THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 615, 18 September 1909, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

■-. "' ■. ■■ *~. —■. ■ - : "The world's a theatre, the earth a stage."— Heywood.. \';V ■ . ■•'.::.. : >-. '•'" "' '"' ' J CSy Siltiw.)] '■■■ ■The. Great: Titheradge.:; ■ ..•■-. v : "If ever the playing of ■ a .part 'does not look, like acting' it is; Mr. Georgo Titheradge's Abbe Dubois. Most of;us have stood liefore.a great picture.dealing with a grand subject, and'have.felt its wonderful attraction and ennobling influence. ,Tho reason is that its'emotions are. those springing from oui own existence. The work of art has shown us our own life, but more beautified and refined, and has raised us in our own eyes, and taughl us to respect oursolves. This is Mr. Tither. adge's mission in his , admirable'portrait, and we watch him with profound sensations as lit leaves, the beginning of his • 'little chapel ol the few , '- until he reaches . the great finale, 'the' mighty cathedral,' wide enougn to admil the whole.of mankind. Many things may pass away," but tho dignity and sincerity, indeed, thewhole creation, of the simple Tillage , priest at the hands 5 of the accomplished actor, will remain and live and hallow the recollection, ever as inspirations by Millett and sculptures by Mennier charm the senses." — Melbournt "Argus." ■-'";■". ' '. . "Aladdin" Reminiscences. '■■'.. •In view'of tho fact that "Aladdin" is to bt the next J. C. Williamson' pantomime, it ii (says a.correspondont) interesting to look bad to'the.year 1882, when tho same subject was employed for tho'Christmas attraction by tht firm of Williamson, Garner, v and Mnsgrove ai the old Theatre Royal, Sydney, tho first to bs staged under the direction of the now triumvirate' which had been formed a few month: previously. Several familiar names figured ir : the cast of the old-time production.- Miss Mag gie Knight was tho principal boy, and Miss Jessie Grey the principal Mr. Harrj Leston was the Dame. The Emperor w played by Mr. Richard Stewart, and the Slave of the Lamp by Miss Docy Stewart,, both members of the theatrical family of which Mis: Nellie Stewart is now the ■ outstanding star The Ho-Fi was in the hands of-Mr. Arthui Farley/and tho Abauazar was played by Mr John Hall. Tho same:pantomime (revised am altered.by Mr. Edmund' Finn; the well-knowi dramatic critic of the Melbourne "Punch, was staged again the following . year. at thi Melbourne Theatre Royal, and in tho seconc production Miss Maggio Moore appeared as th( principal boy, .Miss, l'attio 'Browne as seconc boy, J - and Miss 'Ida; Osborno as-tho Princess -Mr who. had just finished .playing Jaike3 in "The Silver King" 'with S Titheradge, was the'Abanazar, and Mr. Georgi Leitch filled tho: Dame's part,/ while Mr Harry Leston forsook the role of the Dame foi that of tho Emperor. The then famous Mat .thews family' were included as tho acrobatii team on both occasions. ' ' .•• ( "Through Seas of Blood." '> ■.. • The- most attractive production of the weei in London (last week in-July)-was a mod melodrama with the gory title of "Througr Seas of Blood." It. was' the' work 0/' three actors—Cyril Maude, John Harwood (his stage, manager at the' playhouse), and Arthui Holmes Gore, also a member of Maudes Com pimy. It'was produced'in a'big tent callec "The Royal National Repertoire Theatre, al tho Botanic Gardens, Regents Park, where il served as;o'ne : 'of the multifarious merry -at tractions at a garden party given in. aid of 'thf Actors' Orphanage, ' words would fair met( describe how the chief villain, a military cap tain (played by Cyril' Maude), "removed' aL the human obstacles in his path, by.means o( istab'bingi'.'striuigulation,..poison, drowning,;, elec trqputipu, 'and sundry other, methods-ofj.assas sinatioii. :"Anon, howover.-all his.tflctimsicanN ;£o andi-pursucd him to the; North'Pale where''he Nwas promptly shot into fragment! arid scattered to .the. winds,. "Through Sea: of Blood", was' a' splendid, bit. of was'splendidly acted by. the aforesaid. .Cm Maude, Kenneth Douglas,' Edmund Gwenn,. W H. Berrv, E. Mv Kobson, Sydney Paxton, Con stance Hyem, Sydney Fairbrother, and • Jeai Aylwin. Its five performances drew JE2QO ■' to ward the'£2ooo realised by all the showscom bined. The leading English actresses and ac tors who helped in- this grand fete were largel; helped by .sundry. American stage favourites.London correspondent .„ , j \ .!.<-' ' ' ' ' ' ; '■. \ I :-;'; ,; -v -"."-;' •"'.:"'; -a. i-' ■■■■>..«---.-;?-!--..- ■ ■■■ ' >V....'' Sarah Bernhardt as Cyrano. ' Some.threel. months., ago, .Sarah ,Bernhard gave a new 'token 'of. her spirit of comradeship with- now evidence a. marvellous histripnii versatility. ~' ; -.' '.■'-. On the-spur of the moment she-decided t< give a pei'formanco at the Sarah Bernhard Theatre to provide a 'suitable-memorial for- th< .late M.Mendes. ' ',■.'.' - , ';.;'';■ . The .theatre was' crowded, at -prices >.. whicl made: certain.." a goodly, .return.- {-Selection were played from-Wagner,\whoso.:works;foun< in Mbitcica bf : their first and-inost-arden admirers. 0 .were'. selections : from Li Vierge d'Xtila, one of Mendes' 'own works, ii which' Bernhardt took the leading parti . Bu the t events of the evening were Bernhardt' presentation successively of Sainto Theresi arid'Cyrano de Bergerac. , This indeed was versatility. Cyrano s nose says ' a particular • chronicler, gave, her mor trouble than any.of the larger matters of he achievement. She tried at least a'hundred be fore .the performance in her search: for .on' that exactly expressed her idea of this facia appendage. * . .' i To appreciate the extent of Bernhardt's dar ing in playing Cyrano de Bergerac, it shouli Ise explained that the title is the name of th leading role in Edmond 1 Rostand's/poetic mas terpiece of that name. Cyrano is the deftes swordsman, has the highest and most sensi tive appreciation'of honour, and the longes nose in all France. Ho has tho soul of i poet, 'but his prodigious nose always stands ii his way, and his love of < Roxane. is one 0 the most beautiful if eccentric fancies in tin whole gamut of French poetry. Roxano love Christian, a handsome young man, but dull and it is Cyrano who makes brilliant love ti her hidden under her balcony, whilst Chris tian assumes the manner of the speaker. Th> play ends tragically with the death'of Cyraro -•a brilliantly, ead ending; '. ' ', , Notes;.' '.'-.■. . '■ :-.'•.' ';..-. / The members of the Julius Knight Com pany, following in the wake'of the Kolker Titheradge combination, have embarked upo: a literary enterprise, which, from one stand point, is described by themselves as being "ai inky and laborious business." The publicatioi is "Tho Knight.Errant," the first issup 0 which appeared in Brisbane some little tim' ago, is edited by Mr. Aubroy Mallalieii .'am Mr. Winter Hail, and is altogether- i a ver; creditable production, containing some cleverly written articles and smart verses, dealing fo: the most part with topical happenings. Mr Julius , Knight himself has contributed an arti clo on "Hamlet," and given his opinions con cernjng the question of whether the melanchol , Dane was really insane or only feigning mad ness. Other contributors who. have materiall; assisted towards the' success of "The Knigh Errant" aro Mr. Geo. Chalmers, Mr. Sydne , Stirling, Mr". Rupert Julian, and Miss Quit ford-Quin. . "The Flag Lieutenant" will be tho theatrica attraction in, Wellington at Christmas time The recent Melbourne cast included tho name of ilr.'.Thps. Kingston, Mr. G. S. Titheradgo Mr.. Cyril Mackay, Miss Ethel Warwick, -am Miss Dorothy Urimstone. ;. .-■;'.- ... H. yon Haast, who'returned this weel from''visiting Australia, saw the Oschr Asch' Company.in Melbourne in "The Taming of tin Shrew." ; Tho production was, ho- says, a rove lation to him in tho way of Shakespearean per formances, the company being. of high mori throughout. In Melbourne Shakespearo ha< generally been supposed to spell, failure, bu Mr. Asche's company '.played "The Taming 0: tho Shrow" aud "OtheUo" to packed ': house; nightly. The former play was presented.for a least a fortnight on successive nights, and thei alternately with "Othello." Mr. George Willoughby has purchased tlxi Australian and New Zealand "rights. of Clydi Fitch's piny "A Woman. in the Case." Thii play, written by tho late Mr. Clyde Fitch author of ''Tho Truth," is a sensational melo drama; in the chief scone of which the hero'i wife, to save her husband from a charge 0: murder, tries to extract tho real story of thi crime from another woman.. .To do this, shi disguises herself as ono of this woman's viciou: sot, mid invites her to a midnight supper where, ns tho revellers. drink,. the facts nn blurted out. The picco was produced curly ii Juno at the London Garrick,. by Mr. Hcrborl Sleath's Company. . .:.'■: Tho .'T)rink'.' picture—that. highly/drhmatii kinematbgraphic representation ',''.,-. of ■ Zola'i "L'A«omoir"—is to be 'exhibited,'-by Messrs H. Hay'ward'aud T. E. Taylor, Jf.1 , ., as fol September 20 and.2l; Pahia tua,'September.22j Hastings, September 23 anc 21; .Napier, September 25 to .28;-Daniioyirko September 29 and 30. The !r Dririk" toiir i: being managed by Mr. Geoffrey Nye (pel courtesy of West's).