NEWS FOR WOMEN Repertory Society Entertains Distinguished British Actors

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27473, 6 October 1954, Page 2

NEWS FOR WOMEN Repertory Society Entertains Distinguished British Actors

Probably the most largely attended party ever arranged by the Canterbury Repertory Theatre Society was held in the society’s rehearsal rooms, Gloucester street, last evening, when “J®? ctl “8 members and the members or the Bedford Row Group held a reception to honour Dame Sybil ThornSir kewis Casson. party be Ban at 10.30 pm. after the famous actors had given their final performance in Christchurch. They Z^Z*£ ec ,, 1 Z e< L by the president of the G ’ S ‘ Sa *ter) and Miss Jean McGregor (chairman of the society s committee), who made a short speech of welcome ivr^? d ™ s £ ng of honour, Miss McGregor said: “We have met *h^y_- e l d son ’ Mr John Casson, and thougnt him charming. Since we have P arents we understand fully why he is so charming.” Miss Mc£,?Ld.th.at although New Zea- ;?? ders Hhed to be thought modest, the y were really rather smug and complacent, but the interest of members ot the Repertory Society in the theatre, and their work in fostering drama, l hem an.understanding and appreciation of the work of outstanding =S Sts ’ 60 they had greatly enjoyed H?,m® p J >r S cla I ted the work °f such distinguished players as Sybil Thorndike and Lewis Casson. ® y hU Thorndike, who wore a ?® e ? delphinium blue Wl^l folded berthe outlining me deep square neckline, said that it was pleasant to have contact with the amateur theatre in Christchurch. The

function ot the amateur theatre was to experiment and to pioneer, to do things that the professional theatre could not do because of the vagaries of the pubUc. It was the function of the amateurs to find new methods, new plays, new playwrights Working m the amateur theatre Dame Sybil Thorndike said, was the best way of gaining perfection. It gave players the opportunity of dealing directty with an audience and that was theatre. From the amateur ranks recruits would be found for the professional stage. The amateur and the professional stage were both parts of the theatre, and she hoped they would always work together amicably.. Enmity between them would be fatal to. the theatre.

Sir Lewis Casson said that his wife and he hoped to help to restore balance in the theatre, which had become a spectacle depending rather on the appreciation of the eye than of see rec ognition fact that tlle speech of the theatre was not the speech of ordinary life. Speech in the theatre was an art to be learnt, just as opera singing was an art. The craze for naturalism he considered, was the bane of the theatre. Speech such as was used ih real life was not the speech of the hlcl l required training and should show the beauty of the English language. “We hope we have preached the gospel against naturalism, concluded Sir Lewis Casson. Many members were presented to the visitors, who mingled with the guests and chatted to many of them.