"CARTOON."

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 262, 6 November 1939, Page 9

"CARTOON."

SYMBOLIC DRAMA.

PLAY WITH MESSAGE.

W.E.A. CLUB SUCCESS.

The presence of the author at the first presentation in Auckland of J. A. S. Coppard's symbolic play '"Cartoon'' added interest to the W.K.A. Dramatic Club's production at the old Grammar School on Saturday night, and a capacity house graced the occasion. Mr. Coppard responded to a call for his appearance on the stage after the final curtain, and congratulated ill. Arnold Goodwin and his cas-t on the eminently satisfactory way in which they had put over from their limited stage a play designed for a gigantic theatre. "To them is due your appreciation of what success the play may have had." he said to the audience. "1 merely wrote it."

True to title, "Cartoon" depicts in amusing fashion facets of the human parade blindly groping towards it knows not what. Presented as a crow's-eye view of the eternal human triangle of religion, art and commerce writhing in a political net of futility, the dramatic cartoon is a grim jest, which may carry a message based on individual outlook and experience. Its dramatic lines have the ease, economy and significance of a Phil May pencil drawing in building up stroke by stroke illuminating mental pictures that suddenly stand out to bring in their train a mental shock or two on the subject of social justice. "Cartoon" in some ways has the disturbing character of a Shavian play, but its humour is without the Shavian malice, and its message is the mellow persuasion of a picture, not the tyrannous didacticism of a sermon.

In technique, the play comes as strange to the conventional playgoer, for it is a symbolic play, the characters, settings and rare incidental music being symbolised and without name. This is a feature of Mr. Coppard's dramatic work, in which he has made a name abroad since graduating from tile Auckland University College in 1921. The onerous task of getting intelligently produced within the compass of the W.K.A. theatre stage a play of the kind whose settings demand unusual space was accomplished by Mr. G-oodwin in a style which added lustre to his already high repute within the community as a producer. With him, those who filled the 20 anonymous roles in the action share_ credit for a production that was impressive. "Cartoon" will be presented nightly up to and including Thursday evening in the W.E.A, Theatre at the old Grammar School in Symonds Street.