TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 129, 25 February 1919, Page 5

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING

ADVICE TO BUDDING RECITERS. ' Kef erring to", tho choice of oharacter recitations by the contestants at yesterday afternoon's session of the competitions, the judge (Mr, J". F. Montague) said that it was gratifying to see that out of the sixteen original entries in the class thirteen had selected pieces from Shakespeare. That would seem to indicate a higher standard of thought generally than was the case when competitions first started. There was hope for a, community when thirteen out of sixteen competitors selected Shakespeare. He was not at all sure—he did not wish to be harsh—that it would not bo good to give the potion scene from "Romeo and Juliet" a. holiday. It was an admirable 6cene and one of the most dramatic in the whole range of Shakespeare, tat if he might venture to advise, there were other fine scenes in Shakespeare and in the works of other authors. Thoy could well afford to let the potion scene Test a little and dig it up later. In another class there was Jo's scene from "Bleak House," which was horrible to teach children, and only effective when superbly done (a 9 they had seen it done in New Zealand). The Chvistchurch competitions were coming on. He did liope that in that case competitors would spare the judge —who was a very good fellow—the potion scene from "Romeo and Juliet." He was not sure that the jßrince Arthur scene (from "King John") did not also call for a little rest. (Laughter.) Some of the performers had not reached the standard they had attained in other classes, but on the whole the work had. been very good,