The Producer at Work
:-Studying the Dialogue
E. MARTIN BROWNE
This afternoon E. Martin Browne is to continue his outline of the duties of a play producer. Over-acting and stepping out of the character are common faults of the amateur actor, and listeners will be told how to avoid them. Advice, too, will be given on the best treatment of dialogue. To illustrate this talk, E. Martin Browne has arranged for a reading from John Van Druten 's play After All to be broadcast, both with and without pauses. Thus listeners will hear the dramatic value of a pause, and how the dramatic effect may be lost without one.
The excerpt will be taken from Act I,
Scene I. Henzie Raeburn will take the part of Phyl, and John Richmond that of Ralph. No doubt many listeners will find it helpful to read the scene beforehand.
The broadcast over, members of Discussion Groups can get together and argue out among themselves the various points dealt with. Is the play that deals with life more or less as it is of more value than romantic drama ? Or can't they be compared ? Does After All reflect life ? Whether or no, isn't the dialogue admirable ? In what particular places in the scene did Henzie Raeburn and John Talbot deliberately over-act or under-act their parts ? How many marks would a listener award Van Druten for humour ? Is humour essential in a play ?