THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 900, 20 August 1910, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

: 1~ Tho World's a theatre; Hie Earth a stage.—Heywood.

(Br Sylvius.)

"Aladdin." Some of tho features of "Aladdin" are of a nature to make people wonder. Thero is tlio balloon effect in which a real balloon, ■ with a real girl in it, suddenly appears, apparently from nowhere, right out in tho auditorium, swinging round,and round until she can roach mit, and shako hands with people in the circle, or sweeping down until slio can touchi tho heads of people in the stalls with her foot, or nearly so. Indeed, one night during tho performance of the big extravaganza in Melbourne one young gentleman' in the stalls reached out, with his walking-stick, and tried to hook Miss Maher's foot as she swayed above him, and failing to accomplish his purpose, kissed his hand gracefully to her as she .rose smilingly above his reach. The Flag of Australia" is a vertical wall of girls twenty feet or more in height, which, with one movement, changes 1 into a brilliantly-flash-ing Union Jack, lit hjf thousands of Dante's "Inferno" lamps, glowing with flame, tho;i«ii there is not a single spark of fire on the whole stage, which seems one blaze, through which tho lira maidens weave a. graceful path. "Aladdin" will be produced in Wellington on September 2.

"Lovers' Lane." , When the new theatrical firm, headed by Messrs. Harry Plimmer and Roynolds Denniston, acquired the ••Australian rights of. Clyde Fitch's drama, "Lovers' Lane," tho possibility of .a Sydney production of the work seemed quite remote. Tiio unexpected, however, has happened during last week, for although the. season of '"Lovers' Lano" must, bo restricted to 12 nights, it is definitely settled that: the ;new firm will begin.operations at:tho Theatre Royal; Sydney, on Saturday, September 10. "Lovers' Lane" was regarded as one of tho best of Clyde Fitch's works. When originally presented in New York it waS| very well received, and the character oE tho play so impressed Uishop Potter as to call from him the following opinion:—"Surely 'Lovers' Lano , 'is a green oasis in the desert of things theatrical. Such a play can only make for good. It in a good play—elevating and - ennobling —and, above all, it is clean." Tho piocn will be performed by a nowlyorganised company.. Mr..Harry Plimmer, who will thus..make his .reappearance on the Sydney stage after an absonoc of. six months, will sustain tho leading role. New scenery is boing prepared by Mr. Harry Whaite. In tho words of Mr. Allan Hamilton, "Nothing will bo left undone to make* 'Lovers' Lane' -worthy of patronage by all classes of playgoers. . 'Lovers' Lane'i , is a delightful work, and' we shall make every effort to stago it to tho bost passihiß advantage. , ' . At thcj close of the brief Sydney season thol "Lovers' Lano" Company will undertake a comprehensive Slew Zealand tour.—Sydney . "Telegraph "

Amy Castles and Weather. Amy Castles to an "Argus" intei•viower: "Isn't it lovely to be back in my own Melbourne again after so many' weeks' in Maoriland, where the. people aro hospitable, but tho weather, isn't. I am a-lover df-sunshine and Australia and all'things bi'iglitl' I longed to be hijice, again." .N'ow, it was very ; sweet of Amy to glorify her own Melbourne weather by comparing it with Maoriland ditto, whilst '.taking caro to .praise.the M.L. people.; but she can't porsv.r.dc, say, tho Vederal ]es ) is.l.uor&, who aro. an all-round body of. Australians, that Melbourne is-a littlo bit merry and bright during tho winter months. For some days before Amy's arrival tho sky was grey and the rain pretty persistent. Two years ago theit' wore six■': successive 'weeks ■in Melbourne 'when the sun remained invisible. 'It is, iii fact, thC'last big city of Australia that a lover of sunshine would select for winter'quarters, and the present opera , season thero is in danger of being : soinmvhat spoilt by the weather. —"Bulletiu "

New Effects .in, '"Trilby." One- or two , changes have been, made in tho present;'production ■of "Trilby" at the Sydney Theatre Koyal, which are certainly a vast .'improvement on tho old stylo of presentation. Instead of the three 'artist -friends recognising through' an opening' in tho curtain in the theatre Scene their old comrade -of the Latin, :■ quarter, in : the worldroriowned La Svengali,'the .curtain is now flung aside, : and Trilby is shown singing in the packed .-'theatre' with Svengali in the conductor's chair. This innovation, adds considerably- to the artistic success of tho piece, and is splendidly carried out. Another divergence'from the old style was in tho last act, when- Miss Nellie Stewart, as Trilby, sang a verso of ''Ben Bolt," under the hypnotic influence of Svengali's photograph. Thqse two changes, together with numerous other minor details, aro due to the resourcefulness of Mr.- Gaston Mcrvale, who Uao proved himself a most efficient stage producer. Greek Drama in America. . "Oedipus, King," considered by many critics the' master-work' of Sophocles, the greatest ■ dramatist of ancient Greece, was produced in classical manner on May. 14 last at the open-air Greek, Theatre- of the University of California, tho players, being students and members., of the faculty.

"The ■' setting," says the San Francisco "Examiner,", "was true to tho time of Sophocles, the costumes were historically correct, and only'the original language of the tragedy was needed to make tho production what '-. it might have been more 'than 2000 years ago. An English translation, that of Tnomas Francklin, dramatist and Greek professor at Cambridge 150.years ago, , was used in order that the play might be intelligible to a general au.dienoe. > . ■ .

"Charles D. von Neiimayer was the .dramatic director, and Professor James Turney Allen,..who played the. part'of Oedipus, had charge of the costuming and was in general supervision of the tragedy. ; "Paul Steindorff directed the orchestra of forty pieces and a chorus of men in. tho difficult nliisic composed by John Knowlos Paine, formerly professor of music in Harvard, and. who wrote the 'Centennial Hymn' for the exposition at Philadelphia in 1876, and tho march and hymn for the Columbian Exposition at Chicago. Notwithstanding the difficulty arising from the action of tlie. sun's hot rays on the stringed instruments, the orchestra, tfavo an ideal rendering of the music, and tho carefully trained chorus wassplendidly effective, adding greatly to the impressive dignity of the production." "When is our University in' Now Zealand going to do something to cultivate a taste for tlie higher drama? I Almost Blotted Out, During his long experience as an actor; Mr. Evelyn Vernon. the Jinnee of "The Brass Bottle" Company, has met with some humorous happenings, which ho relates in a most interesting and diverting manner. For instance, he tells of bow on one occasion lie was appearing -in a Robertson comedy, during the progress.of which a plate of sandwiches was handed round. All unwittingly he helped himself to one-

and took a fair-sized bite, to iincl to his dismay that he bod a portion of a "property" sandwich (tlie "ham" being a piece of pink blotting paper) in his mouth.' i'or the next twenty minutes during which he was on tho stage his toolings were unenviable. Motes. Thero aro two complete sets of scenery and effects for tlio "Aladdin" pantomime production, which is to be staged at ,tlie Opera House, ■Wellington; on September 2, so that while the pantomime is being staged in one town, the duplicate set of scenery is sent on ahead to the next in charge of an advance army of mechanics and electricians, \yhose duty it is to hold lighting ■and scene rehearsals and to test everything before the arrival of tho company. This ensures smooth first-night performances. Miss Eva Moore, sister of Carrie Moore, will make her first appearance in Wellington with J. C. 'Williamson's Pantomime Company. Miss Moore mado her reputation in America, whero she successfully appeared in "Tho Geisha," "Florodora," "Tho Bolle of Now York," and "San Toy." The favourite pantomime comedian, Harry Phydora, heads the comedy turn in "Aladdin." . ' .

When tho. last mail left New York Mr. Andrew Mack was playing Nanki Poo in a successful revival of "The Mikado" (with Fritzi Scheff as Yum Yum); and Mr. G. P. Huntky, tho famous English "dude" comedian (there are several photos of him in the foyer of the Wellington Opera House), was playing Eceles in a revival of "Caste," which comedy has been played at tho Opera House this.woek. Mr. Julius Knight will commence his farowoll, season in Melbourne to-night. "Glittering Gloria" is tho next comedy to bo staged by tho Hugh Ward Company. It will probably bo produced {luring the Christmas season of tho company in Sydney. Tlio English members of the company who are to appear in the Drury Lano drama, "The Whip," are expected to arrive in Melbourne ill about a.fortnight's time. The piece, which is spectacularly one of tlio biggest tilings over staged by tho "Firm," will be produced by Mr. Wybert- Stanford, assisted by Mr. W. J. Penley.

During last week Sir Rupert Clarke received a cablegram from his partner, Mr. Clyde. Meyncll, in London, statr ing that Miss Winifred O'Connor had been engaged to replace Miss Maio Sydney when the latter leaves for England and America. Miss O'Connor will open as prima donna ("Sophia"), in the production of Edward Gorman's "Tom Jones" in October.