CHILDREN'S THEATRE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 151, 27 June 1936, Page 12

CHILDREN'S THEATRE.

REHEARSAL PRODUCTIONS. DRAMA, MUSIC, FANTASY. Auckland now lias its Children's Theatre—not just an idea, or a suggestion, but an actuality. Last night it presented its first. offerings, the rehearsal performance of three plays, and in the talent shown by the juvenile actors and actresses it could readily be seen that the theatre, in time, will be a valuable addition to the dramatic groups of the city. Mrs. Zoe Bartley Baxter, producer as well as founder of the theatre, is to be congratulated on lier work. Working on the natural acting talent of the children, she has succeeded even at this early stage in producing something that last evening held the interest of an adult audience throughout.

Working on the theme that "the highest art is based on. simplicity," she has not tried to standardise the children to the conventions of the stage. She has worked instead on the instinct of the child that in perfect naturalness dramatises every story from fairy tale days onwards. In this lay the success of last night's presentation. The plays were presented in age groups," and about them was the intense sincerity of a nursery playing at "houses," "soldiers" or any of the other dramas that are the natural outcome of a child's playtime artistry. There was at the same time a naivete that was part of the children themselves and that gave "more than usual attraction to the plays.

The plays had been well selected, and in none were there any ideas that would in any way strain the conception of the children.

The first presented by tlio youngest group was a simple fairy story, "The King's Pocket-knife," a dainty presentation that might have been a figment of the imagination of the children themselves, with a king who threatened dire punishment for the loss of his magic pocket-knife, a fairy who coukl cast spells, and a group of gardeners whose major wish was for a holiday. The children entered into it with a will, and, in the way that children have, they made it a grand satire 011 a grown-up world. "Merryheart the Jester/', presented by an older group., was just such another with a wider and rather more dramatic theme, a sense of colour and of form. The most impressive presentation, however, lay in the drama ot "Michael." Considering that the oldest actor was but 15 years old, it was a really splendid offering, given with a sincerity and an appreciation of artistic values that far exceeded expectations. Of course there were those amongst the 40 odd actors who merely spoke their lines and who were without Sense of rhythm, but they were few and were suffering from self-consfeiousness. The majority were good, with more than half a dozen who showed real dramatic promise. The intimacy of their acting, their naturalness, the dramatic talent and the singing talent revealed make the announcement of a forthcoming presentation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" something to be awaited eagerly.