Budding Playwrights?

The other point I wish to raise is [unclear: at], in my opinion, it is a great pity [unclear: at] the scripts of the College shows [unclear: re] not preserved, at least, in the [unclear: braries] of the respective Colleges. It [unclear: s] disturbing but nevertheless true that [unclear: he] bulk of original stage-writing com[unclear: osed] in New Zealand and produced in [unclear: ur] local theatres is comprised of the [unclear: nnual] Capping Shows of our Univer[unclear: ity] Colleges. They are the only [unclear: edium] of expression a budding New [unclear: ealand] playwright has available and which will provide a reasonable chance of his efforts being publicly performed, True, they are often immature; not unnaturally, they sometimes indicate a lack of appreciation of stage-craft and technique; "Colonel Blimps" naturally fulminate against the degeneracy of the budding intellectuals of the country; some even think that student shows are a disgrace and should be [unclear: sp] pressed. But this must be remembered. No other organisation seems to possess the originality, the spontaneity and the willingness to blaze the trail of a truly New Zealand theatre and still show a reasonable profit over a period of years because of, not in spite of, its appeal to John Citizen.

Ian Dick.