Drama

278 THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO QUARTERLY pp., $3.00). Macbeth (Madge), Shreds of circumstance (London, Eng., W. H. Allen; Toronto, Saunders, 365 pp., $2.75). McCourt (E. A.), The flaming hour (Toronto, Ryerson, vi, 170 pp., $2.25); Music at the close (Toronto, Ryerson, vi, 228 pp., $2.75). MacMechan (Archibald), Tales of the sea; forew9rd by THOMAS H. RAnDALL (Toronto, McClelland & Stewart, xiv, 230 pp., $3.00). Mark (Christine van der), In due season {T.oronto, Oxford, iv, 363 pp., $2.50). Mitchell (W. 0.), Who has seen the wind '(Toronto, .Macmillan, x, 344 pp., $2.75). Pacey (Desmond) ed., A book of Canadian stories; with an introduction and notes (Toronto, Ryerson, xxxviii, 295 pp., $3.50). Raddall (T. H.), The wedding gift & other stories (Toronto, McClelland & Stewart, x, 326, $3.00). Roy (Gabrielle), The tin flute; translated from the French by HANNAH JosEPHSON (New York, Reynal & Hitchcock; Toronto, McClelland & Stewart, 315 pp., $3.00). Savard (Felix-Antoine), Boss of the river; translated -by ALAN SuLLiv..\N (Toronto, Ryerson,x, 131 pp., $2.25). Scott (D. C.), The circle 'of affection~ and other pieces in prose and verse; drawings by THOREAU MACDONALD (Toronto, McClelland & Stewart, xvi, 237 pp:, $3.50). Shapiro (Lionel), The sealed verdict (New York and Toronto, Doubleday, viii, 278 pp., ~3.00). ~ollows (A. S.), Whither thou goest (Toronto, Thos. Allen, viii, 211 pp., $2.50). Steele (Harwood), To effect an arrest: adventures of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Toronto, Ryerson, viii, 311 pp., $3.50). Synge (Don), see EDELSTEIN (HYMAN). Thompson (S. S.), L1ke a flower (London, Eng., Museum Press; Toronto, Nelson, 1946, 208 pp., $2.50). Walker (E. J.), Fortress north; illustrated throughout by the author (Toronto, Thos. Allen, xii, 419 pp., $3.50). Wilson (Ethel), Hetty Dorval (Toronto, M~cmillan, viii, 116 pp., $1.75). III. DRAMA VINCENT TovELL The theatre in Canada continues to be almost entirely amateur, and there is, largely as a result of this fact, almost no Canadian stage drama "for our attention. Canadian radio, 'however, is profession~!, and in the studios of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation many of our best 'playwrights1 musicians, directors, and acto.rs (those who have not yet gone abroad, despairing of a full life in the arts here) do important creative work which, although it is widely enjoyed, is not enough publicized. It is fitting then that in this survey we should draw attention to a representative_ selection of the best dramatic writing done for radio during the past year. Regrettably, this discussion is limited to the C.B.C.'s programmes Stage 47 and Stage 48, and to some of the original scripts broad-:- "cast within the calendar year 1947 on that series. 1 In this connection it should be said at the outset that the country is indebted to the producer-director of the "Stage" series, Andrew Allan. Vvhen he came back to Toronto from Vancouver in 1943 to become Supervisor of Drama for the C.B.C., Mr. Allan designed a half-hour programme for the performance of original Canadian radio plays which he. inaugurated -as Stage 44-in January of 1944. He was determined to give professional artists in Canada the chat:tces to experiment in drama which had been denied to them on commercial broadcasts and in the theatre. Before long, the national workshop which he founded (in Toronto) became LEITERS IN CAN:~DA: 1947 279 the apex of our theatre structure in Canada, the goal and best outlet for talent wpich would almost certainly have gone abroad had Mr. Allan not had the vision, the courage, and the ability to utilize it. In the autumn of 1946 the programme, which, with original half-hour scripts, had made its way with the public, was expanded to an houes length, a.nd adaptations were introduced into the repertory. This double policy is still maintained, though Mr. Allan continues to offer a predominance of new plays. By the end of 1947 he had produced 112 original Canadian scripts, and 29 adaptations. Although the Stage series is confined to English-language broadcasts, it has now become what is in fact our only approximation to a National Theatre in Canada, where ·the classics of...