WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR THE THEATRE?

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 190, 28 August 1937, Page 10

WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR THE THEATRE?

The future of the theatre and the part it appears destined to play in society formed the subject of a university extensiOn lecture given in Hamilton by Professor W. A. Sewell, profiessor of English at Auckland TJniversity College. Professor Sewell began, by tracing the evolution of the modern realistic ' or naturalistic drama from its beginnings in the middle of the nineteenth century. In 1840, he said, there wero only two theatres in London — Drury Lane and the Haymarket — where legitimate drama might be produced. No other theatre' might produce a play unless it was accompanied by music. This monopoly, and thefact that both these theatres were huge, barn-like places, prevented the earlier appearance of the intimatet realistic atmosphere which eharacterised most modern dramatic plays. In these old theatres acting was declamatory, and the players had to bawl their lines to be heard. IheEise of Eealism. The monopoly was broken, however, in 1849, after which the smaller theatres, where flamboyant spectacle and ranting were unnecessary, came into their own. If this were an evolutionary development within the theatre, a most important ' influence oatside it, continued Professor Sewell, was' the democratic development of the age. Prom 1840 onward could be marked the rise of middle-class self-examina-lion and introspection. "These people saw on the stage," he continued, "thejr own problems, their own li.ves exhibited and dissected, and this all resulted in an artform or style of drama— realism or naturalism — that has held the field until the prosent day.*' In the drama of realism the actors were natural and behaved. as ordinary men and women behave, the scenery was photographically faithful} charaeteristics which refleeted the scientific or "truth" movement pf the tim.es. Strength and impetus were given to the naturalistic school by the work of the Eussians, Ohekhov and Stanislavsky, author and producer respectively. ."The Stage i£ TJniq.ue." Eealism, however, the speaker continued, as portrayed on the stage had served its purposo, It was at best a contradictory philosophy, for the business of the artist was to make music and meaning out of life. "The stago is unique, 1 ' he went on, "in that it alone appeals to eye and ear at the same time, and further ,than that, its appeal to the eye is a moving appeal."1 The possibilities of orderly movement (dancing) and significant movement (gesture) had never yet been properly explored, yet it seemed that in that direction lay, in part, at least, the future of the theatre. "No'thing has been done in this direction yet " 6aid Professor Sewell, ' ' since the work of the Eussian ballet can be excluded as too precious, too divorced from reality, too meaningless. "We know only little things about tHa art of the theatre, and we cannot guess what will be achieved in the future by the use of shapes and colours. I believe that the drama will be the communal art of the future.'* Bringing Back Poetry., Professor Sewell said that he did not agree wxth the view of the producer Gordon Craig that the spoken word would pass from the theatre. More, he felt that poetry ehould again be introduced into drama. "TJntil we have again the rhythms of poetic speech and the erowding images of Shakespeare's time, Ihe theatre will remain clouded over with the sickly pallor which marks not only Noel Coward's cheeks but also his ])lays. What he is doing with the English language is deserving of capital punishment. In his plays you see the complete annihilation of beauty; there is no social meaning in them, nothing but a titivation of what is nastiest in people: A tickling by a witty tongue of itching palates." TJnder the influence of true ■ dramatic art the mind of man was capable of rising to great height's of appTeciative feeling, and the conception that the drama might in time become a serious

celebration of ' what was most worthwhile in men and women was not altogether fantastie. At the conelusion of his address Professor Sewell showed a eeries of lantern slides illustrative of the latest trends in dTamatic production, with ispecial Teferenee to the uSefulness of "unit" theatres, where the supply of settings was restricted.