THE VAMPIRE PLAY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1284, 13 November 1911, Page 6

THE VAMPIRE PLAY.

" A FOOT, THKItE WAS." "A Pool Thero Wa,s," n diviiim in (hire acts, by Porter Emerson Ifrown, Uai-l - Tho Husband lliirli lluoklor Tho Wife Vk.M. I'i. k <.|. The Child Lifllo .Alin. JiTrviin The Friend UVmld K. Sniiprr The Sislor I'.linor I'Yslor Young j'nrmaleo Martin Krilli The Sem'tnry Arthur (Wih-II The Steward loM'pli llrcniinii First S. Wallace Swoml PnAM-nger Ibiherf. I'Mgnr Mr*. Aljiskrr ISrnwn ... Nrllio Mnrlvnn Miss Odin Hroivn Iciinio I'nliwlc Kfllhcritin lirown KloriMiw (ln<l.|«ii Tlifl Under Hum- llnlfcv The Captain fnlin ilo Uiwy Tho Donlnr Wnllor (Irniivillo Tho Woninn Mabel Trevor

It is morbid, unhealthy, fascinating, and clever, tliis piny of Porter I , !. Drown - ;.. Following the trail of tlio "barn-bones" American drama, wriOn liy IClnin, Hlk'l•don and Eugene Walters, (ho nrOior has ndroitly evolved a play out of Kipling's gruesome "Vampire vorso:— A foot Micro was, iiiml lie mndo his prayer (Even as you and 11, To a rapr and a bouc and a linnlt of ha.ir (Wo called her the woman who did not care); But, tlio fool ho called her his laity fair (Kvcn as you and I) In hurling this sort of drama at the public tlio American dramatists' claim that they are giving out the truth. Perhaps they are, that even as truth is stranger than fiction, it is often more brutal and degrading. It is so when the more secret anil subtle emotions and tlio coarser passions of mail are stripped and presented in their pulsating, shudderinix hideousness, ns in the daring play "A Fool There Was," presented at the Opera House on Saturday evening. It is usoless to contend that such things as the play presents cannot be—the worst of women" havo only too frequently fascinated and destroyed the best of men to harbour any doubt, on tlio point, but tlio wisdom of 'using such material—so obvio isly, and without employing the softening influence of suggestion—as dra-nntic entertainment is questionable. "A Fool There Was" is strong meat, anJ calls for a stronger 'mental digestive capacity than most of our playgcers possess to enjoy in perfect comfort. The story concerns tlio husband, the wife, and the woman. The husband is happy beyond measure in tlio love of his wife and child, and is rather distressed to leave his sunny home when entrusted by the Presidcnt'of the United States with a mission to the Court of St. James. The woman appears on the deck of the liner in which ho leaves for England. Scarlet in character as. , ho blush roses she carries, she is encountered outside her stateroom by a wild-eyed young roan, who shrieks excitedly, "You thought to trick me!" while presenting a revolver full in her face. She loans forward alluringly, and murmurs, "Kiss me, my fool!'' Paralysed, the young man turns the revolver to his temple, and shoots. Even as the. boy's life-blood stains the white deck, the siren laughs and passes on. Restless without a. victim, she catches tlio husband's eyo, and like a bird hypnotised by tho snake's basilisk stare ho is drawn to perdition. In London, Paris, Venice, they live in a blaze of passion, whilst at home the wife wonders in dumb ngony what detains her lord and master over the specified time his mission was to havo occupied. At last the inevitable exposure comc3. Ho is asked to resign his position, his friends desert him, the news drifts across tho Atlantic to his distressed J wife, opening up a morass, of misery. To drown memory, which stings and burns, the husband seeks relief in brandy, and ho gce3 down, down to tho depths, until the beautiful vampire fads him as tireso.na as those of her victims, whose graves have whitened her coiirso through, life. Then comes to him a friend—a gold-hearted friend who would bring husband and wife together again. In one of tho strongest scenes of the play, the friend does all in his power to rouse- tho brandy-sodden, half-crn7,:d fool to a sense of his duty, to stir in him somo spark of his old manliness. To do this he hurls at him the most deadly inI suits, buffets him in the face, throws a glass of water at him, and by reproaching him with his neglect of wife nnd child, and his utter degradation, suggests that there is still a chance. The husband grasps at it like tho drowning man at a straw, and is about to leave his rooms when the. sorceress enters, as smilingly audacious as ever. Onco more she attempts to exert her charms on the poor trembling victim, more for her own entertainment than anything else. In this pass so acute aro his sufferings that ho is about to take poison in a glas3 of brandy, but is arrested from doing so by the struggle of his better self for mastery. Finally the woman acknowledges that he has coased to amuse her, and they had better part. "But boforo you- go," she says in sheer devilry, "kiss mo!" For once ho resists her fatal lips, and dashes through the doors to another life. She of the rod rosos turns with a langh, fnke9 up tho glass of poisoned brandy, drinks to her latest victim, and dies. An over-happy-aftorirards "tableau" helps to lessen the nasty taste this powerful plav leaves in the mouth. "A Fool There Was" gives ample opportunity for good acting. Wo have known Ifr. Hugh Buckler as a sound actor for a few years, but his performance as the husband places him amongst the best of dramatic actors in the pnblic eye in Australasia. He has magnetism that compels attention, reserved dramatic force, and technical skill which found him equal to tho many demands mode by an .extraordinarily arduous role. His task was really to represent a dual personality—the one a bright young American, full of manly vigour and tlio joy of life; the other a grey wreck of his former self, a nerve-shattered dipsomaniac, under the mesmeric control ot a painted witch. Tho presentation of tho second phase of the husband disclosed the full strength of Mr. Buckler's capacity. He was horribly convincing in bis spasmodic dashes at the brandy-bottle, his fumbling entrances, his nervous fluttevings under the ete of the woman, and passionate ombracings of tho painted thing. Ho summoned up a thrill of pity in the scone where his friend is trying to pull him round, and lator in the touching scene with the Mother and Child. The final scone, where tho poor frightened fool finds that for once he is able to resist the vampire's wooing, was acted with a high degrco of nervous vitality and histrionic resource. Miss Mabel Trevor appears to advantage as the Woman, though not perhaps ideal in tho role. Her performance is governed by the actress's temperamental limitations, and lacks devil, subtlety, and that sinuous fascination the author intended to be there. ■ Still it was a good performance, up to a point, and, moreover, gave Miss Trevor an opportunity to display a lively taste in decorative gowning. An excellent performance was that of Mr. Gerald K. Souper's as the Friend. Mr. Souper invested the part with a fine buoyancy and humour, without destroying the good solid qualities which underlie the surface. His tone was pleasantly correct throughout. He told the fairy story delightfully, nnd was splendidly forcible in the dramatic scene with the fool in the last act. What is really a star performance is that given by little- Alice Jerrens, a seven-year-old mite, ns the Child. It is quite a long part for one of such tender years, but every line was spoken clearly, intelligently, and . without tho impress of tutelage. The child was quite spontaneous, and her appearances were like rays of sunshine on the dark and troubled waters of the play. Miss Violet Page mndo an pngatringiy loving and lovable Wife, and Miss Elinor l-'oster was quite good as tho Sister. Mr. H. rialloy was the embodiment of n wellbred Butler, and Mr. Arthur Cornell was satisfactory as the Husband's Secretary. The drama is admirably mounted. The interior scenes aro furnished in admirable taste, the ship sceno is realistically managed, and the summer-house at Larelimont, set with its mat of grass and trailing vines, is a very cheery bif, of stage decoration. "A Fool There Was" will run throughout the week.

For Chronic Chest Complaints, Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, Is. 6d.* In connection with the Hataitai tunnel a meeting of residents of Hataitai and Kilbirnio will be held in the Bowling Club's Pavilion this evening. Particulars of a large estate for sale are advertised elsewhere in this issue by Messrs. London, Goss, and Co., lanil agents, W.-vnganui. Messrs. Fairs and Driver. Customs Sheet, Auckland, have, a special advertisement in this issue, giviua particulars of 3GW Borea of ixeohold propertj , lor sale.