THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 663, 13 November 1909, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

"Tho'world's a theatre,' the earth a stage."—" Heywood. ,■ . .• .' ; -'■'■ ;.■ ; - : : '; -■ •>;,. ;';'.

(Uγ Stlviob.)

"Tho Breed of theJTreshams." '.'.';■ r; . : Mr. Julius Knight, Miss Beatricp Day, and J. C. Williamson's principal dramatic organisation will commence a sixteen nights''season at the Opera House on Monday-week. The opening play, Dix and ..Sutherland's"'''seventeenth century roinantic drama, "The Breed of the Treshauis," comes heralded by tho good opinions of the bulk of the Australian critics In this play, Mr. Julius Knight will appear as Lieutenant Eeresby—nicknamed -"The "Eat" It is a complex, character, "touched 'with'.i mediaeval.' charm of its own'.' Ecrcsby is a soldier of the Royalist Army—a renegade swashbuckler, a dissolute soldier of fortunebut withal a most lovable personality, and it is said that this is the best of all Mr. Knight's .many admirable impersonations. Tho box plans for the entire season will be opened at .The Dresden on Thursday. ■"■•.' Another'" Merry Widow." its notice on "The Dollar Princess," (composed by Mr. Leo. Fall) 'produced in London on.September 25,. the .'.' Standard" says:—"We think ;it will be found that: Mr. Bdwardes has achieved the almost impossible task ; of finding in"■'■'The.Dollar Princess' a piece that will rival 'The Merry-Widow,'in popularity."' ■' . . ,_ y/- ~; '.'.'•". In the notice the same.paper says:—"As an entertainment ' The Dollar Princess' .is beyond cavil. Mr. ■ George Edwardes. presents a series of glorious stage; pictures,■ tho. like of which has not been seenj there : is. fun-in plenty;'-there is a story, and; there is,' ilr. ; ;Leo. Fall's fascinating music. : : As ; an entertainment it is wonderful—too.long ;as.-,-yet, but otherwise impeccable. It is only: when we. think of it as a genuine operetta that,' good' as it is, we wish that the new play .with music produced at Daly's Theatre on Saturday night had been even better.- We-wish-that it had been possible to present it in .its native guisetelling its story '.simply and straightforwardly, with, the aid of just the amount of music requisite.to heighten its effect The story is so human', and so dramatic that ono wished, for the drama to stand out undimmed by the comic duets and various excrescences which are indispensable in England if a play with music is to bo a success. : : .. '■■■ ■• ..' . : " The stoiy of Herren Willner and GrUnbaum, is very.slight, and it is curious how it resembles that" of ' The Merry ■ Widow.' This time the haughty millionairess'is an American, and the young and impoverished lover is an Englishman: 'Otherwise, -in the: plot, there : is hardly a variation.... Each desires- the other to be the first to^yield—to say: 'llovo you.'- But. >in its treatment and in its m'eaning'-' The '.Dollar Princess '■ is a much bigger thing'- , .than , . 'Tho' Merry Widow.' It means .something.-. In' that splendid finale to; the second act—for which alone the public will crowd /Daly'sTheatre for at least a yearywe have 6trenu-. oils of ■ passion- and pride.. This ' dollar princess''told to .her face by'her private secretary, who'loves her, and to whom , sho offers her hand scornfnlly, iri tho royal manner, and whom she; wishes to purchase : in : the usual, dollar, princess-liie' way—is refused, ?by her poor dependent, mockingly,; pityingly,.remorselessly. He' tells Her'that the dollar princesses, nurtured, on gold, creatures of pleasure, buying thoir way through the - world,- knowing not friendship, comradeship, or love—that dollar princesses are-the;poorest:women on earth.' This is the ' clou' and r climax" and tlie meaning, of the work.-'lt-is-so finely .dramatic that for-just? this little time it became something rnuPh. moro ihan'a mere.musical play.:. .; .--,-. ■ "■There are several very pretty iiunibers in the score-r-n'otablj the duet'already, referred, to by Mr. Coyne; and Miss Elsie, and;.a. duet of' mockery': for; Miss Elsie; and, Mr. Michaelis. These, "including.' α-dblightfni; 'gu'artet ;for ■three men'';''and Miss' Wehlen, ■ in' the,, second act, , .and a'.few.'othersVibelOng. evidohtly ; to the original'-work, and -assist' in tho ; development of the'story. . F.or ;: fhis Teasqn .they were'the most effedfave.oudv'mpst''popular.''-'' There''.are other items. :of -graco' and-'attractiveness— such, as the dance for Miss GabrielleEay, who was a . pleasingly insouciant ,figiire throughbut..'as the second dollar' princess, ; and' '■■;■ Mr. .• '-Willie WardeJ as Sir ; 'James M'Gregor, ..the millionaire's footman,'-and for Miss' Ra y; and Mr'.. Berry,' disguised .as "tramps,"-'in;the lastVact, |Whiou, while charming in themselves, are. obyiously .'interpolated.'. ;. • '■;•'. ■. ;. ■-~,:■...-.. .„.,... j "In.his/original.; ccore,; as.in-.these, additional jiumbers, Mri'TaU' proves himself ?to 'be, as so. many.'of his counb'yincnaro, a melodist with the pow.er less of:of.origuiating.new'forms and ; .tnn'cs-'.'as' , of writing, airs' that ,'throb,' . that suggest love and passion by means'- T of lilting nllurpment;..his ■ tunes , : are • haunting. .. : And while the , ,.top , line of-his,.score:, will attract the people rather v than thoVamateur,- his harmonics stamp him as a real musician, who can assist the voice by skilful and original- orchestration—which is much fuller,than, in English works, of a similar: calibre.", - '

The American Dramatist. ■ .'' Hei'.ry B, Harris,, who. made a . fortune'; by, ;his' production' of .Charles .Klein's play, .'"Tho 'Lion and .the:; Mouse ,, to ;: say' T abtfut" the "American "dramatist: "V ■■ ■' : '■•■'...•'!.... !;'■ "The; American .dramatist is entering on 'an , !ora- that"".promises to bring' him ;',riches and renown.. Seing absolutely', master/ of 'the local situation: by. reaspn- of. his intimate knowledge .of sociological conditions here ;in his native land, he 'has nothing to fear:from 'the foreign playwright.. Thp/itremendous.* successes of the past , few years in America - have,-; one and all, been i.he product of our 'countrymen. Tho plays that find-.favour in our. theatres to-day are those that deal with local conditions in tho matter of sociological ethics', politics, and finance. From' the , time:l.started:as a prodricing manager, I-cast my fortunes with the Airerican dramatist,-, and, adhering to this rulo, no small measure of-success .has. been mine. This 'year, fort the first time' I;have been compelled to. deviate from, this settled policy, and vent' abroad fo-- two plays 'The Noble Spaniard,' .with which I .will present Robert Edcson-this coming season, and 'The Earth,' n-ith which. I .intend to star Edmund Breese. beginning th-> latter .'part : of October. : Noce?sity cb.npelled'rme , to.tako : tlio>'step 'by reason: of beim; .obligated to procure productions for these' two artists,"and being- unable to; secure suitable vehicles, '.fbr-i them'/in America. The demand .for American-made plays has grown 'so . great : that our native dramatists are 'unable Ho! supply the demand. Although a '■ number of now' playwrights crop up each season,.still the output is insufficient to supply the necessities of the American producing managers'. I .look for' even greater successes this coming year for the; only prodnct not protected by legislation—plays by home-grown authors." .• "' ••" .'

Notes. , '-:■■■'■■;■: ';; ]'. ■ : ;-,-; : .V.' y .\ ; ."'"" ''■ '■ ■ . Sydney is to have ,a big new. - theatrepthe great • theatre; of Australia—in the Haymarket, where'.the combusted Anthony: Hordern warehouse once stood.-The site will probably'prove either a very, good one or a very bad , one. It will- at least have this merit, that people starting from there at 11 p.mi "will: catch-the'train, wfiich they-would if they started from any other ■'• theatre.> When the new building gets going, one :of the'old houses will probably; as usual, begin to:fado away, and most jieople can name. the house in one try." .Sydney hasn't .had a new theatre for anite a , while how. The Criterion; Her Majesty ; s, the-Lyceum (now fallen frojn its high..wtate), : Palace,.and.Tivoli came with arush, wiping out thp; popularity of the old Opera House,. Gaiety, '; Standard, Academy of'/Music; Masonic' Hall, and Alhambra; but theatre building has been'slacVduring the last few weeks. ''And there is talk; of'yet another new:theatre being'built' , in Street, on the site that Mark-/Foy.has.deserted for his new , premises.—"Bulletin," ; : ..; .; .'• "The Merry Widow" waa revived by the Eoyal Comic Opera Company for Cup week in Melbourne. 'At the same time.' Miss Stewart appeared at. the' Princess Theatre in "Sweet Kitty Bellairs,"' , since when' she has revived "Sweet Nell" and "Zaza." : ' "The Belle of New .York" has given place to a revival'of "A.Country Girl" in Sydney. : , ; - .:■".. ~{■',' ' •':■■■;"'; '...,■■'-. Booth Tarkington (author, of ."Monsieur Beaucairo") in collaboration with H.. Leon Wilson -ha* written a Tplay entitled "Springtime," to be played by Mabel Tabaferrq in New York this coming season. „ .; .;'