A MUCH-DISCUSSED COMEDY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 884, 2 August 1910, Page 4

A MUCH-DISCUSSED COMEDY.

The very strong attack made on tbe farce-comedy "The Girl From Rector's" by certain local .ministers has naturally aroused a good deal of public interest, not only in tho play itself, but in tho much larger question of the censorship of plays. Wo do not propose to discuss the latter issue on the present occasion. It is admittedly a most difficult 1 one. While most people recognise the nocossity for providing safeguards against the production of plays calculated to offend tho moral sense of the bulk of the community, opinions differ widely us to the means of acconisHshing that end. If tho Government attempt to deal with tho question as seems to have been suggested to tho Attorney-Gen-eral it will have.to frame its legislation on very broad lines indeed, in order to escape the risk of doing more harm than good by its action. As to the particular play which has caused tho outburst of feeling on the present occasion, it was presented ai tho. Opera House last evening beforo a packed audience. Tho publicity it has received, no -doubt, partly accounted for this; and that samo publicity must also have served to direct , - special attention to any unpleasant features of the comedy, had they oxisted. As a'matter of fact, as presented, and we understand that the presentation was the samo as in the other centres in New Zealand visited by tho Company, tho piece did not in any way warrant 'the strong which have teen uoseed on it and is more whole-

.some than many comody-f.irces against which no . outcry has heen raised. It would I'm difficult, il not impossible, to find a phrase or a word in any of the four acts to which exception can, be taken on the ground of propriety; the only possible objection that can be brought against the play,. bo it sccnib U> m>, 1.5 the fact that it arises out of the quasi-infidelity of two of the characters. At the sanio time, the play is only concerned with this fact as an opening situation and nothing more. No doubt as originally played, in America "The Girl Froni Ileetor'a" was an offensive thing, but for Australasian audiences it has, judged on last night's performance, been purged of offence in phrase or situation. The moral seems to be that to prejudge a play on secondhand information is quite as likely to lead to injustius being done as in any other case. We do not think that Mr. . Waud and his Company are likely to suffer, however, in the present caso.