THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 869, 16 July 1910, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

J . ft- ■ The World's a theatro: .the Earth a stage.--Heywaod. (b"y Sylvius.) Individuality in the Drama. Henry Arthur Jones, whose play, "Tho Hypocrites," is being played u U the' Opera House, is always an interesting talker, although it is not always easy to agree with all his theories or arguments. Lecturing the other night, in London, before the Etiological .Society, upon character in drama, he said that there was "a demand for minute and exact portraits of modern living beings on tho stage. The public were less concerned with types, more, concerned with individuals, Ir.lhc modern dramatist was to be called upon to give realistic and scientific delineations of character, he was surely entitled to ask for their precise duplicates in real life' to play them. The fact was, if a dramatist had clearly conceived and drawn a living character, it was astonishing what a number of actors with varied personalities, could play it with equal effect, and with much tho same result upon the audience. The- converse was true. If a dramatist had drawn a character with certain marked qualities, or peculiarities, his creation might bo maimed or altogether destroyed by an. actor with a wrong or deficient or contradictory personality. It mattered, comparatively little what the dramatist had conceived or drawn if tho personality and 'mariner of the actor, did not support and amplify him in the main features', of the character. Dramatists wore'of ten enormously helped by actors who gave form and body to ; characters that they had, perhaps, only vaguely sketched. But equally dramatists' were sometimes hindered and defeated ami misrepresented by actors, and they had no means of redress. But the drama would always be most successful when it dealt wail large,, broad, unirersal aspects of human character, rather than with minute and fleeting idiosyncrasies. Broadly speaking, there were' twe different ways of painting character in drama as there were two different ways of painting a portrait—the ~onc ' was minute, realistic, individual, and aimed at scientific exactness; the other was large, imaginative, inexact; thoonowas done by the methods of the photographer, the other was done by the methods of the oil painter; tho one was done chiefly from painstaking observation, ' tho other—so far as the ' process could be described —was imagined from memory. Of course all great permanent characters were done by a combination of these two methods, but the delineator would lean to one or the other of' them according to his temperament, training, and aspirations." Now Thoatrlcal Firm. A new theatrical firm .will' shortly start operations in Australia, a partnership having been formed between Harry Plimmer, Reynolds Denuiston, and Allan Hamilton. The intention is to/ run a first-class dramatic company on thoroughly up-to-date linos, and with this object in view several'entirely new dramas have.been secured, which will bo interpreted and staged in a manner that, it is hoped, will meet with the approval of all playgoers. There being no vacant theatro in-Sydney or-Mel-bourne' this year, the now firm will commence a New Zealand tour.at H.M. Theatre, Auckland, towards, tho end of September "Lover's Lane," by tho,late Clyde Fitch, will be the initial production of the new firm. It had a three years' contiguous run . in tho United States, and '..as unanimously voted tho. most successful and charming of all the prolific, -author's works ; _ The. New \ork' "Trib'uye"—a : very severe critic—described'"Lover's Lano" as-"a truly human play, and one that must, appeal to everybody who has at heart the upholding of a clean, healthy stage." When in America, Mr. Harry Plimmer witnessed several performances of "Lover's Lane," which, he thinks, will, admirably suit tho taste of our playgoers. In spite, of repeated endeavours to secure the Australian acting rights for the play, it was only: recontly that his efforts, were successful. . . i -.' 1_: I s ■ A pungent Piece from "The Hypocrites." Henry Arthur. Jones • makes • great capital in several of his plays out of flip sins; and' foibles of. society, arid curiously enough his dramatisations, which almost- amount to diatribes, aro always received with manifest approval by a section of-'tho audience. Yet it-is very easy to imagine wrong of anyone, so much easier than to pick out the virtues of a person or a class. Here is a sample from "The Hypocrites," spoken ty the worldly Viveasli, the lawyer:— "Look at society. * What is it? ,'. An organised hypocrisy everywhere! We all live by' taking in each other's dirty linen, and pretending to wash it; by cashing each other's dirty little lies and shams, and passing them on!, Civilisation means rottenness, when you get to the core of it! And I fancy its rather moro rotten in this rotten little hole than anywhere else. Oh yes, it is. I've been thirty years in a lawyer's office here. _ I know the history of every family in the place. . If I-were to take tho roof off every house, and show you .what's underneath—! What's the use? .It's a lovely picturesque little township,' nestling at the. foot of • tho undulating downs. Let : it nestle!. Take tho guide-book view of the place. Let sleoping dogs lie!" . "Mr. Precdy and the Countess." - Tho following sketch of. tho plot of Carton's comedy "Mr.. Prcedy and the Countess,"- produced by tho Geo. Willoughby Comedy Company in Melbourne is taken from the Melbourne "Argus":— Hamilton Precdy (Mr. David Jamen) is a perfect good sort of worm, with a habit of turning now and again when trodden on. Ho commenced business life in Bounsall'B emporium, and has risen to a partnership. .He lives in a fiat, with an ill-conditioned valet (Mr. Harry lialley) and a highly moral though incompetent cook. - He is going to be married to Emma Sidgravd (Miss Violet Paget), who has been "playing liim -off" against .an amorous but uncouth; dental surgeon (Mr.' Arthur Cornell). Late at night Prcedy-is visited in his rooms by John Bounsall (Mr. George •Willoughby), senior partner in the firm,'who brings with him Joanna Countess of Rushmere (Mios Mnb. Paul), with whom, for tho present, he is piatonically eloping. Mr.. Bounsall succeeds in quartering the giddy Joanna on Precdy for the night, as he is called away to the dying bed of a' rich godfather. His intention is to return in the morning and continue his motor journey to tho house of a respected aunt, and there deposit the countess until tho decree is mado absolute. In the meantime, Joanna's ■ husband, the Hon. Robert Jonnenvay (Mr. H. Parkcs) has, to put it in his own descriptive manner, "been going on'lns own, and has toddled off to Egypt to enjoy a filial ding-dong" with a somewhat notorious opera singer as companion. Prcedy hands over his Hat, his bedroom, and his servants to the countess, and discreetly retires to a neighbouring hotel for the night. Instantly the place is ablaze with I'recdy's profligacy. Tho .man servant gives notice, the cook disappears, the father and mother of * his fiancee are honest doubters, and the dental surgeon is so "cock-sure" that Mr. I'reedy lias forfeited his good name., that he feels certain of calling Emma his own. . Here we have. Mr. Carton's pretty kettle of fish boiling hot. It bubbles over when

the news arrives that Bounsall has, for pecuniary reasons, married a relative of the dying godfather, and has left the countess, fiot only in the lurch, hut on Prccdy's hands. The knot is easily cut by the impcrturbetl countess making it clear to all and sundry that Prcedy ia-a fine, honourable little'fellow,, that Bounsall is a cad, and that, under tlio circumstances, she will rejoin her husband, who lias returned a penitent from lus expedition to Egypt, and is willing to shako hands all round,-with the exception of "dear old bullv bounder •Bounsall," because ho did not earn- out lus share of the elopement. Indeed, the noble fellow is so annoyed with Bounsall that he oven regrets the money he borrowed from him.

Notes. William Gillette's latest play "Mrs. Electricity," in. which Marie Doio will have the principal female part, will have its first performance- in the Pars Theatre, Boston, on September 25. Mr. Gillette (the original) Sherlock Holmes), it appears trom a London interview, is to organise a-travelling company, of which he himself will be the head, for the performance of his own plavs, "Held by the Enemy," "Secret Service," "Sherlock Holmes," and "Too Much Johnson." Ho expects to play in Paris and Berlin, as well as in London, next year. Mr. Harold Ashton, bound for London in company, with Mr. J. C. "Williamson sends greetings from Port Said. Mr. 3. C. 'Williamson's "Aladdin" Pantomime Company leaves Adelaide for Auckland on July 30. "The Passing of the Third Floor Back," with Mr. Matheson Lang as "the stranger," has scored a success in Sydney. The Phil Walsh Dramatic Company, which is touring the West Coast, is to commence - a twelve-night season at the Opera House on August 18, when will be staged "The American Tramp" and "The Girl from Tennessee." Mr. Walsh was here many years ago with "The Land of the Mo'a" Company, and subsequently with Mrs. Brown-Potter. He alsu appeared with Andrew Mack in Australia.