SOCIAL DRAMAS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23369, 8 December 1937, Page 10

SOCIAL DRAMAS

LITTLE THEATRE SOCIETY STIMULATING PERFORMANCES The Little Theatre Society is to be congratulated upon the choice of its latest presentations. To select two such brilliant and unusual examples of modern play-writing as Clifford Odet's " Waiting for Lefty" and " Till the Day I Die," with a full appreciation of the difficulties in the way of successful production, called for initiative and courage in no small degree, but. as in its previous offerings, the society again demonstrated that it does not lack these qualities. These plays, however, because ot their dramatic suspense call for acting ability which would fully tax the resources of professional companies with much better facilities for filling its casts than ha* the Little Theatre Society, and it is not therefore to be marvelled at that there were discrepancies in last night's performances. If it cannot be said that the society achieved a triumph, it can be said without hesitation that in each case a sufficient level of competence was attained to give a thoroughly adequate idea oi the author's conceptions. And this, when the revolutionary technique of the two works Is further taken into consideration, is praise and not a damning with faint praise.

"Waiting for Lefty," which is particularly unusual in its structure, is a play in six scenes—episodes which have a dramatic unity rather than a narrative continuity, and the manner of its presentation is what in the film world would be termed a series of " flash-backs." Opening on the platform at a union meeting to discuss a strike, the scene remains unaltered throughout; sometimes it is brought into prominence, but again is converted into a dim background. Arguments for and against the strike ara bandied about, with numerous interjections from the union members who are actually grouped in the theatre audience. Specious arguments are voiced by Harry Fatt, a prominent member of ,the union, but the tool of the employers till his persuasions provoke the indignant protest of one of the members of the union who proceeds to tell his own experience, the scene then merging into the living room of the speaker's home during a domestic quarrel. The scenes then move from an office in a hospital, with two doctors fretting vainly against the poverty and injustice which hinders their work back to the meeting; to a play pro-r ducer's office with a broken-down ac'or seeking work; a poor home where the dreams of young love are shattered by hard economic facts; then back to the meeting and the climax. In the unpleasant role of Harry Fatt, Henri Potvine gave one of the outstanding performances of the evening. He was thoroughly in character, and his bullying bombast was neatly emphasised by the sinister shadow of his gunman (I. Jamieson). Feminine honours were won by Breta Callender, who gave an appealing performance as the young girl denied the right to love. She was ably supported by Arthur Burns. L. H. Frude, Nail Ferguson, Claude Grey, Adele Marks, and Betty Groves also carried conviction, but of two or three of these players, and in a lesser degree of some of those already mentioned it must be said that they were inclined to sacrifice clarity of speech to raucous emphasis or to attempts to imitate an American nasality of speech. Of a more straisht-forwardly dramatic nature was " Till the Day I Die," a play dealing with Nazi Germany and the fates of a group of Communists. As Ernest Tausig. Dick Nancarrow was called upon to carry-a heavy burden, but he carried it in a manner which is deserving of high praise. He was the living symbol of the idealist beaten and tortured, mentally and physically, almost beyond endurance, but unbroken even in death. He was seldom off the stage for long, but never was he guilty of a lapse from character. Opposite him, Alice Clarke had a task which was hardly less than his, and she gave complete satisfaction. Arthur Burns, as Carl Tausig, also had a heavy responsibility, which he proved himself competent to bear. Henri Potvine presented another pleasantly robust piece of work as Detective Popper, and Claude Grey and Sidney Lock, as rival Nazi officers, ably interpreted a tense scene. Betty Pilling, Leslie Frude and C. R. Allen were • responsible for effective characterisations. In this play the fault of inaudibility was again too often committed, even after allowances have been made for the interruptions from outside the theatre. The plays were both ably staged, produced and directed. As producer, Miss Madge Yates showed that she was fully in sympathy with the stagecraft of the author, and largely to her efforts is due the success which was attained. Mr Aubrey Stephens, as stage manager, was thoroughly efficient in his sphere. The plays will be performed again this evening and to-morrow evening.