The Drama— Its Interpretation

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 188, 11 August 1936, Page 12

The Drama— Its Interpretation

EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE IN LITE NECESSARY.

In commenting upon drama and its various phases, at the Rotarian’s weekly luncheon, Dr. E. H. McDowall quoted tho thesis that life was in essence experience. The fundamental nature of art was to transmit the artist’s conception of his or her emotional experience. At times great artists became neglected and laughed at because of ' people who failed to understand them, i.e., Wagner. The musical world jeered at his tempestu ous-conception of the Valkyries riding across tho heavens. Later that same music was to havo entranced audiences by the power that lay behind its instrumentation. Emotionalism in Art. Apart from technique an artist may be said to have failed in his purpose if he had not been able to transmit to his audience tho emotional expen unco conjured up in his mind by the idea he set out to express. Art was in essence experience and it was possible for those peoplo who were not artists to extend their own realm of experience of life by witnessing an artist’s interpretations. Experience had far moro effect upon changing a mentality than had knowledge. Those who had read Dostoevsky’s novel, ‘ ‘The Ediot,” would remember the author’s sympathy' for the unfortunate half-wit whose adventures and experiences he pursues throughout the courso of the book and the dreadful effect they had upon the idiot’s mind. There were many ways, Dr. McDowall continued, by which an artist may transmit his emotions to another person. Poetry was best enjoyed in solitude. Music takes two people to convey its wisdom, the composer and tho player. It was the player’s position to interpret the composer’s notation. The drama, however, was still more direct. It depended upon tho dramatist, tlio producer and the actor before its presentation was complete. Tho success of a play relied upou the company’s ability to convey tho situation tho author intend cd to portray, provided the play w r as a good one. The Public Element. In comparing tho stago with the film, the speaker went on, it was tho first essential of a picture to supply ail the details and background to a plot so that tho accomplished product was a smooth-flowing story, easy to follow and to apprehend, calling for no mental exertion. On tho other hand, a large proportion of a play was general I }’ taken up in a psychological preparation for the few moments of the last intense scene. The lirst essential-of a drama was its sincerity. It must have been built on a foundation of truth and felt by the artist himself. The difference between a murder play and a play of poetic content was that the former left the spectator with a feeling of emptiness. This was due to tho fact that it incited only the superficial emotional elements and not the .fundamental human instincts. As in drama, there were plays of a light and snappy smartness, so in literature there were the frequent "pot-boilers” written by artists of higher merit, in order to sustain a means of livelihood.

Many films set out to provide the people with surface entertainment and were usually pervertions of the art of drama, when logical endings, despite tho natural atmosphere of the play, were distorted to provide a publicminded ending. Another type of perversion prevalent ou both the legitimate stage and the movie, generally in Anglo-Saxon countries, was tho featuring of a star player as a draw to the public. In such a case, tho message and even the story of the play was more often than not sacrificed in order to build an aura around the talented one. Ou the Continent, however, every actor iu a piece was considered a medium through which a theme might be transmitted to tho public. The drama was a complex thing. The preliminary building up of a great piay called for great artistry. When members of an audience witnessed the’ scenes of a drama well play-, cd, they realised that they were participating in a deep experience. Their minds were not confined to the play or theatre but to the world in which the action took place. In spite of all man’s psychology he did not .understand all his emotions. Tho art of the dramatist was to suggest the conditions of the story and to allow the audience to supply tho rest. Iu doing so tne author had the prerogative of moulding and guiding his characters. It would bo impossible for anyone to explain any dramatic experience without the aid of art and that was probably why the best art was always economical in detail. The Amateur Stage. In commenting upon the amateur stage, Dr. McDowall stated that the amateur world signified a revulsion from the synchro-celluloid medium of dramatic expression. It was gradually being realised that a film lacked the personal and human element of the stage. The amateur medium was really keeping alive dramatic art- which, in its revival, directed the interest of younger people to things worth while. In conclusion, Dr. McDowall stated, he believed that the amateur drama when adequately produced was more enjoyable than the professional effort in that its presentation embodied the work of fellow citizens and often displayed simple methods of acting. At the conclusion of the ■ speech, Rotarian R. Allison, on behalf of his fellow-members, thanked Dr. McDowall for. his interesting address,