THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 821, 21 May 1910, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

The World's a theatre; tho Earth a stage.—Hoywood. , (Bγ Sylvius.) "A Son of tho People." Sophos Jiichaolis has written a. play entitled "A Bon of the People," which has been produced iu Now York with what looks like success. It is a drama which sets out the enormous sacrifices the lower will make for tho upper classes. Tho story of tho play is tersely told by Mr. Hornblow in tho Now York "Theatre" in tho following manner: — "At 5 o'clock, in the salon of the- Chateau Trionville, as tho sum wa-s sinking in tho west near Condo, Franco, in the month of Floreal of the year I (April, 1793), the beautiful Alaino de l'Estoilo awaited with ill-restrained impatience the arrival of tho bridegroom. Tho wedding was- at the in junction of her aristocratic and titled father, now dead. Tho marriage was to uphold tho old order of society,, and sho was as proud as her father in the matter of casto. The young man to whom sho was to be married had fled from tho revolution and was now returning with the Austrians, resplendent in tho uniform of the hussars. The ceremony was performed. Bang! bang! bang! Tho revolutionary cut-throats enter through tho window and from every direction. But they are not unreasonable. It is only nest morning that lie must get up bright and early to bo shot. Tho beautiful Alaino takes what might be called au optimistic view of tho caso. Sho urges him to drink and be merry. But wine and merriment are not for him. Come, she says, lot us rest and forget everything in our happiness until tho dawn. But ho is in no mood for any reason of blandishments. Fear has made an abject poltroon of him. Ii he could only escape! Marc-Arron, an officer of tho French guards, enters on his rounds and takes in the situation.. Ho is brought into the discussion. By accident, AJaine touches his hand. Thero is an immediate chemical combustion. For her sako Marc will change uniforms with the man who is not enough of a philosopher or a sport to die, and in that way permit him to escape. Ho.will take his place in every sense of tho word, and die the next morning according to tho fixed schedule. Alaine does not believo at first that ho means it; but when sho realises his lovo sho accepts his sacrifice. .. Let us grant that in tho oircumstances this was a spiritual union. That is tho intent of tho au-

thor. In tho original this was tho point of view, for Marc-Arron was permitted 'to head his company when tho Austrians made an attack the next morning, ami. was so valiant and conclusively indispcnsablo in. his services that ho won his pardon and lived to havo his lovo sanctioned hy the church. As the play is uow acted and ended, ho rushes to a window, for what other purpose than to bo shot is not apparent, and topples ovor pierced with bullets." Alaino was played by Kathyrn Kaolred, and Marc-Arron fell to■Mγ. John Mason.

Rostand's Next. In a letter to Olga Nethorsolo, who is now touring America, Edmond Itostaud, tho French poet, writes that lie and Madame Rostand will shortly return to their estate at Cambo, in tho south of France, whero he will resume work upon "Don Quixote," the drama that is to follow "Chantecler," which has boon the literary and dramatic sensation ci tho year. While the poet is at >foili upon his next drama, which may not be produced for several years, his sou, : Maurice Rostand, will work upon tho English adaptation and translation of "La Samaritaino" for Nethnrsolo's uso next season. Late in the summer tho English actress will bo a house guest at tho Rostand castle, and will go ovor the work with tho poet, making linal preparations for the pre; miero in London next fall. —"Dramatic Mirror." Undermining tha Drama. A somewhat pointed commentary oa tho manner in which the kineinatograpli is undermining the drama occurs to the writer in noticing that MaetcrJinck's "Sister Beatrice" was produced in New York in March. The 'story slightly bowdlerised, was shown per kinematograph in Wellington about a year ago Tho play conies within tho confines of tho miracle play, though it is not of tho morality typo. It relates of the wooiug of a nun, Sister Beatrico, by a gallant Prince. Tho oister yields to tho dictates of humanity, and leaves tho convent, whereupon her place is assumed by an animated Madonna, a possession which has been cherished and revered before- all others. There is weeping and wailing and gnashing of tooth at tho discover}' of the golden Madonaa'B disappearance, but gradually the sisterhood become resigned to their loss. After twenty years tho Sister Beatrice, broken in health aud heart, returns to fcho convent, whereupon, to tho ecstatic joy of all, the. Madontfa is discovered in its place again. Beatrico confesses her wrong-doing, but none will believe her story, for has sho not (in tho person of tho temporarily dethroned Madonna) been with the sisterhood continuously? Sho dies repenting, and! so wonderful is this in the eyes of tho sisterhood, who havo regarded her as tho perfect saint, that her passing is regarded as such. In tho New lork production Sister Beatrice was played by -Miss Editli Wynne Matthison, and Priiico Bellidor hy Pedro de Cordobar. The point of dilfercnco made in tho pioturo edition was that tho sister only loaves tho convent to attend an old lover on his death bed, which is somewhat thin in constructive idea, as such a service would in any case, bo included in tho duties of a Sister of Compassion.

Tho Stags in America. Miss Gcrtrudo Elliott (Mrs. Forbes Robertson) has accepted a flattering oirer to "star" in America next season in "The Dawn of a To-morrow, by Mrs. Hodgson Burnett, -which has achieved a great success all over America during the past two years, and in which slio will play tho leading part. It is stated that Miss Elliott's inducement in tho way or' salary and interest rivals that of any actor or actress going from England to enlist under another management, Liebler and Co. boing tho impresarios in question. Negotiations arp now ponding by them for tho production of "Tho Dawn of To-morrow, with Miss Elliott as "star," at a West End theatre in London early next April. Miss Elliott will not arrive in America until September next, when Mr. JForbos Robertson reopens Miss Maxino Elliott s theatre in New York in "Tho Passing of tho Third Floor Back." Tho famous actor-manager, now a foremost favourite in America, bus entered upon tho sixth month of his remarkably successful season in Now York, where 500 performances have been given of this play, which is to be introduced to Australia by the Clarko-Meynell firm. Harry Lander's Strangest Aucilonco. "Travelled 15,000 miles; gavo 252 performances; submitted to S2 banquets; biggest audience, 4500 people.; Thus Harry Lander summed up his American tour. Lander bail many amusing and strange experiences "out "West." and ho tells how he once Hang to 1000 lunatics on Ward's Island. "1 told them," says Lander. "I would like to hoar them nil sin;;; those- who didn't know tho words wore to listen ivbilo Lbo others sang tho chorus of I

love a lassie. . When tlicy'd eniig it throo times I told them they wore the finest choir I'd heard in the United States. Ono patient took mo asido and. said, 'For my sako, don't mal;o faces or do anything to make them think you're a bit off, or they'll keep you horo!" Ibssn In Japan. Thoro is no more tolling tribute- to the- advancement of the dramatic art in Japan than tho recent nows tliat a company headed by Sadanji Ichilcawa, has staged Ibsen's drama "John Gahriol Borkman." It is difficult to understand Japanese players appearing in a lighter and simpler class of French or English play which would more readily lend itself to their old-timo strenuously pantomimic stylo of acting, but to take up Ibsen with his gloomy abstruseness and cold-blooded domestic tragedies sounds almost grotesque, Yet it was played in modern European dress with "make-up" precisely an in the original production, lchikawa himself made up Borkman in tho likeness of ■ pictures of lbson himself, and is said to have given a very able performance. Others in the cast wero not so satisfactory, but tho performance, which was considered tho beginning of a now era in the drama in Japan, must bo considered a wonderful achievement if it only be for the brains and audacity which prompted tho attempt to understand tho social codo West, tho shabby side, of which is handled with such distressing strength by tho Norwegian dramatist. Notes. "Miss Patsy," a farce in three acts, by Sewell Collins, and "Miss Nobody from Starland," a musical comedy by Joseph E. Howard, have made notable successes in Chicago.

Miss. Genevievo Ward celebrated her 72nd birthday last month. Miss AVard is the Countess do Guerbel, and when sho was singing at La Scala, Milan, it was under the name of Madame Guorabella. ' Before she appeared in England in Shakespeare sho was heard in opera in London, but in Cuba, partly owing to the climate and partly to overwork, sho lost her singing voice. Sho has played many parts, but probably no other so often as Stephanie in "For-get-me-not," in which she has appeared over 2000 times. It was ono of her parts in Australia, and it was in Australia that she produced Sophocles' "Antigone" for one of the Melbourne charities, which benefited by nearly £3000.

Miss Ellen Terry is about to visit Canada and tho United States for tho

purpose of giving a series of lectures, or, as sho prefers to call them,_ discourses on Shakespearean subjects. Those will bo illustrated by tho recital of extracts from plays in which Miss Terry has appeared, but without any stnge accessories of qostumc, lantern slides, scenery, or anything of the kind,

"only," as Miss Terry put it, "myself in plain every-day clothes, to talk about" , Shakespeare for an hour or an hour and a quarter."

SI. Sfacterlinck's play, "Maria Maglelena," was produced on March 15 at jeip?.ig. Though it do.ils with incidents

in tho lives of Christ and of Mary Magdalene, tho figure of Christ is not brought on to tho stage.