OPERA HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 395, 2 January 1909, Page 7

OPERA HOUSE.

"THE TAMING OF THE SHREW." "Horrid ideal That a man should marry . a woman for hor money and then cow lier . into submission by starving her, and not ; letting her sleep, and cracking a great whip , at her I" ' ; . i And yet tho speaker-:#' woman waiting for ; a tram, outsido tho House.last night had thoroughly enjoyed the play. Sho had enjoyed it, so she,said, moro. than anything alio had seen for ever so long. It'seoms that nol matter what crude old play or old' premodieval. story Sh'akespcare got hold of, the could, just in copying it out and casually fixing it up for the stage, give it a glamour that- vonld .keep it alivo for centuries, attract to it. air the art of .tlio twentieth ceri-; ■ tury stage, and porsuado evon a suffragette to take delight in it. , : This magic could scarcely have been better exemplified than in the revival of "Tho Taming of tho Shrew." by Mr. J. C. Williamson's Company at tne Opera House last night. -Hence, thp impressions of the lady of contradictory comment as quoted above. It would be useless to deny that in this day-arid generation it is diffi- : cult to quite approve of tho rough: processes by-which Petruchio brings Katherino to: the framo of mind in which sue makes hor beauti- ; ful closing speech ,on the'duty of a wife. The . -late ; Professor. 'Henry Mprloy. tried to' explain" away all that .made'Pet-. . ruchio seem other than a courteous gentleman, vrith a strong .will; a pretty talent for acting ' a part, and a- devout , love 1 for , the ; woman-whose disposition ho had-set himself to rof6rm., :Ho was, of course, partly right, ' for, Petruchio is gentleness itself 1 beside the husband in vhe :ballad who whipped his shrewish wife until the wounds ' ■ bled, and then tied her iri a horse's salted hide.-; Perhaps . the hero of Shakespeare's: morry comedy was meant to show a better way, for the professor was clearly on the right traok when ho said: "Petruchio is a gentleman, who tames, a woman-of-bad temper by showing her in himself the inconvenience of suon violence, : while lie is so far from any possibility of striking* : her with a: whip that he .does not even strike: her with his tongue. . . .There is not a'word or an V act: of Pdtruohio towards Katherino, iii all his boisterous ' assumption of a; temper like her own; that can live'in her mind and spoil tho happiness of . after days with the sting cf -unkindness." ■ . It,might be wished that the: Petruchio;of' •Mr! Henry Kolker had approximated, a little nearerlto'this conception. .:. One would have liked, .to , feel. sure' .that'. 'ICath'erin'o . was' ohanged, riot-by, fear, but by .being, shown and clearly 1 seeing W fault... .. Not'otherwise could bo the prelude to the unspoken,-' but riecossary, -conclusion . that they lived happily ever after.. _ : ' . ' ■ /' But this is perhaps to take too seriously a comedy that was doubtless written only to pletise.'; That , the Williamson Company thoroughly pleased their large audience :was evident from, the beginning: of the first scene to the;end of the last. - . Miss_Ola Humphrey made a thoroughly: convincing Katherine, and whether in shrewist or in pgnitent. mood, she ljyed the , part. " Mr. Henry: IColker's - impersonation of Petruchio, aside from the considerations adumbrated, above, which, .nf tor. aII,. are. matters for disputation,' left - nothing to, be desired,- except in: spipe speeches!; a clearer' enunciation. : Baptista, .the' prudent' bargain driving ' father of -Katherino, was dono to the very; Shakespearean . .life ,by Mr.; Johnson Weir., . Bianca's Lucentio, ,Hortensio;:and Grumio—-wero ably played and well, differentiated .by -Messrs. Cyril, Mackay,. Sydney Stirling,'' and: Henry Overtoil. The tfrumio of Mr.,Dion Tithe-; radge .'pas a- really . ; ; fine; .- piece .of Shakesr: 'peareari; - clowning, and l , .enhanced.--the good opinion '.which, this young' aotor had won in the , play with winch the company began its present ,season. The humorous relief afforded ■by l 'Bioiidello and the tailor. (Mr.' S.; A. Fitzgerald.:;and, Mr. It. Shortland) was also. .. of, fine quality, Bianca, that externally fault- ' less: but; how .much less, lovable foil to Kath-, - wine—was well assigned .. to Miss Alma Vaughaln,,, Other, ; p,arts were .-well" Sustaifle<l by Mr!; Walter Vincent", Misses E. ;Richniond and. Alwyn, Harvey, and several other members.; ol ! thp'-co -pany, ,'Tho' dresses', . and stage; effects 1 wereVwell ithought • out and excoedinjily' effeotive'v .-,Taken -altogether,. tho production ..was >a gr.eat suocess,: and this revival, of the bright Shakespearean opriiedy after a 'neglect of' many years ~-will-'"'-long be rememb:ered',as..a ; notable event .in .v. the;, ah-. 1 nals of the local stage. -•■■ ; -j ■ ■ ;. ; . ' '.'-The Taming ,of .the- Shrew'!., will bo repeated fol about five, nights,' and, - will be followed by "The Tillage Priest."