ROMEO AND JULIET

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 152, 29 June 1945, Page 9

ROMEO AND JULIET

liILLIPTJTS ON THE STAGE Yet another signal that wartime restraints are being put behind was the production at St. Andrew's Hall, Symonds Street, last night, by the Children's Theatre, of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." The cultural and educative C.T. movement which in the past, under the guidance of Mrs. Zoe Bartley Baxter, has contributed much to Auckland's advance In the dramatic arts, has been taken under the wing of the Grafton Shakespeare and Dramatic Club, partnered by a Theatre Committee imbued with a desire to develop and perpetuate Mrs. Baxter's community plan. Produced under the practised supervision of Nell Lush, this revival season of "Romeo and Juliet" by juvenile Thespians last night opened auspiciously. The patronage was liberal, with a large percentage of young folk, and the audience was provided not only with most of this play's traditional production features, but also with the entertainment inseparable from the lines and scenes as well as a number of points arousing youthful emulation criticism, some of the latter being surprisingly well informed. Shakespeare's casts and variety of characters are not economical, entailing a call on the more mature juvenile members for the leading roles, but places were found for the younger members as pages in parts requiring stage sense, poise and assurance. Despite inevitable individual unevimness, a satisfying general balance was attained by the youthful cast, and in one or two of the notable scenes both character and dramatic elements were particularly well sustained. The play will be staged again to-night and to-morrow night.