AN AMERICAN LOOKS AT THE NEW ZEALAND STAGE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 26, 23 October 1937, Page 11

AN AMERICAN LOOKS AT THE NEW ZEALAND STAGE

There was something poignant about the arrival during the week of an envelope from New York addressed to the drama editor of the Herald-Tri-bune. It contained a page torn from the New York Herald-Tribune. Featured on it was an articlo by the late Mr. Ray Henderson, agent of the American actress, Miss Katharine Cornell. Not so long ago Mr. Henderson was in Hastings and Napier malcing arrangements for Miss Corncll's tour next year. Later he wont to Australia to further the arrangements. It was while he was on his way from Australia to England that ho . was drowned when an Imperial Airways flying-boat overturned in alighting near Athens. Mr. Henderson 's opinions of New Zealand) are worth recording. 'New Zealand, from all accounts, is starved for the spoken drama, " he wrote. " Announcexpents of the possibility of Miss Cornell's Appearance hero have brought a surprising response. Despite her never having been seen on the screen or heard on the radio, she is known in this country. Her abstinence from the films has been commented upon in the Press and by the public as a virtue. "Not cnany companies visit New Zealand from abroad. Australia sends perhaps a half dozen troupes through the year. 'The Russian Ballet — an offspring of the De Basil organisation — came to this part of the globe for a £hree-month season, and has remained a year. The J. C. Williamson Company sends out a Gilberf and Sullivan Comapny eaeh altCrnate twelve months, and produces some London and American stage successes with native players. Pauline Frederick was 'the last American actress to visit New Zealand. The Marcus show, now in Australia, attracted packed houses'in this country, and its ' spectacular effects and American speed' stOl are being disciissed. "PLHS TAX." "Theatr'ical prices in New Zealand ordinarily are 1.50 dollar top, plus tax," Mr. Henderson added. "A 'preferential' price of two dollars may be charged, but only by outstanding successes. The Government tax runs a little less than 10 per cent. Prices are advertised without the tax, bringing home to the customer that the tax is a matter to speak about to the Government and not to the ticket seller. It is the custom in the four chief cities, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, to put on sale one week in advanee only the highest priced tickets. On the d'ay of the performance "the cheaper seats are available if there are any left to be sold at those prices. Thus a theatre, except for its gallery, which is unreserved generally, may be completely sold out at the high figure if the demand is great enough. The Russian Ballet and the Marcus show both frequently did this, and many concert artists are able to do it, for both New Zealand and Australia are profitablo music fields. "The smaller cities resent this system, and so the pra»tice often, though not always, is to make a set scale as in America, though the lower-priced tickets may not be obtained until the day of the play," he added. Sometimes, as in. England, jm extra sixpence is eharged for 'early doors' to the gallery which means thd gallery patron may enter the theatre an hour instead ' of a half hour before the curtain rises, and thus obtain a better location. ' THE HASTINGS THEATRE. j "For the most part the legitimate theatres in New Zealand are old, modelled frequently on the horseshoe plan. One of the handsome playhouses in New Zealand is the Munieipal Theatre in Hastings, a borough of 20,000. Most of the stages, especially in the larger cities, are huge. Guthrie MeClintic (Miss Cornell's . husband and producer), and Jo Mielziner (n.oted New York stage designer) would look upon them with envy, so much scope do they present. Every stage has a 'rake' — that is, the back of the stage floor is higher than it is at the curtain line. This is an old European custom designed to equalise "the rise in the floor of the auditorium. American settings built for a flat stage have to be 'lifted' with triangular blocks to prevent their toppling. "Tyrone Power, who was talccn from Miss Cornell's company by Hollywood, miglit be surprised at liow well his father is Temembered in this part of tho world. "New Zealand is full of amateur repertovy companies. At present 'thero are in different sections annual drama tournaments. Clifford Odetfcs was tlie most talked of American draniatist iu Auckland, where his 'Waiting for Lefty ' and 'Till the Day I Die' had made deep impresrions. The news of

his defeetion to Hollywood was. received with sadness. ' Those amateur groups are catholic in their taste. Unlike many American little theatres, they are not too ambitious, and do not attempt plays beyond their depth. "One lad," reading of the possibility of Miss Cornell visiting New Zealand, travelled 200 iiiiles to interview her representative in Wellington with a view to obtaining a place in her company. "Trayclling is not too easy in New Zealand because "of tho limited • train and boat services. ' Engagements in cities may open on> any day of the week and close on any day, this being entirely governed by train and boat; schedules. As New Zealand works on a forty-hour-wcek basis, virtually everything except theatres -is' closed at Saturday noonj travelling schedules aceordingly are affected, the service onSaturdays and Sundays being at v'raiance with that on other days of the week. Between some cities one either must fly or go by boat. Unfortunately, theatrieal trOupes and their paraphernalia cannot yet be- transported through the skies. "And now," Mr. Henderson concluded," for Australia!"