- She stated recently that, there had been a marked revival in dramatic art which, born in the days after the war, had spread from the larger centres to tne most remote villages of the United Kingdom.

For this remarkable renaissance m the popularity of the art of acting amateurs had been almost entirely responsible, Miss Blake said. There was a feeling that the future of the legitimate stage lay in the hands of the amateur. From present indications it appeared likely that visits to New Zealand by first-class companies would become fewer until, if the "talkies continued to hold popular fancy, stage productions by professionals would cease almost completely. For that reason the amateur was destined to play a great part in the future of the drama in this country. ■■. s ' It had been said that the-theatre should primarily amuse; but it could also educate. Through the agency of the amateur, England had in recent years come to realise the value of the theatre apart from its ability to amuse. Probably at no other time had such an intelligent interest been taken in- the drama for i,ts own sake.

Drama for the People. New Zealand had been introduced to, notable works by amateurs. But for them those plays would probably never have been put on here at all. The amateur movement was still comparatively small in the Dominion, but it deserved encouragement as it held not only the power to save the stage, but also to arouse a greater appreciation of art. Thousands of members had joined the branches of the British Drama League, which had grown remarkably since the war. Their work had taken the masterpieces of dramatic literature, to the masses, and one notable outcome had been the growth of an intelligent appreciation of the' theatre's place in national life. There were probably more real students of the drama in England to-day than ever before. People approached the theatre in a spirit of inquiry. The new school of amateur actors was composed of students ready to learn, as well as participants, and the standard of work had been revealed by the growing interest in the amateur by the" professional. This was borne out by the fact that, nearly all the recruits of the professional stage were being drawn from the ranks of the amateurs.

Throughout her long history England had always found inspiration from the drama, perhaps more than from music. It was also true that the great ages of the drama in England, as elsewhere, had been marked by simplicity and not by elaborate "shows." In the Golden Age of Greece, about 500 8.C., the theatres were simple, and there were never more than three actors on the stage, in addition to the chorus, which was an integral part of the play. Before Sophocles there were never more than two actors. From such simplicity of cast and an absence of effects had sprung some of the world's greatest literature.

A Nation's Aspirations. The drama had a noble birth at Athens. But with the magnificence of Rome it degenerated. Following the fifteenth century revival in England it was once more simplified and later it rose to the heights to which Shakespeare, Sheridan and others led. The drama of the Restoration suffered through the same over-attention to "show," and _it remained for Garrick to retrieve its position. Thus the theatre experienced its actions and reactions, and it would probably remain for a future day to decide whether the present revival in England was the beginning of a reaction from the elaborate productions of the last two decades.

Considerable support had recently been given in London to several theatres outside the West End area concentrating on higher-class works. Although these were not strictly amateur in . control, they did not seek high profits and they were content to work for art's sake alone. It was a popular fallacy that to be good a stage production had. to be costly. It was quite true that finance was an important consideration, but many amateur societies produced plays for very little. Reverting to the place of the amateur in New Zealand, Miss Blake said that through him the drama could be made to play a large part in promoting education, in conserving the purity of the English language, and in upholding the national consciousness and ideals which had found high expression in the playwright's art. The drama "held the mirror up to nature." But it also served as a. vehicle for the of- a nation's highest thoughts, its aspirations, and not infrequently its philosophy. Vision of Amateurs. Correct diction was essential to good production. In promoting interest in the stage amateurs could serve a great purpose in this respect. It was very noticeable that the speech of New Zealand children was degenerating from that purity with which their parents and grandparents spoke. Outposts of Empire were often offenders in lapsing from the pure speech of their homeland and it would be disastrous if the beauties of English were sacrificed through careless instruction. Miss Blake said she believed that Shakespeare and some of the good moderns should be acted in all training colleges for teachers, where speech training should be compulsory. The value of such training had been more than proved in Europe and the United States, as well as at Home.

A system had been adopted in England under which paid producers travelled about the couutry supervising amateur productions.' Miss Blake said she was hopeful that something of the kind could be started in New Zealand in spite of the difficulties to be overcome, chief among which would be the necessity for the prospective producers first to receive training at Home.

Through this instruction amateurs would be shown on what lines to work and that their work could not be presented to. the public upon the village or parish hall standard. Twenty years ago the word amateur was almost synonymous with poor ability and lack of '.visiom' But the amateurs of England ■ were showing that vision was essential to the verv life of the drama, and the spirit was growin'g in New Zealand., ....... . ....<■■••'"