To the Editor of the "Nonra-Cuixa Dany News"
SmI wish to raise my voice in protest at the play which was pre-Sented to us last night under the above title by the AD.C, There was a time when we were told that the stage in general, and Amateur Dramatic Clubs in parti cular, was out to elevate and to try to ennoble lite. We have been told, time and time again, that there were three powerful factors working for the good of society, albeit in perhaps different ways, the Press, the Church and the Stage, and that each, in different ways, was tackling the pri blems of modern. life, and ande: vouring to support each other in all efforts to raise the standards of so-lal "life in the community. But when one finds the last named lowering itself to present such absolute rubbish as we saw last night, one wonders whether the stage, which has of recent years, been. once again gaining for itself 'a glor-fous reputation as a power for good, not sinking down to the levels of third-class music hall.
Do not mistake me, Mr. Editor, I am not complaining of good hearty fun, nor am 1 complaining of the individual acting at Last night's performance, this latter, I should say was excellent, but why give young and talented' players such absolute rot to perform. Is there no room for Idealism on the stage? The old worn-out game of poking fun at the arson 1s played out, but for want of something better, was revived last night In a distasteful way.
To present to an intelligent audi-fence the picture of a girl being en-tieed away by a married man with a wife and a delightful child, to instil the idea that it cannot be wrong because her lower feelings clamour for expression, lower feelings which should be called animal passion or "sex", but, which are
moreover, that she is not breaking presented "ove, and fay because she realises that her Hon 18 wrong but mainly because her friend browbeats her into submission is an insult to the players and to thave who come to see the play.
Who is responsible for the selec tion of the plays to be produced? Is there no selection committee, the members of which will realize their responsibility not only to entertain ut to elevate and who will maintain in Shanghai the renewed and idealistic traditions of the stage.
Shanghai, Oct. 18.
Comment on page 128,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.