DRAMA OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17483, 29 May 1920, Page 3 (Supplement)

DRAMA OF THE DAY.

. Modern drama seem to bo deI {,-tiorating, and the** question arises whether this is due to : the fact that the jjw generation of dramatists has failed' to If achieve the high standard of the preceding generation, or to a change in public taste, llfhe former is more likely the explanation, Mfft England there is a'tendency to revive ghakesperean drama, and the chief living K-dramatist whose works are being produced at the best theatres just now is G. Ber- • nard Shaw. : What has become of the »? others? Here in. Auckland there has been &s sad dearth of really good plays for some time past.' We have had an invasion of American drama, which for the most part '•'■* will not compare with that of the best British plays of less than a decade ago, .in spito of the fact that occasionally America does send something above the average l&ijj quality. If the lack of new works of a nigh standard is to go on, it might be well for the managerial firms catering for H theatregoers in tins part of the world to revive some of the plays of Barrio, Pip.ero, Henry Arthur Jones, Somerset-Maugham, and other British authors of repute. The , *ry " & general, "When are wo going to 'have something good!" %& Miss Lucille Benstead, a native of Perth, • i West Australia, who has spent the last §| ten years on the stage in London and '9. .Paris, was a passenger by the Makura this H wee <;n route to her home in Perth. Miss i* Benstead had control of the arrangements §§.for tie entertainment of the Australian soldiais in London and France. She is an H operatic singer and has appeared at Covent M Garden, London, and at the Opera Comiq ue > Paris.

W& The Musical Herald of recent date has the r'.i following reference to the British Music , ©I Society, an Auckland branch of which is ;£:•' now being considered by local musicians ' Svand music-lovers:—"Regarding this no- i ciety, no commendation is necessary in < |ifa musical journal. It is the general public IS apathy that requires to be roused, so that ; 11 Britain may take her rightful musical place Stiin' the world. It is gratifying to learn of iSfithe progress that the society is making. Ilp'A fine cfubroon and library has been spe- j . ciallv built and furnished in Liverpool; k and valuable books and MSS. are being § offered to form local libraries. Over lOC |f{| well-kiio-vn artists and lecturers are giving! 'x'M their services. Municipalities are granting vV free use of their town halls for meetings XC and concerts, cinema and hall managers §§§§'are throwing free announcements of the s society's meetings on the screen nightly, 1 and music stores are giving temporary « office accommodation. Committees are be- " ing formed throughout the empire, and • care is bang taken to avoid cliques and 7 personal interests. Good— on and ; prosper." U'£-- On Hospital Day, in Sydney recently, one of the features was the appearance In the streets of "Baby,", the lion, which - plays an important part in the illustration ' "The Lion's Bride," presented by Carter, the magician, at the Criterion Theatre, Sydney. Lady collectors accompanied "Baby" and he was responsible for the "■■•::', collection of a" goodly sum. Mme. Sarah Bernhardt returned to the ' . stage on April 1, after a long absence. fllfeshe .appeared in a matinee of Racine's ] • "Athalie" at her own theatre in Paris. Before leaving New Zealand the J. and - M. Tail Company, now playing " Dadfilpiayin the South, is to make return visits to the principal centres. It will ffStilen'r stage "The Little Damozel," and "Kindling," two plays which the firm ■' produced" in Australia recently with success. / ; - ■-" ~ ~~ . There are 23 musical numbers, in addi§§?JptMtnto dances and specialties, in "The tMßhlg, Boys on Broad-ray," now beinj ', !ia?«d at" Melbourne, Her Majesty's, by -- J.C. Williamson, ltd. The management . paints -out that " The ' Bint; Boys on ' Broadway" is not a revue. It is described .. « ieng" the adventures of Lucifer Ding lillpstffbis cousin, Potifer, in America, as fprjfpt'c-'d by George Grot-smith and Fred ■■'■ Thompson." ■,