The Moral:

Ideally, of course, a satisfying performance of The Cherry Orchard calls for the full resources of the modern theatre—a perfect orchestration of aural and visual modes. I do not know of any play in which subtly varied lighting, perfectly timed music, and a whole battery of "noises off," can more legitimately contribute to the total effect. It is clear that the V.U.C. Drama Club must somehow recruit, impress, or seduce an adequate team of technical assistants, and try really to cope with modem production methods, whatever the difficulties.

Which brings me back to my starting-point. It is all very well to say that within a couple of years the college may have a well-equipped modern theatre with all the gadgets—but what use will they be if no one has been trained to make the most of them? And what happens to the case for the best possible Memorial Theatre in which a full range of stage effects will be possible, if it is evident that the Drama Club, with its present membership, can not make the best possible use of the Little Theatre it has got?

It is quite unfair to invite the most gifted guest producer to handle a serious play, unless it can be guaranteed that a small group of technical assistants—above all, electricians and stage-management—will be made available. Surely out of its 2000 odd bodies, many of them scientific, V.U.C. can provide these?

So much good work had been put into this production of The Cherry Orchard—into study of the text, acting, design, and music—that it may seem ungrateful to ask for more. But adequate technical support, I am sure, would have turned a very good performance into an outstanding one. My chief criticism here is not so much of those who took part, as of those who didn't. And I hope that Margaret Walker, who has shown her faith in the possibilities of intimate theatre in a university setting, may be one of the first producers to gave us a play of her own choice (The Three Sisters?) in the new model College Theatre towards which, like Trofimov, We aspire.

—James Bertram.