THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1372, 24 February 1912, Page 3

THE THEATRE.

(Br Sylvius.)

The World's a theatre; the Earth a stage—Hoy wood. Dancer—Singer—Actress. Miss Ethel Irvine, is the brilliant product of hard work. She did not Hash unon tho world as something dazzling to the jaded eves of the West End front stalls. Her 'success is built on a surer foundation. The daughter of Joseph Irving, nclor (no relation at all to 11. B. Irving), she made her first appearance as a dancer in 18S3—a cruel, long time ago— in a light opera called "The Heel Hussar." After that she played many in musical coined), melodrama, id the English provinces and in America, where she lived 'for soino yea re. Blie also visited Australia over twelve years ago, and before the dawn of her stardom. On returning to England she was engaged by Mr. "Gaiety" Edwards, and in her first part of any moment—that of lJudley in "Han Toy"—she made a great hit. That was the beginning of a reel of successes in musical comedy, chief arnoug which was in the leading part in "Tho Girl From Kays," in 1903. Shortly afterwards she made a success as Mrs. Millamant in "The Way of the World." Sho then went into management at the Criterion in 1905, producing "What Pamela Wanted" and W. S. Gilbert's "Comedy and Tragedy," and afterwards "Lucky Miss Dean." Sho returned to musical comedy in "Mr. Popple" at tho Apollo tho same year. Sho appeared, mostly in comedy, in 1900 and in October 1907, sho was persuaded—and consented after a long siege—to play Lady Frederick Berolles in Somerset Maughan's comedy, "Lady Frederick." Her performance 6et all London talking. The comedy changed its locale live times during' its rim— once is usually fatal in Loudon—without impairing business. ■ This set tho seal of the great comedienne on Miss Irving, who is a strong, impassioned actress as well as a subtle exponent of comedy. Later in London sho played in "Dolly Reforming Herself" and "The Witness for the Defence." "Lady Frederick" should fill the Opera House fcr a week at least. Miss ' Irving in private life is the wife of Mr. Gilbert Portions, 'an actor and singer vcho was for somo time associated with tho Gaiety Company in London. Their home is Home Park, King's Langley, Herts.

Mr. Sothern on Shakespeare. "The only way to popularise Shakespeare," says Mr. E. H. Sothern in the New York "World," "is to work like the devil and give the public Rood acting. Shakespeare cannot he popularised merely by reducing the price of admission. An actor might play Shakespeare to an admission price of ten cents and, instead of adding to the popularity of the great dramatist, might injure it'. Good acting is the iirst requisite towards making Shakespeare's plays popular. Shakespeare is popular if well acted—he doesn't have to be made so. The price of admission is regulated by the seating capacity of tho theatres where wo play. Our expenses are, roughly speaking, SGOO dollars a week. If tho theatro is large enough so we can cover expenses ;• ml. make enough to pay us for our work in addition, wo keep the price at one and a half dollars; if not, wo charge two dollars, basing our calculations on the business we have done in that city in the past. If we could make a fair profit I would rather nlay at 50 cents and have a fullhouse than to half a house at two dollars or three dollars, because of the satisfaction and inspiration to he gained from capacity audiences, and also from the business point of view that, if a good performance has been given, we have made that many more friends who will want to see us iii the future. Tho friends that an actor makes through good work are his asset for the future. I have never had a losing season in Shakespeare—not even in my first season in ".Hamlet" in ISSS, when I did that nlav exclusively for the entire season, and that notwithstanding the fact that it was my first appearance-, nt the head of my own company, in a Shakespeare play. "Furthermore, my production was burned in Cincinnati, and a new one had to be built. In addition, I was ill ten weeks llrat season. But when tho accounts were closed at the end of the year they showed a profit. It proves that the public will pay to see Shakesnoaro if it is confident that the producer is giving it Ihe best production and the best noting he is capable of. In a niimhr-r of cities, notably Baltimore and Philadelphia, business was not good the first season 'or two that Mrs. Sothern and I anpeared there in our Shakespearerepcrloirp, but since then it has increased until now these two cities are among the most profitable which we play. We arc working on threo Shakespeare plays now—'King Lear,' 'Othello,' and 'Cymbcline.' We shall probably produce nt' least one of them next season. Mrs. Sothern wishes very much to play CorlUlia; the beauty and sweetness of that character appeal'to her: and I naturally want to plav I.ear. Whenever 1 do. though, I expect all the rider theatrical writers to raise n hue and cry."-