ART OF SPEECH

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 220, 13 June 1936, Page 23

ART OF SPEECH

Australian Woman’s Job

Miss Alice Crowther, formerly of Melbourne, spent, a few days in Sydney recently before leaving for England, and she told the "Sydney Morning Hoi'aliT of the Interest at present being shown in speech-eraft. and verse-speaking in Europe. Miss Crowther is associated with another Melbourne woman, Mrs. Annie Mackey, at; a school for music and verse-speaking at 'Wembley Park. England. Two years ago she went, to the Goethe Aniim at Dornaeh, in Switzerland, io study Dr. Rudolf Steiner's method of teaching speech-era ft, which she says, is generally accepted as the best. The great interest in versespeaking Miss Crowther attributes io Hie fact that people have realised the loss of beauty and quality in the speakI ing voice, and that every endeavour should bo made to revive the beauty of the spoken word. Verse-plays are being specially written to give opportunities for speech-craft, and “The Dog Beneath Iho Skin,’’ by William Auden, has bad considerable success in London.

On her return to England. Miss Crowther will be associated with a nephew of Anton Chekov, the Russian dramatist, at the Dartington Hall, Chekov will produce the plays and Miss Crowther will be responsible for the speechtraining, poetry, and eurhythmy. It is the aim of these two directors to train 24 young people between the ages of IS and 24 for three years, and then take them to Loudon as a professional company.

The dramatic school is only one of the activities of Dartington Hall, which is a very large estate managed by a committee. As well as agriculture, poultry-raising, and dairying, provision is made for the teaching of drama and ballet, and there is also a co-educatlon-al school on fhe estate. .Miss Crowther paid a second visit to Switzerland this year to further her studies at the Goethe Annin. She will continue to make periodical visits to Switzerland, and in about two years time expects to return Ks to start the work lbws