EXIT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 516, 25 May 1909, Page 8

EXIT.

W:A.O. AND D. SOCIETY TO SUCCUMB, ' The halcyon days, of amateur- theatricals i have departed as far .-as Wellington is concerned. Seldom if over is thoro a hiatus between the visits of professional companios, and there. are few vacant, dates in tho list ■ of bookings at tho Of era House: It was / wben a month or two used to olapso between tho visits, of-travelling shows that tlio Wellington Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society flourished like tho green bay tree, and gave, some really admirablq performances. Tho Operatic Society had its origin in tlio eighties, '■ having boon founded by mombers iof St. <'■' Peter's Ohoir, who usually gavo a perform- '." an'ce in St. Peter's Schoolroom onco , every, '" winter; under the baton of the then organist .1 ■ and choirmaster, Mi. H. -West. In that man-.; nor some of the earliest of the Gilbert and Sullivan series, and "Les Cloches do Corno- •' rillo" received thoir first -amateur produc- ■ tion in Wellington.. At that timo tho Amateur Dramatic Club also existed—a coterio 'of bright spirits including Messrs. J. M; Clark, ; Haybittlo, H. E. Nicholls, J. Reid, : Cecil Koyworth, T. Sayer's, Morris.Fox, and the late W. D. liyon., They were the days.in\ which. amateurs assisted professionals, and professionals, wore not abovo assisting aina-.. tours, and 011 one occasion,tho club gave tlio lato Wm. Hoskins (a contemporary of tho late Sir 1 Henry Irving) a bonofit. Ttio bill, was "Richelieu," witli Hoskings in tho name part, Mr. J. M. Clark as Hotspur, Mr. H. E. Nicholls as the King, ,and Mr. Lyon as Joscpli. Other performances were given in.; support of Misd Florence Colville, an actress , of considerable ability. As tlio same members ; belonged to both sociotios, it .was decided to ...• amalgamate (in 1800). Following that caino , '■ a series of oxcollont operatic [crfornKinces,. including nearly all tho operas of Gilbert, and Sullivan. "Rip Van Winkle" (two productions), "Dorothy" (two productions), two productions <of ''lolantho,!' ''Yeomen of..tlio Guard," "Ruddigoro," and "Tlio Mikado." It,has now been decided that the society, moribund, for some years past, shall finally close its account. This, has been brought about by' tlio realisation that.it has been "squeezed out" by the continuous run of professional, companies, and by tho! death of ite stago managor ana playor-in-ohiof, Mr. W. D. Lyon.■•'. Tho society hns somo funds in ' hand, and assets in tho form,of operatio wardrobe, band-parts, and scores, and with the money that will be realised from thoir salo soniothing is to bo dono to perpetuate. tho memory of the lato Mr. Lyon. :