THE DRAMA LEAGUE AND ITS AIMS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 196, 4 September 1937, Page 10

THE DRAMA LEAGUE AND ITS AIMS

"It is indeed heartening that someone should come forward and express his views upon the Drama League, and especially so when the festival is fresh in people 's minds," writes Mr M. F. Greenwood, secretary of the Hawke's Bay area of the league, in referring to the notes by Jeremy Collier. Junr., which have been appearing on this page. "I have nothing but thanks to mahe to Jeremy Collier, Junr., and hope sincerely that his example will be followed by others," Mr. Greenwood adds. "To discuss the league is well worth while, and I take this opportunity to try to reply- to his candid statement: 'I should be most interested, and probably others as well, to know oxactly what the aims of the league are.' "To begin with, the Drama League is bound hand. and foot with the idea of the amateur. An amateur, as language tells us, is one who loves. In this sense — and it is the right senee in which ,to take the word — the most gifted of profesisionals are amateurs. Cease to be an amateur and one forfeits the

right to professionalism. But the league is not vocational; it is cultural, "This is the central idea of the league. Bealising the unquenchable human appetite for drama^ and the value of giving indiyiduale a chance to express themselves "(be it noted, either actively as performers or appreciatively as audience), the founders of the league instituted the procedure that is broadly followed at any festival. "The procedure, embodying as i.t does the adjudicator and his criticism, the uniform conditions of staging for all teams, and the competitive bait, is frankly educati.onal. Only by instruction and effort can culture be achieved. Both of these esentials are found at a festival. "So the aims of the Drama League are simple indeed. To lielp those who want to act to have an opportunity of acting, and of acting more competently year by year; to help producers. and to encourage would-jbo producersj to help those who enjoy watching drama to appreciate more fully ite dif&culti.es and potentialities — in short, to make drama a living 'culture lnstead of a specialised vocation. "This is the only axe the league has to grind. It does not pose ae a competitor against the cinema or the music halls. It has perhaps only one enemy — the competitions. It strivea to supply a need of civilisation. "For purposes of control and guidance there is. a New Zealand national headquarters in Wellington of the British Drama League. To this headquarters there are many local areas afSliated throughout both ielands. National headquarters is maintained by annual grants from the areas and also a toll levied on the profits of indivi.dual festivals. "Be3ides its executive functions national headquarters provides a drama tutor wkose services can be cngaged by areas in all kinds of drama work; and a lending li.br ary of plays and reference books."