THE DRAMA

Southland Times, Issue 25309, 12 June 1935, Page 11

THE DRAMA

DEVELOPMENT TRACED ADDRESS TO GIRLS . The important part played by the drama in the lives of the people of a country was stressed by Mr J. J. W. Pollard, president of the Southland branch of the New Zealand Drama League, in an address yesterday afternoon to the girls attending the Educational Week arranged by the Women s Division of the Farmers’ Union. As far as was known the drama had its origin in the' religious dances of ancient times, for in most of these ceremonies dancing took a part. Mr Pollard began. These dances were a form of representation, as was the ballet which in more recent times supplanted. them. Eventually dancing became less important than the story and so evolved the drama. .

Speaking of the way in which the drama had shaped itself in various parts of the world, the speaker traced the dramatic efforts of the Greeks. Their theatres were enormous, constructed in the open air and made to hold thousands of people. The stage was a platform also open to the air, and leading on to it were three doors. From one door would emerge those portraying the evildoers, from another the “good” characters and from the centre door the hero. Thus the audience had no difficulty in deciding who was good and who was bad. The function of the chorus was to form a comment and assist in the action of the play by adopting convenient poses and movements of the arms. Simplicity of the Greek Drama. The immensity of the Greek theatre had a considerable influence on the drama of the day. The players wore masks and fittings to the heels to make them appear larger, while it was essential that the characters should be simple and the dialogue direct. Complexity of detail had to be avoided, and this was the real reason for the simplicity of the Greek drama. The English drama began in much the same way, first as simple plays in the churches and later in structures which were transported around the fairs. Gradually public taste improved, the players became more professional, there was an improvement on the miracle theme for plays, and so came the settled theatre. For a' time the inn courtyard was the theatre, this being later replaced by the special structure. The evolution of the French drama was also traced by Mr Pollard, who also spoke of the “No” drama of Japan. The latter was a survival of Japanese ritualistic drama, and everything was done to strict convention; the hero always stood in one position, the villain in another.

Drama of the People. “The early drama was the drama of the people,” said Mr Pollard. “It had its roots in the soil, and was not attended by the dukes and princes of the day. As it became conventionalized and as the expense of staging productions grew, the drama began to move away from the people. In more recent years the drama began to decay, and many have blamed the moving picture. The commercial theatres in the smaller centres have died, but actually the drama is now on the upgrade because it has fallen on days of adversity. It has had to get back to the essentials. “There is a need for the drama today, and that is why the community drama is developing in New Zealand as well as in other countries. The people want it. The motion pictures have killed the commercial drama and put it back into the hands of the people.” Mr Pollard concluded by saying that as the sons and daughters of the world had more leisure their thoughts would turn to things of the intellect. There might arise a great New Zealand dramatist, but that could only come about if they understood and enjoyed the drama, and if they used their brains. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the speaker on the motion of Mrs J. Stewart, provincial president of the Women’s Division, who referred to opportunities afforded by leisure time to cultivate the mind. PLAY READ

EXPLANATORY ADDRESS. The play, “Maker of Dreams,” was read to the girls by members of the Play Reading Circle of the Southland Women’s Club, the performance being prefaced by a short address by Mrs Stanley Brown. Explaining the methods adopted for the reading of a play, Mrs Brown said that the play was first given out to be prepared. At the end of a week a rehearsal was called, the books were handed back and another week for other rehearsal being held before the play was read. That was the procedure for an ordinary reading night at the club, but for an open night there were never fewer than five or six rehearsals. Play-read-ing had advantages over acting in the sense that plays could be read by many people who would never attempt to act. These people could not memorize or move easily on the stage, or could not give the time for rehearsal. Playreading appealed to a large performing circle. Among the rules to be observed were that the readers must be heard, they must have an excellent chorus, clear voice and concise manner. The facial expression was most important.

The play to be read, Mrs Brown went on, was a fantasy, presented because few people, particularly Britishers, gave rein to the imagination. The presentation of a fantasy was most difficult.

The cast was as follows: Chorus. Mrs Uttley; pierrot, Miss Manson; pierette, Miss Nance Watts; manufacturer, Mrs Stanley Brown.

Thanks were returned by Mrs Stewart, Mrs W. H. Ward adding that she had read the play and found it uninteresting, but she had changed her mind after the presentation just given.