LADY GAME OFFENDED.

Waikato Times, Volume 111, Issue 18630, 7 May 1932, Page 16 (Supplement)

LADY GAME OFFENDED.

LEAVES THEATRE DRAMATICALLY. OBJECTS TO THEME OF PLAYS. Lady Game’s dramatic departure from the Aeolian Hall during a performance of the Third Annual Oneact Play Tournament organised by Miss Carrie Tennant, has had an electrical effect on members of the Australian Play Society (says a Sydney paper). Lady Game denounced the two plays which she had Just seen, and left the hall at the first interval, protesting strongly to Miss Tennant for having been invited to witness plays of such a "distasteful moral tone."

The plays to which Lady Game objected were “Hypocrites," by T. 5. Gurr, and “No Robbery,” by Tom Moore. In “Hypocrites” the theme is that a man and his wife aim at getting a title and at the same time covering up the sins of their private lives. They continue to live together with the one object of securing the title. Birth Control. “No Robbery” is based on the interchange of wives, with a free-lo've theme running through it, and an occasional mention of birth control.

Explaining that she had worked for three years to help the Australian dramatist, Miss Tennant said that she had Informed the secretary and treasurer of the Australian Play Society that she could not possibly continue after "the slight that had been offered the Australian dramatist by Lady Game.”

Obviously distressed at the action of Lady Game in leaving the hall, Miss Tennant said that she had nothing to do with the plays. Judges were appointed, and were to give their decision that day. A reading committee accepted the plays, and tney were passed after an adequate censorship. The judging committee present at the performance was: Dr. George Mackaness, Mrs W. Bell Allan, Miss Gladys Marks, Mr John V. Gould and Dr. W. R. Firth.

“Does Lady Game object to ‘Carmen,’ to ‘Madame Butterfly’?” asked Miss Tennant. “Does she object to many of the American plays that come here? I feel that she has done an injury and an injustice to the Australian playwright, who has never had a chance in this country.

“Slap In the Fac©.”

“I feel that following the way America has been able to foist .v.l kinds of material on us, we should retaliate with the idea of making Australia conscious.

“The time has arrived to put Australia on the ,map dramatically, but it doesn’t seem fair for Lady Game to make what amounts to a virtual public denunciation of our drama. “Was it not enough for her to announce her displeasure without publication ?

“Australian art has certainly had another unwarranted slap in the face. It is a heartless business trying to make propaganda for abroad when such an Incident as this happens.

“I heard not one word of disapproval from any other source. The .Misses David were there, Miss Nancy Consett Stephen, Miss Cheriton (of “Doone”), the Bedford sisters, Professor Osborne and Professor Sadler. None of these objected. In fact, the Misses David thought the plays were amusing.” Not Moral Grounds. Miss Ruth Bedford, whose play “Postman's Knock” was In the tournament, said that the plays were not judged on moral grounds, but on dramatio quality. She considered that that was all the judges should look for. Miss Bell Allan, one of the judges, considered that one had to move wRn the times. “I do not mention that for the reason that I liked the plays,” she said. “The whole Incident is very regrettable. Other Opinions. Mrs Marcus Marks: I am rather resentful of Lady Game’s strictures. The plays were boring, and not of the vicious type. They were uninteresting. I feel sorry for Miss Tennant, because she has taken the trouble to advertise Australian drama. The two plays were simply representative of the salacious Interest in sex plays. There is a tendency in Sydney among social girls and men to pursue this Idea. It Is rather a pity. Miss Cheriton (of “Doone”): “No Robbery” has no merit, and “Hypocrites” was not elevating. I would not have taken my girls had I known what the plays were like. Professor Sadler: I did not realise there was anything wrong. I suppose the plays were what you would call modern. It is a personal matter as to what anybody takes objection la I thought those kinds of plays to which Lady Game objected had been written before. I qulto Imagine that some people would object because they don’t like modern things. Lady Game later refused to comment on the incident or on the statements of Miss Tennant.