Dochter of the Chorch
FOUND the first scene of the Cambridge, Massachusetts production of Saint Joan (Showcase) almost wholly strange and jarring: the characters all spoke in strong Irish, and Siobhan McKenna’s Joan had the tang of the peat bogs. Yet this, I found, was an initial impression only, quickly dispelled as the play proceeded. If Sybil Thorndike could give us a Lancashire Maid, not only get away with it, but lay it down as the authoritative accent for the part, (continued on next page)
_ (continued ‘from frevious page) why shouldn’t Edith Campion have played it in Scots for the New Zealand Players, and why not an Irish Maid? After all, the Saint spoke, presumably, rough French: to use an English text at all is merely a convention. That said, let me pass on to say that at the end of the first five scenes of this production (the trial and epilogue will follow) I think this Irish Maid the most dis- | tinguished I have ever heard. She seemed to have studied with care the words of her countryman J. M. Synge, in the introduction to The Playboy: "In a good play, every speech should be as fully flavoured as a nut or an apple." Saint Joan is such a play, but it needs an artist determined equally on flavour to make its tang palpable. This fine actress did so with the most touching intensity and a wide emotional range. The great difficulty of the part is to fuse in one image the child of nature and the child of God. Siobhan McKenna > did so, firing her Joan by passion, insight and understanding. |
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19591023.2.35.5
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 41, Issue 1052, 23 October 1959, Page 20
Word count
Tapeke kupu
273Dochter of the Chorch New Zealand Listener, Volume 41, Issue 1052, 23 October 1959, Page 20
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in