A POWERFUL BODY

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 87, 9 October 1935, Page 16

A POWERFUL BODY

BRITISH DRAMA LEAGUE

REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES

In the course of her address to members of the New Zealand branch of the British Drama League at the annual meting held in Hastings last week, Miss Elizabeth Blake said that there was no doubt that the British Drama League was the largest and most influential body in the theatre world in the United Kingdom at the present time. It truly represented both professional and amateur; its members included the most powerful organisation in the commercial theatre, the West End Managers' Association, also the Touring Managers' Association, and professional and amateur groups from the regular theatres, and the big incorporated societies down to tiny village groups; and almost every actor, actress, and producer of importance in London was a member of the league or had done special work for it.

Miss Blake read the following report about Miss Elizabeth Loe, who won the Fogarty Scholarship two years ago:—"Miss Elizabeth Loe has taken a most brilliant course at the Central School. ■ She came for a special purpose—to fit herself for the direction of amateur dramatic effort throughout New Zealand—and therefore she has not taken any regular diploma, but her. work in the school has been quite equal to that of an additional member of the staff where dramatic production, organisation, etc., was concerned. Miss Loe has studied speech, voice production, movement, physics of light, practical lighting, the history and theory of drama, costume, period movement, mime, stage production, casting of plays, direction of rehearsals and acting. I cannot imagine anyone more likely to be useful in a reasoned and organised attempt to establish all over New Zealand an interest in the living drama and the great tradition o& English plays and acting."

Miss: Loe, it was added, would go to the South Island for a month upon her return,/when she will take the Easter School at Dunedin.' She would be going to Wanganui and Wairarapa after that. After.Easter she .would be available for other centres.

Miss Blake, announced that another scholarship had been made available, for a man this time. The scholarship -would be tenable for a year.

The scheme.for founding an Imperial Theatre, in -which- all. the Dominions would have a share, was outlined by Miss Blake. ■ There students from every part of the Empire could tram and ■work. .. "Remember . this is' not a commercial business," concluded Miss Blake. "We are not celling anything: we are trying, to develop Community Drama, which means co-operation in making beauty; and happiness. The •real value of ".the British.Drama League lies in the fact that" it^springs. from a spiritual basis, and in that 'has been its secret strength; and it, is for us to see that the flame of the spirit, burns undiminished and more universally as time goes on.".■> . ',-.■.•.