Drama Festival Plays

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 4, 29 September 1933, Page 13

Drama Festival Plays

Sir, —As a lifelong lover of the drama, and therefore as one very interested in the work of the Drama League, may I be allowed a little space iu which to offer a certain amount of kindly-meant criticism of the conduct of the drama festivalheld in Wellington on Friday and Saturday. To begin with, both Miss Blake, before the first play, and Mr. Victor Lloyd after the last play, remarked how gratifying it was to see the clubs from the smaller places competing, particularly, as. of course, they had no chance against those of the cities! This is not exactly encouraging to the smaller centres, is it? Nor do I think it will lead to the hoped for larger entries next year. These statements were, however, rather contradicted by the second prize being awarded to Timaru’s outstanding performance, of Thornton Wilder’s beautiful “Long Xmas Dinner.”

I realise how very difficult the task of judging such efforts must.be, so do not wish to find fault with the judges’ awards, but Mr. Constable's summing up remarks about the plays were surely not in the best interests of the league. Surely a little kindly praise for the deserving, and a fewhelpful suggestions were indicated. Instead. he dismissed the winning play very shortly as a fine performance, said practically nothing of the second, except that they covered a missed cue cleverly, and then discoursed at long length on the merits of the most unpleasant play, placed third. In spite of his praise, I find it very hard to believe that any human child, however neurotic and full of complexes and repressions she might be, would in r?.al life hare moved, looked, or spoken as Lowry did. There were several other playa well worth a word of encouragement, if not a prize, notably. I think, the last absolutely wholesome New Zealand play, most excellently presented by the South Taranaki Players. The impression left on most of us is, I think, that unless one attempts to portray murder, suicide, or insanity, or ail three, it is futile to expect a hearing from this judge. Well, life on the stage, or off, is not all tragic, thank God, and there are many dramatic situations, dealt with by competent writers of plays in many oneact plays. Surely a play, within amateur powers, perfectly staged and acted, is worth more than presentations of these studies of abnormal and diseased minds, which require the genius of a Duse or Bernhardt to get over at all. —I am. etc., PLAYGOER. Havelock North, September 22.

In reply to the above letter the following statement is made by Miss E. A. Wemysa, secretary of the British Drama League:—"No one said it was gratifying to see ‘clubs from smaller places competing, particularly, of course; as they had no chance against those of the cities’; hut the point;was made that teams from some areas where past experience was small were showing a praiseworthy spirit in representing their areas, holding, say, a lower certificate, aa compared with other teams holding higher grades. May we emphasise that these festivals are not primarily competitions. The competitive element is of secondary importance. It was a pity no more time could be allowed the judges for discussion of. the work they saw, as so much had to be left unsaid. Their notes, however, will be forwarded to the teams."