THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 69, 14 December 1907, Page 13

THE THEATRE.

(By Sylvius.)

"The world's a thcatro, t.ho earth a stage."—Hoy wood. "bluebell in Fairyland" as dolincatwl by the Pollard Opera Company is u delightful show. There is something so bright and spontaneous in the acting, dancing, and movement of the youngsters that carries its own particular charm right to the heart of tho audience, and in particular to those who havo budding stars in their own hack yard. Mr. Tom Pollard has trained his children right up to tho racing minufco, and his experience with tho stage child is not one of yesterday. It is interesting to recall .'another Pollard Juvonilo Company that gave a deal of pleasure in this country some sixteen or seevntecn years ago—it does not do to be preciso as to dates. It relied mostly on Gilbert and Sullivan for its repertoire, playing such operas as "Tho Piratos of Penzance," "Pinafore," "Patience," -and "The Mikado," interleaved with "Tho Littlo Duko," "Mascotto," "Braiinie,"' and "Tambour Major." Tho company ./as richer in talent, I think, than the present combination, but after so long a spell of years tho judgment may bo held up to criticism, for tho mere reason that one's standard 'of criticism is apt to harden with increasing years, and tho over-increasing run of companies that havo to pass *undor the critic's pencil. A brilliant littlo performer was Miss Lily Everett, whoso. Nanki Poo' in "Tho Mikado,"- Frederic in "Pirates," and Beltina in "Mascotto," woro extraordinarily clever performances, considering the extreme youth of tho young lady. Then thero was raven-haired Edio Zrcigler, whose "Yum Yum" was a sweet performance. Beryl Mackay, Flo Russell (a good Katisha), and Lily Stephens (a pathetic soprano), aro all remembered, while- Alf. Stephens, Harry Queely, and "SYillio Percy were the clever hoy comedians —each with a distinct method.. Later camp tho- era of. tho fleatty Sisters (May and Maudl, Cissy Sandford, and Marion Mitchell (the two latter aro comfortably married peoplo in Auckland), and after that tho company merged into an adult stage with Gertie Campion, Connio Buttle, Davo OiConnor, and Charlie Carter (now with Moody-Manners in England) striving for limelight degrees. To tfaco tlio history of tho company ono is taken to South Africa, whero fortune was fickle, for on one occasion tho theatre was burned to tho ground with the bulk of the company's 'wardrobe and scenery. After a varied experience a re-organised Pollard Company toured Australia with indilferont success that finally spelt disbandment. Somo tinio afterwards Mr. Tom Pollard returned to Now Zealand, and was appointed director of entertainments at tho New Zealand Exhibition. After tho big show closed down he organised tho present company—aud thoro you aro. •

"Hu'mpty Bumpty." Mr. Bert Gilbert arrived in Melbourne, a fortnight ago by the India, and he has now fairly settled . down to his work for tho "Eumpty-Dumpty" production! Ho _ has como primed with business which is' calculated to make his part of King Solium funnier than any of his provious inipernonations, and people who remember his laugh-ter-producing "business" in "Tho| Babes in. tho Wood" and "Red Riding Hood," can therefore rest assured that the comodian has something really good in . store for them. Tho Humpty-Dumpty of the production arrived a day or two before Mr. Gilbert in tho porson of Mr. Barton, who was specially ongaged by Mr. Williamson for tho part. Miss Maudo; Thome, who is to appear as the Princoss Aurora, Miss Irene; Dillon and Miss ■ Olga Grey aro already in Mclboumo with thoir parts well in hand, so that tho cast is now comploto, and tho wholo company, including chorus and ballet members, have set to work in real earnest on tho arduous task,before them. ''■

Didn't Know it Was A 1 Bird. : ; Mr. Mack is.one of thoso truo humorists who never mind telling a storv against themselves, and ho is telling a good one just now. Ho and Mr. Harold Ashton started off from Goolong'in a motor car tho other ovoning after tho performances for Melbourne. Twenty miles out the car. broko down, and they were left .on a .lonely road. Fortunately tlioy managed to find a farm house, ' and. hero Mr. Ashton made their presenco known by pounding on ' th'e door thereof. . "What's that," said a voice, and ho forthwith proceeded to explain at great length, and with many apologies the causo of his'intrusion. "What's that?" said, the voico again, aiid yet again in responso to Mr. Ashton's repeated and croscendoing speeches. Just when tho strain' on his vocal chords was becoming unendurable another voico joined in the discussion, and its owner mado clear many things—among the'number boing the fact that tho two despondent motorists had been carrying on'an animated conversation witli tho domestic cockatoo. Tho fanner was very sorry that ho could not put them up—but perhaps it was just as well for tho cockatoo.

Success of a New Ze'alaniler. Robert Noble, 'who severed his connection with tho Sheridan Comedy Company at tho end of tho West Australian tour hist February, is now touring the English Provinces with Martin Harvey. The New Zealander was playing juvenile lrad in the "Breed of the Treshams," and when the last mail left had been engaged to create a leading part in a now piece, 'The Shoes of Destiny," shortly to bo produced at Coventry.

"The Thief." This is tho startling title of tho latest Frohmnn dramatic production in New York, mado interesting to colonial playgoers by tho'appearanco in tho leading role of' Mr. Kyrlo Bellem. It is an adaptation by Mr. Haddon Chambers from the French of M. Henri Bemstoin. For his plot (says "Tho Theatre"), the author has used the samo idea which was contained in the American play "Clothes," i.e., that woman's lovofor expensive finery is likely to lead her into all.kinds of trouble. Richard Voysiti and his young bride, .Marie, are guests in tho houso of their wealthy friends, M... and Mine. LagaTdes. Tho latter have a nine-teon-ycar-old son, a taciturn youth.named Ferdinand, who is addicted ' to reading Maupassant. The young man becomes madly infatuated with Mmo. Vpysin; who discourages him. He persists, however, una ho creeps surreptitiously' to hor boudoir and secretes love missives' where sho is likely to discover them. Mmo. Lagardes is careless about money matters, and has been accustomed to leave large sums in a drawer in her desk. It is discovered that 20,000 francs of this money have been stolen. M. Lagardes employs a detective, a French Sherlock Holmes, who comes, to the houso in the guise, of a guest. Ho makes an investigation and finally announces that ho lias found tho thief. He is requcst<*d to name the culprit in' presonco of the guests. ETo refuses, but finally consents. The thief, he tells the father, is bis own son. The father angrily resents tho accusation and sends for Ferdinand. Ho is nowhoro to bo found, hut Mine. Voysiu offers to go in search of him. Presently sho returns announcing failure. At that instant Ferdinand appears. Charged by the detective, ho at first denies, then admits his guilt, and tho curtain falls on this situation. 'Uio real thief, of course, is Mario, tho young bride, and it was during thoso few moments when she was ostensibly seeking for him in tho garden that sho prevailed -upon Ferdinand to take the blame upon himself, togothor with a lmnch of marked banknotes which sho had in hor possession. Young men of nineteen aro liable to do foolish things, especially at the bohest of.a pretty woman, yet it is doubtful if any youth would deliberately ruin his oareor, and break his father's heart, to obligo a woman who was a solf-confesscd thief, and therefore wholly unworthy of any snob heroic isacrifice. ' This is a weak spot in tho promises of tho plot, but one is inclined to swallow the improbability for tho salco of tho fino act that follows. Tho Yoysins havo retired for tho night, and Mario uses all her seductive arts to divert her husband's mind from the

serious business of the ovening. But he is in no mood for lovemaking.. The- blow that has fallen upon his frioud grieves him. Ho cannot understand how tho young man stole the money. In his perplexity, and in spito of Mario's protests, ho experiments witli a knifo on a bureau drawer. To his amazement, ho finds 6000 francs in his wife's pockot-book. His suspicions are gradually aroused and, after a long-drawn-out scene, tho young wife confesses she is the culprit. In the last act Ferdinand is cleared by Mario's voluntary admission, and tho play ends conventionally by tho two Voysins going to Brazil, so that Mario may rehabilitate herself. Tho/ criticism ■ statos that Mr. Jiellem' acted tho part of tho husband m his usual stiff and self-conscious manner. Captain Gordon-Lennox has . adapted tho samo play for >Mr. George • Alexander.

A Daring Aotress. Miss Phyllis Dare has (says a " London paper) writton her experiences "From School to Stage," and Messrs. Collier and Co. have published them in a dainty littlq volume for ','tlio ridiculous sum" of one shilling. Thero aro nine photographs of the authoress,-and yot another of herself - and - her sister...'-It seems rather early in hor career for thcflittlo lady to think there is a public really interested in her very •• limited ■ experiences, but in her preface sho says: "In fact, it is only because I have been, approached so' often to writo the story of my stage career that I have attempted the task at all." It is evident that tho examples of those other ominent actresses, Madani. Sarah Bernhardt and Miss Ellon Terry;-are responsible for much. The'post-card girl is aptly named. -

Ah Impossiblo Man,'< As with Forrest, : ltichard Mansfield (who died on August 30 last) was cordially disliked by both managers and ■ players. lt> was more fear of MTo'rrcstV rugged, '. impetuous temper than'actual dislike of 'tho man,,and all united 'in acknowledging his greatness as an actor. ■"■ Mansfield; on tho othor hand, was damned by almost every actor and actress ho ; had evor had in his company, no doubt often without due reason, for Mr. Mansfield-'could bethe most urbane of mortals if' : handled with"proper tact. Those who had ;• business; dealings with Air. Mansfield declared him to bo • an "impossible man." ■' He dealt with few: dramatists in his. tinroj and when ho did'it usually ended'in a row. Forrest's;latter, lifowas ombittered by his marital troubles,whoreas Mansfield had::'an ideal homolifo and was one of tho most charming' of, hosts and entori.ainers. Off j tho 1 " stago,' " Mr.' Mansfield led the life,of a-clean-cut, hightoned Amorican gentleman. .Ho ffiado few friends, but thoy wero well * chosen'" and ho ; kept them.—"Tho Theatre'' •■'"" :■•> r••'..■■' .

Irving's Detail. '■~".•'.....:. ■■» ■•,>.■■' . •■: I como now to the' Lyceum, .rohcarsals of November, 1878. Although- -Henry Irving had played "Hamlet" for. .over "two.hundred nights in London, and for 1 don't know! how many nights in the ...provincos, - ho always rohearsed in cloak and; rapier. .''This careful attention to detail'came> baclii tomy mind years afterwards, when ho gave'readings .of Macbeth. Ho, never gave a public reading without first'going through-' tho entire play at home—at-homo,- that.is to-say, in a miserably uncomfortable .hotel. -/During' tho first rehearsal- ho read everyone's part except mino, which ho skipped, and the power'that ho put into-each-port was extraordinary. He-threw, .himself .so thoroughly into it that his skin contracted and'his eyes shone. His lips grow whiter and- whiter and his skin more and more drawn as tho time went on, until ho looked, liko a livid thing, but beautiful.,; He never got'at anything easily, and, often I felt aiigrv that ho would waste so much of His strength in trying to teach people to do things in.the right .way;. Very often it only <>ndcd in his producing actors who gavo.colourless, /coble, and unintelligent imitations of him. Thriro wero o-tcoptions, of course.' When' it cainb to tho last ten days, before tho date- named for tho production of.-,"Hamlet,", and-my scenes with him were still 1 ,-urirohoarsed/'l grow very anxious and inisorablo!' - I whs still a stranger in tho theatre, and'in awo of Henry Irving personally; but P plucked up courage, and said;—"l am voi'.yvnerv'ous about my first appearance with you! Couldn't we relioarso our scenes?",,,"Wo shall bo all right!" ho answered, ."but.wo aro not going to rim the risk'of being cooked by a gas-man or a fiddler."—Ellen 'Terry in ''JLA P "

In the Chorus. Ladder to success? ' Sometimes; -It all depends on the girl; The'average, theatre--goer has (says a Now York journal) an idea that the chorus girls of the usual coniio opera company nro much "'tho same all the way through, cut out, as it were, on the samo pattern, yet they are as different, 'ono from the other—well, ns the leading ladies. ". There are various types, and styles, of chorus girl, each witli . her ' own particular characteristics.' ■' Wo ' : are'"'- all •familiar with the ',- bold style of girl, tho girl who winks at somq particular male friend in tho audience, or; ho admirer being present, flirts with nobody in particular, but everybody in general, tho eyes, however, always seeking one direction —for the admirer or tho one sho thinks ought to be there, and whom sho"will lnako the public think is there. She will pull' her dress back as tight as.'possible, so as to show the shape of the limbs'supposedly concealedunderneath, tho very material which constitutes her 'costume', give it an occasional hitch upwards'to display her auklo, or silk-tighted limb,. .try with unwavering zeal, to show what 'she ..considers, her food points, and sho\ succeedsadmirably. Ivorybody in : the ati dioncV knows her length and breadth of bcani, just; how she,is...cut "foro and aft," as old Captain Cuttle in "Dombey I and Son,"' would say -when- describing the shapeliness of -ib'malcs-;..and, she will uso her automatic .smile, .with .persistent repetition. This style,- of ..chorus girl is, fortunately for the stage, ■ vastly- in. the minority, but sho makes', up in conspicuousness what she lacks in numbers. ' Her cheeks are alw,ays painted the deepest, her eyelashes blacke;ied.the blackest, and her hair yellowed tho yellowest. Her gowns aro usually flamboyant, land'her hosiery likewise. She thinks it an indication of female independence to smoke cigarettes, and a'cts' accordingly. Sho lurches her shoulders and hips to the sides, she takes, long strides when walking, draws her lips-downward and looks corlierwise in an effort to look "tough.'.' in •which effort she succeeds beautifully,-for no one, not even one afflicted, with ' myopia, could possibly think her other than what she is, and what she is trying,to, show .that sh'o' is, and what less effort on her part would have impressed just as emphatically. Docs; sho ever rise and make a star.?. Never; not oven by accident, niiicji.lcss.thft.gonoral order of things. What becomes;of her? .Well,.she usually goes from tho chorus ranks, and down, "down the shadowy-'lane" sho -goes.'j and wherever it cuds', is, hor,,,y.sual,eart.bly j finale. „„' ; ~ ■-, ..;; Then thero is the'chorus - girl, who is a stick, who goes through her part "some; way or othor, without animation, .either, good or had; who puts on her-grease paints too thick because she thinksit adds to her attractions, and who sees in tho. dim vista of, the future some male admirer endowed.with .a.plentiful supply of cash who will marry her and niako life easy, give her plenty of good clothes, a full pocketbook and various other.nice things of this world in ample abundance. It does not occur to hor that a man of ordinary intelligence, with money. and; the position it usually buys, would look, elsewhere for alifo partner. Sho could not oxcrt hor mind to tl|e various possibilities with which the future might confront her, besides, it is so easy to think pleasant thoughts,'and_ picture scenes in which she can ho tho loading lady in'social life, even if sho cannot be on the stage. What becomes of her? Various things. Sometimes she follows whero the tough typo loads, again she niarrios some one with no more ambition or persovorance than herselfy so she drifts back again as a "siipo," or a chorus girl to whom tho word "girl" is a misnomer, for tho crow's feet nro plentiful about her eyes, and her neck is'scrawny.'arid her tooth are false, but hor limbs are still good, and with chorus' girls the limbs aro the long suit, ovon tho voice boing a secondary consideration. 1 ."•';- Hut, occasionally, hor dream comes true; some man with plenty of money marries' her and thoy splurge and cut a dash, and tho sequel—well, you can road it almost-any., day in the paperst • -■'•'" ■ 4