THE THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 294, 31 August 1918, Page 11

THE THEATRE

(liy "'Sylvius.")

Censor of Plays, Is there u censor of plavs in Now Zealand:-' Personally 1 'have never heard of one.—certainly no one' hearing that title, oliicially. Power is invested in tlio police to take proceedings should a play, in their opinion, he indecent (or, shall we say, unduly indelicate:-'), Ijud up to date I have, never heard of the police, objecting to any piny, or opera, or revuo (aiuf some entertainments under the latter heading have certainly overstepped the line of delicacy, nay. have been absolutely indecent). That, however., is beside the point. The peculiar anomaly exists at present that we have a censor of pictures and not a censor of plays, and that anomaly lias brought in its train a circuinstance calculated to'cast ridicule on tho authorities in. respect to their control over theatrical productions. Bocontlv a picture, entitled "Tho Monk and the \Yomnn," was submitted to the censor (Air. Joliffe), who turned it down, presumably on the score that the narrative might give oll'cnce. to one section of tho community. But.whilst the picture has not been passed for exhibition tho.plav itself has been staged from ouo end of New Zealand do the other years ago without exciting any sectarian comment. As a matter of fact the play is hardly worthy of serious comment as a contribution t.o the serious Morn-' ture of tho stage, and on those grounds it is just, a little surprising that the picture should ho banned. lam not advocating a Censor of Plavs. Far lroin.it. .Every phiy is 'made or marred long before it roaches New Zealand, and, as a genenl thing, only those plays which have proved successful elsewhere_ (irrespective of whether they deservo it or no) are reserved Tor production, in New Zealand. On tho Kngiish _ experience the censorship of plays, viewed in perspective, is a somewhat farcical business, as plays which are banned one year are passed the next. Here are a few of the-plavs which have been censored in EiHand at one time, mid have long since .become familiar at least to the English ,pnygoor:-lbsen\s "Doll's House" Slian-s ".Airs. Warren's Profession," Samt-Saeiis's opera "Samson and Delilah,' Oscar Wilde's "Salome," ami Brienx's "Damaged Goods." All of these plays, thanks to the excellent advertisement given to them by the King's Bender of Plays, Ikivo been produced many times since profitably \\hat, then, are the uses of ceiisor-p'-c ,^' ,lat w °uW our graudmathers say if they saw thirty or forty girls rushing round hal'f-naked, as they do in some of the modern revues? "Exactly—what will the picture censor of ten years hence have to snv about Air Johlle's hltie-peneilling of '"Tho AJonk and the AAoman"?

Notes, Cappelli is singing in Nelson to-ni;ht and on Monday next. . " Mr. Leo de Chateau, tho jiopular picture manager, volunteered for military service in Australia, hut was reieetcd as unlit : for active service. Ho lias boon classed as "Kit A" as a picture boomster. AY. L. Abingdon, for many years the leading villain'in'melodrama'in London, died in New York a few weeks i'go. The deceased aclor was-asso-ciated a great deal with the lute .Air. "William Terriss (who it will be remembered was fatally stabbed by a woman when leaving the stage door of the Adelphi Theatre, London, some spars ago). Tn London on Friday, June 28. Nt a matinee in aid of tho Countess of Lytton's hospital for wounded soldiers, three now playlets by Sir James Barrio were played. 'I'hey were "La Politcssc," "A AVr.H-Keinemhered A'oico," and "The Origin of Harlequin." New Zealand playgoers will be glad to learn that after the present Melbourne season "The Thirteenth Chair" will be, played in Brisbane audi throughout tho Dominion..