“MODERN DRAMA”

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 May 1922, Page 3

“MODERN DRAMA”

AN INTERESTING LECTURE.

Interesting and instructive was the lecture uii - Modern Drama’ given by I'rotessur Slielley to a small out liiglily-appreciaiive auuience in the riesuyteiTiin tocnoolruom, Guinness Street, last evening, Mr. H. Belslraw, WHO presided, introduced Professor Shelley,' whom he described as "one of the foremost exponents of modern drama in New Zealand at Hie present time.” The Professor opened his lecture, . which throughout was characterised by humorous touches, by stating that alter Shakespeare’s day there was practically no drama worth while written until towards the end of the 19th century. A revival was now in progress and a tremendous amount of enthusiasm was being shown in England, America, and all the European countries. In America, however, nearly all the worth-while drama was produced by English people. Ine present revival was commenced some 60 years ago by a Norwegian—lbsen. Drama in Shakespeare’s time was not a serious art at all, and the theatre was rather somewhere to go to sleep

off a heavy dinner. Drama was now characterised by a serious attempt t<> interpret the life uf modern times. Ibsen saw that society was saturate'! with humbug. Social troubles werejmt talked about, and unpleasant things were covered up. The thieepenny novelette was characteristic of that age. Isben was determined not to put up with such conditions. He saw that the play could bo used to make people think, as no other art could do. The lecturer gave a n interesting sketch of Ibsen’s life and ins plays. The plays, he said, were howled down by the Press, 1u y brought out subjects regarding which a conspiracy of silence had previously been maintained. It was a mistake to think that Ibsen was opposed to marriage; he believed that marriages should be real, and not merely conventional associations. Ho was t.ie areat modern dramatist. Ib=en s

mind may not have been as great as that of Shakespeare, and he may not have been as great a playwright, but he knew more about technique than ever Shakespeare did. The Professor pointed out that the present is a psychological age. and that model n plays deal with the way m which people’s minds work. After Ibsen many plays were written in Germany by Suderman; France (Brieux), Belgium (Maeterlinck), and England (Shaw, Granville Barker, John Galsworthy), who owed much of Ibsen. “We do not realise the problems before us,” said Professor Shelley, “unless we have an artist to present them to us. We all have narrow ways of looking at things, and it is the dramatist’s business to show ns all sides of a question.” He concluded his lecture by a dramatic' reading of portions of John Galsworthy s hook, “Strife,” which deals with the strike problem. The Professor gave a versatile and impressive reading of the numerous characters, and was listened to with rapt attention. He referred to Galsworthy’s works as among the finest of modem plays, and advised his hearers to read them. The lecture was heartily applauded. Mr. A. Naylor moved a vote of thanks to Professor Shelley, which was carried by 'acclamation.