SPELL OF THE STAGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18947, 19 February 1925, Page 8

SPELL OF THE STAGE.

AMATEURS' ADVENTURES. . DOZENS GO TO AUSTRALIA, "HARD TO GET A FOOTING." CAREFUL TRAINING WANTED. The theatrical stage, which is often, as jealous in guarding its preserves as most other professions, has opened its doors' in the past twelve months to au appreciable quota of Auckland amateurs. It is estimated the number of young Atieklanders who have thrown up prosy business pursuits for the glamour "and uncertainty of a professional stage career has approached a dozen in the past twelve months or so. This is a largo figure for a city which offers such limited scope for budding Desdemonas and Othellos as Auckland, and it is not to be wondered at if its dimensions have produced a feeling of mild excitement in young and impressionable minds. Apart from the opportunities offering in Australia and New Zealand motion picture circles, now in their infancy, the musical comedy, legitimate stage and professional eoncort platform, in Australia, are absorbing a substantial measure of amateur talent. It is to this land of golden dreams that the bulk of the New Zealand amateurs referred to have migrated, and so far ah of them appear to have obtained a firm foothold in their chosen vocation. Among the several amateurs who have obtained professional engagements in Australia and have passed through Auckland on tour with theatrical companies is an Auckland girl well known in local social circles, whose experiences of the comic opera stage in Sydney would do well to dispel the hasty opinions sometimes formed of the adaptability of the untried amateur for professional engagement. " It is very foolish for anyone to go over there on ' spec.'," she declares. " Since higher wages have been paid in the profession, they are taking smaller companies and it is hard to get a footing unless one happens to strike a time when a new production is being prepared. The professional stage is full of disappointments,and the amateur hardly appreciates the real seriousness of it. It is just a big business. You have got to drop the idea that it is an unadulterated life of pleasure and be prepared to put your back to the wheel and work." Opportunities lor Study. j Speaking of the qualifications required for the musical comedy stage, she said a good appearance and an ability to dance and sing wero almost essential. There was a scarcity of good men, especially tenors, but practically no chances were available without an apprenticeship in the chorus. Some of the members ui her company had been studying for years at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and others had started their careers as ballet or pantomine children. The scope offered to amateurs in Australia was far superior to that in New Zealand. There was, for instance, the Conservatorium, and there were the large operatic societies, the producers in which were more or less professionals. Then, too, there were the big theatrical schools of dancing. Her advice to New Zealand aspirants was to go across to Australia and train there first. An Aucklander who has had considerable experience in these matters, agreed, when discussing the position, that there were more opportunities than before for those who sought them. It was a fact, however, that while there was any amount of talent offering, adequate opportunities for acquiring a proper training were sadly lacking in New Zealand. Auckland, in this respect, was quite peculiar. There was a dearth of dramatic societies and clubs, and regular dramatic performances were practically non-exist-ent. As far as singing was concerned, there was the Amateur Operatic Society, which was very successful and had graduated at least three amateurs to the professional stage quite lately. This, however, was only one side of the art of the stage. It is a pity," said the* authority referred to, that some attempt is not made to form a repertory for the training of these people somewhere in New Zealand. It would need the guidance of someone with sound knowledge and experience, but it would not be difficult in the right hands." Steady Training Required. Another useful acquisition, he said, would be dramatic and musical competitions, which were undoubtedly of value in bringing out latent talent. For various reasons, Auckland was tho only town in the Dominion which did not boast of periodical competitions. Even such towns as Gore, Hamilton, and Cambridge, were well served in this respect, while the knowledge of singing revealed in the competitions at Dunedin was wonderful. It was a fact that many people on the Australian and American stage began their careers through aptitude developed at such competitions. The idea of plunging into a professional career was played out, he continued. There were two requisites—general knowledge and general training. As regards training, he would recommend dancing and fencing and instruction in the speaking of English. Fencing ho considered one of the finest things in the world to perfect deportment, adroitness and quickness of mind. Ability to walk the stage and speak pleasing English were two of tho essentials. The harm of incompetent training was touched upon. There were far too many people, he said, setting themselves up as teachers without proper qualifications. He made pointed reference to numbers of girls who, because they won prizes at amateur competitions, imagined they were qualified to teach music, singing and elocution. Such persons rarely possessed any standard worth mentioning. In conclusion, he uttered a word of warning to those young people who believed they could qualify themselves in Now Zealand to take part in moving pictures.** To express thoughts and emotions in pantomine was one of the most difficult arts to acquire, and opportunities for training were very limited and would be for some time to come. Tho lines adopted during some recent trials in Auckland wero, lie considered, quite wrong.