L. L. Woolacott - letters received from Ray Mathew, 1950-1951

MLMSS 7142

fonds

1950-1951

421129

1 folder - 0.01 Meters
Textual Records - (typescript)

L. L. Woolacott, dramatist and author, was editor of various literary magazines and journals including Flame: a magazine of fiction, Triad: a journal devoted to literacy, pictorial, musical and dramatic art, and the ABC Weekly. He also published Playwriting: an unconventional text-book (1942).

Ray Mathew (1929- ), dramatist and freelance journalist, was born at Sydney in 1929. Between 1949 and 1951 Mathew worked as a school teacher mainly in rural NSW. He was a freelance journalist between 1951 and 1952 and a tutor and lecturer at the University of Sydney in the late 1950s. During the 1950s Mathew wrote a series of experimental dramas. His published plays include 'We find the Bunyip' in Khaki, bush and bigotry (1968); 'The bones of my toe' in Australian one-act plays (1962); A spring song (1961). His unpublished plays include 'The boomerang and the bantam' (1952) and 'Church Sunday' (1950). Mathew also published three volumes of verse, one volume of short stories, the novel Joys of possession (1967), and studies of Miles Franklin (1955) and Charles Blackman (1965).

24 Jan. 1950; Letter received from Ray Mathew, being ts. signed letter with ms. annotations and corrections, 2 pp. Letter addressed to 'Dear Woolacott' includes discussion and comments on Mathew's play 'Church Sunday'; various playwrights including Bertolt Brecht; an unnamed play written by Woolacott; a production of 'Spanish village' by the New Theatre League. (Call No.: MLMSS 7142/1)
25 Dec. 1950; Letter received from Ray Mathew, being ts. signed letter with ms. annotations and corrections, 3 pp. Letter begins 'Dear Mr Woolacott' and includes discussion and comment on a meeting between Mathew and Miss Crowther concerning drama and performance with Mathew advocating the introduction of some modern realist drama to the season at Doris Fitton's Independent Theatre; Mathew's view on the play 'Madwoman of Chaillot'; his research at the Mitchell Library; Mathew's view on the venue, style and staging of a possible production of 'The Supreme Moment'; comments on having read The bloody traffic (1933) loaned to him by Woolacott. (Call No.: MLMSS 7142)
5 Jan. 1951; Letter received from Ray Mathew, being ts. signed letter 1 pp. Letter begins 'Dear Wooly' and includes mention of Woolacott's book Playwriting; Mathew's plays 'Puppet Love', 'Lonely Without You' and 'Bones of my Toe'; his regret at missing the Independent Revue. (Call No.: MLMSS 7142/1)