"THE VILLAGE PRIEST.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 400, 8 January 1909, Page 7

"THE VILLAGE PRIEST.

"Tho Village Priest," 0 play in five acts by Sydney Grundy. . v. Abbe Dubois ;.:.Mr. G. S.-Titheradge., Jean Torquenie ......Mr. Henry Kolkor. ~ , Armand D'Arcay...Mr. Aubrey Mallalieu. ; Captain of Gendarmes ....... .. . Mr. Johnson' Weir. . ■ Servant .......Mr. Walter; Vincent ' - , Comtesse de Tremeillan • . ; . .' Miss 01.1 Humphrey. .' Madame D'Arcay...Miss Su6io Vaughan. . Marguerite do' Tremeillan : •.,*•••'; Miss Blw'yn Harvey.. • Jeanne Torquenie: j Miss Beatrice' Norman. ■. . Madeline ......Miss Alma Vaughan. ; Sydney Grundy'-has written many: .plays,, most of them good;, plays;, within tho; pastthirty, years,-but few. of them have stood the ■wilting touch of time's fleet "' hand' 'more bravoly than "The Vilago Priest," produced by the' Wiiamson" Star Dramatic Company at tho .Opera .House, last evening.Bui Sydney Grundy's play; would doubtless . still be lying in the'managerial 'script box, achieving a venerable , /mustiness . were ;it' not';.for a. special sot; of circumstances." What at,is. desired to oonvej' is that there; is much a revival of.the play as it is a revival of Mr. Geo. S. Titheradge, who long, too ..long,ago, became a tradition, to New Zealand players in the priestly role, so sweetly, yet so strongly, conceived .by,tile skilful playwright;. Wo are too young a country to have our Charles, Wyndham as "Garrick," : our John Haro in "A Pairof. Spectacles" ;(as in England), or our Jefferson in "Rip Van Winkle," or George Denman Thompson in "The Old Homestead" (as in America), served up to us perennially; but we have .our Titheradge. in "The, Village : Priest," as one of the : few institutional theatrical performances to be proud of; and he who lias, not. seen that, performance should endeavour to', "catch up"in his histrionic .education. It is not only the. great individual characterisation, that; appeals to tho local .playgoer,-for the performance enlivens tho calls'- of' memorj', making it difficult to forget thd performance, of other days, when" the • cast," was; illumined ;-by Mr. and Mrs. Robert.Brough at.their best,! Miss Romer, Miss Grace Noble, Miss Emma Temple, Miss Bessie Major, Mr. Cecil Ward, and, of course, Mr.; Titheradge. \ .That was a oast that made tho .Grundy play - traditionalin New Zealand,' and its central .figure;.loved' in', the land. "The. Village Priest" ;is, a-sound play, in that it is strung on a story strongly human in_ character, and -in which every character; is immediately, interested; ! - .There ■are no.independent issues to-'spin out" or "give, relief," as. is so . generally, the ' case, 1 and, coming, after such a; type ;as that ultranatural, play, "Tlie Thief," .there is; a .welcome placidity of action and literary dignity about tho play that satisfies. ■ Some' might' call its occasional. preachiness/old-fashioned, or the Bible-leaf incident theatrical,'biit both accord reasonably .with- the fitness of' things, .in the story,•'which is too well■ known 'to re--hcarso here. ../ ■ : v: , : ;- v --;;: :In tho part of tho Abbe Dubois—the good priest 'weighed down with a v,confessional secret, and;T.'hose ;silence;- allows tWannocent to suffer—Mr.: Geo;-: S. Tithftradgo;-showed that he has";lost : not a' whit H bf;his"p6wer.to . thrill 0r,.; to charm.- - - This' dear old French ■priest is conceived in a spirit of- 1 ity and loving gentleness, tender:in his exacting .solicitude for those of- his "flock who intrnds; in the story, and: wrung' with remorseful impotence at his 'inability to right the wrong—to assert /justice where -black injustice has been (Ipne.'iNd ono has struck tho . keynote; of the parti' so accurately as Mr.' Tithoradge, whoso pcrformanco last/evening was. ',faultless. - Hardly ~so much canbe said of tlio • wholo .of tho cast.. Mr. Henry Kolker' was a vivid reality as the oscaped convict Jean Torquenie. His "make-up" was excellent;'and his acting was. strongly, even pathetically, convincing; Miss' Ola Humphrey "makes the ■■ Comtesse de Tremaillan much too -youngj- and her .'Costuming in ■ tho" firstact was; hardly .that, of : a titled lady of settled:liabit, with .a daughter, on tho vorge, of .marriage, though •;her past', has been shady. Tho Comtesse-is' a-lady,. and: has suffered . for : her sins —and-sho should: "show it.. Miss Humphrey:rose.to:the dramW, tic domands of thq.'scene; in ,which, she admits her guilt- in the .past,'and simulated omotion but she has done'iiiuSh hotter-'in, other, plays,; ;ahd only : needs to awako to a. realisation of what'.is a-.ve'iy firie acting::j)aH-to .do it:.'fur-, ther artistic justice. Miss Susie<Vaugliari, as : Madame ■ D'Arcay, was.; admirable ;..in,.every; rospect,Vand Mr./Aiibrey .-'mado, Armand D'Arcay a; bright yonng" advocate, albeit a little moro/weight was-riecded in ihc. heavier scenes. Miss Harvev,:looked well as- : Marguerite, and- her.. : acting ,tbwafds the.,end. .was, in good 'taste.;,;."Some of^tlie,.players of ■ mihor parts had 'sonie difEoulty. in pronouncing, the French; names, in which regard ■ there • is_a variety of idea. /.The.;management,:-,to'oi\ might see that the'.Abbe,, rs'omething more than a toy. '.water-caniyith / which /to * refresh his'drooping/cardeh.';,;.., :' "Tho Village Priest" will be produced until further-notice.