“THE PEOPLE’S THEATRES.”

Hokitika Guardian, 17 July 1930, Page 7

“THE PEOPLE’S THEATRES.”

“You must not judge the theatre by the commercialised theatre, in which the desire to make money by pandering to pruriency and ignorance has ousted the high ideal of dramatic art. You must judge the theatre of to-day by the productions of what are known as people’s theatres, little theatres, by dramatic guilds, and by the plays that are chosen ip competitions organised by the League of Drama, by. the Women’s Institutes, by the Workers’ Education Association, in which players from remote country villages take part. It is by these things that you must iudge the theatre of to-day, and you must also recognise that even, the commercialised theatres haye been obliged to bend to the demand for drama which shall show-goodness, truth and, beauty. lam not] at a loss to quote instances. There /are ‘Peer Gvnt.’ “The ,Passing of the Third Floor Back.’ “The Only Way.’ “The Likes of Her.’ ‘St. Joan/- Pelican,’ ‘The Lady with the Lamp/ and others. Indeed, the interesting thing about modern drama is tb at/it -forces ns to see that the self-seek'ihg?person is on the way to death, and thijt those who are concerned witji the wall-being of the community, and of -their neighbours, are in truth alive.”—The Rev. T. C. Gobat, preaching at Westminister Abbey.