THE SOUNDER DRAMA.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1327, 3 January 1912, Page 2

THE SOUNDER DRAMA.

MR. H. B. IRVING. RECEPTION AT AUCKLAND. (By TclccraDh-Prcss Association.) Auckland, January 2. A , civic welcome was exifiided to Mr, 11. B. Irving, ike Shakespearean actor, and Mrs. Irving (Miss Dorothea Baird) at the Town Hall Chambers this morning. The Mayor said hn felt sure that citizens of Auckland would join with him in. extending a very hearty welcome to Mr. Irving ami his 'distinguished wife. (Applause.) Mr. Irving was not, merely a distinguished Shakespearean acfor, but he was also a barrister, an author, and a scholar. (Applause.; He welcomed the visit of Mr. Irving us an indication of a raturn to the sound class of drama,which had so refreshed New Zealand some years ago. (Loud applause.) ] Air. Irving, who was received with prolonged applause, said he was sensible of the fact that an unusual hououV, was lie:ny done to himself and his wife', ,-uid ho realised.that the reason was perhaps due in some measure to the name he bore and to tho memory of his father. (Applautt x He tnlirely agreed with what the M iyor had sai<l about the theatre in Australia and Zealand having been overwm'lme<l in recent years by a preponderance if lighter works* It was therefore necessary for the' sounder drama to put forth nil us efforts iu sustaining interest. What with light comedies nowadays, and what •villi pictures—(laughter)---iu. which ; lav? lika "Romeo, and Juliet" were reduced io 40 minutes, ho -vas surprised' that there were left iu Australia sufficient people to sit through a play of the more substantial order. (Laughter.) .Shakespeare waa a-practical writer who wrote to keep himself alive, and the, only reason why his works .survived,, while the finelywritten plays of his contemporaries had died, .was, because Shakespeare understood the requirements of the stage. Ilia greatest pride, if he could but come back awl review the present conditions, would surely be that those plays which draw great audiences in his day were drawing great audiences in our day to;i. (Applause.) As long as this continued, and the virile works of those who were writing for the stago at the present time survived, there was no fear of decadence. Referring to "Hamlet," Mr..lrving said (hey would be more than happy if they were able to do anything'to make the play live on this side <>f the world, and he hoped their visit might be as pleasant to the people of New Zealand as it promised to bo, (o his wife and himself. (Prolonged : applause.) AN INTERVIEW. VIEWS ON THE DRAMATIC ART. In the course of a oliat with an Aucky land "Herald" representative, Mr. H. B. Irving, tlii» English actor; noted the lack of an efficient standard of dramatic artin Australasia. ■ . '_.' -._'' "I'ou are u young country," Jfr. Irving pointed out, "but your time will I conic. I can soy confidently thftt such has been the success of Mr. Oscar Asdie and myself on this side of tho world that tho leading men of the profession are bound to iind their way here. 1 know for u fact that Beerbohm Tree contemplates coining out." Tho best teacher of dramatic art, in Mr. trving's opinion, i≤ an actor, and no training could, ho thought, equal that to lbs obtained iu the stock company of an actor-manager. The. drama was so ■ well supported in Australia and New Zealand that he quite believed this desirable opportunity of improvement in their art might, iu (ho not distant future, be afforded to Australasian actors. The best school for an actor is, he said, an audience. Dramatic schools could teach them gesture 'and general technique, but therewas nothing like the public gaze to quicken a performer's best instincts. '; "My father u=ed to toy," remarked Mr. Irving, "when people talked to him about schools of dramatic art, '1 have kept a. school for 30 years at the Lyceum,' and there was sound truth in what ho said." Pending development, Mr. Irving said Now Zealand should foster its Shakespeare societies. These had done an enormous amount of good in the direction of setting standards at Home. They should bo as catholic as possible, by no means confining themselves to Shakespeare, and good could be done by these societies affiliating with .-the British Empire Shake-' [ spcaro Society. Ho himself- would' , be only too willing to assist New Zealand societies to bring about some such affiliation.