STAGE AND EDUCATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20743, 14 June 1929, Page 12

STAGE AND EDUCATION.

PLAY-READING INSUFFICIENT. Sir Nigel Playfair lias produced many of the classic English plays, restoring several of them to the stage after generations of neglect. - He writes in the Empire Review that he scarcely ever glances through the notes of editors of such pieces without being struck by the fact that a study of the plays presented on the stage would have helped them materially in their work of elucidation and deduction, and on many occasions saved them from obiter dicta, if not from ridiculous misinterpretations. The help of the theatre should bo nice frequently made use of in the cause of education, considers Sir Nigel -Playfair. Elocution in its broadest sense is the moat neglected subject in all the curriciilnms of the great schools and universities, yet in life how important it is. One modern orator, who is famous for his epigrams, drops his voice with a monotonv that just spoils hie eliect at the end of every sentence. Another speaks -with an exaggerated- roundness- of utterance tint makes his appeal, however sincerely felt ring not quite sincerely: ; The theatre’ can be of use to them, and a thousand times more so to lesser, men. In most of the great' public schools of England the teaching of elocution is left in the hands of anybody. Boys are given permission to go to town to see the motor show, but such general permission could not be obtained to visit a.picture gallery or lo attend a matinee performance of a groat classical pla.V. ThU. says Sir Nigel Playfair, is surelv. aJI wroua.