THE THEATRE OF TO-MORROW

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 83, 2 January 1919, Page 5

THE THEATRE OF TO-MORROW

ITS HOLE IN THE AGE OP RECONSTRUCTION. (By Harold Biighouse, author of "Hobeon's Choice" and other Plays). The most vital need of the theatre of the future is undoubtedly reconstruction. That this is on its ivay is proved by the omphntio success if "Twelfth i Night" at the Court.Theatre—the most welcome theatrical news I havo heard for many a day. Dramatically we have deteriorated to the level of the present-day food supply. But our' food has bettered; drama hasn't! ' Only entertainment—which is quite a distinct thing from drama—has mattered. I During the war I had every, sympathy with the objeot of giving the "boys" a good time; and the men on leave did not want to be made to think in the theatre; they had time enough for*that in tho .branches. Underclothing, violent colour, crude incident and emotion were the marks of the theatre in our "war-time—not the marks of the beast; only the marks of a beastly time. The war undoubtedly ■ affected public opinion' in regard to the theatre, for there can be no denying tliat tho theatre reflects the age. It has reflected .an age of reckless.luxury. The next age, however, will be an age of reconstruction, and the theatre willmust, if it is to'survive—reflect the age. Nationally we must be economical. We must return to simplicity. Where wo put pleasure first\we must put duty first. The theatre of to-morrow will consequently be a 6imple.T theatre. By that I do not mean a theatre for simpletons, but very much the reverse. But it will deal simply with ' the vitnl things of life. The object of the dramatist Is to express the reaction of event en character. The war-time theatre has largely ignored character, partly with justice. Patriotism levels us up; it irun3 individuality into one great mould. 3?ut peace reintroduces conflict into the internal affairs of ,v country, and conflict is the great builder of character; with conflict character will re-emerge. Itvmust not be taken that I consider that the theatre of the future will be a 6ad thoatre On the contrary, there must be joy in the theatre of to-morrow. We shall need joy; and the function of the dramatist is to exhiibt the 7,est of life by means, of drama in contradistinction to the false joys of counterfeited luxury on :the stage. The drama of depression, the favourite'medium of tho intellectuals bofore the war, has. passed. Comedv and true ro-mance—roma-nce not of Dumas—must take its place. The plays will not be war plays. Neither will they bo plays which ignore the fact that there has been a war. Tho fundamental keynote will be simplicity; and if tho theatro will- not be a palace of truth it will, at least, abandon its hectic standards of war-time luxury and attain by simple means a simpler, truer note. ■ > It will bow to necessitv: and through necessity will come renaissance.