A PLAY FOR AUCKLAND

New Zealand Listener, Volume 37, Issue 933, 28 June 1957, Page 11

A PLAY FOR AUCKLAND

Sir,-In the light of your correspondent Peter Harcourt’s comments on thé Southland Centennial play-writing competition and the announcement in Arts Review recently from Station 2YC concerning a similar competition sponsored by the Auckland Arts Festival Society, it seems to me that the NZBS has in the past shown clearly how such competitions should be conducted. It seems likely that the Auckland competition will give rise to some dissatisfaction, if not with the results certainly over the conditions. In the first place, intending authors have to advise the Society of their intention to enter before’ submitting a play. Presumably, this is in order that the Society can decide whether or not the entrant is a fit and proper person to be allowed to enter! Secondly, while there are no restrictions on the character of the play, it must be "good theatre," a description which is undefined and one which I feel certain is open to many different interpretations.’ The winner is to receive ten per cent of the gross takings of the production of the play at the Auckland Festival next year. No theatre is indicated in which the production will be given, nor the number of performances, so no pos-

sible return can thus be estimated. Further, this is no more in effect than what submission of a play by any playwright to an agent or management can achieve, more or less. But any other management, accepting the play and putting it into production, would expect it to run longer than a season at the Auckland Festival, so that the author would stand to receive considerably more than he could possibly receive from Auckland. It seems to me the Auckland Festival is getting a play "on the cheap." Finally, the author is asked to submit four typewritten copies of the play, the cost of which could possibly amount to more than his reward should he win! Also, why should four copies have to be submitted when there are only three judges announced? But then, I notice that the judges do not have the final decision, The final decision on production rests with the executive of the Festival Society. Thus the judges might discover a fine play, the executive reject the idea of producing it, and so the author get nothing after all! The radio play competitions organised by the NZBS some years ago were models which such organisations might well follow. Moreover, they gave satisfaction to competitors and listeners alike.

MARGARET

MACDONALD

(Wellington).

(A copy of this letter was sent to Mr W. Laird Thomson, Managing Secretary of the Auckland Festival Society, who has replied as follows: "The conditions of the competition have been drawn to suit the particular requirements of the Auckland Festival. If the winning play is successful in an Auckland presentation, it is likely that production will follow elsewhere. If, as has been the case with some other plays given their original production in the overseas Dominions, it is follow24d by production in, say, England and America, then the successful author would receive a far better return for his efforts than he would if a straight out monetary prize were offered without any guarantee of production. The only reason why the Executive of the Auckland Festival Society. reserves to itself tne right to decide on production is because the Executive is finally responsible for the financial outcome of the Festival, and cannot afford to risk too large a sum on a production that, while possibly of considerable merit, might not have a sufficiently wide appeal to justify the risks of production." -Ed. )