MR. OSCAR ASCHE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1568, 11 October 1912, Page 3

MR. OSCAR ASCHE.

* CIVIC WELCOME AT TOWN HALL. A large number of people were present at the Town Hall yesterday afternoon, when a civil- reception was tendered Mr. ami Mrs. Oscar Asche (Miss I.ilv JSravThe Mayor (Mr. D. M'Laron) welcomed the guests, lie remarked that Wellington was delighted to liuvo them here, and he expressed the opinion that artists as well as statesmen and writers did a great deal towards linking up the Empire. His Worship added that he wished that a national theatre were in existeuce here. 'The lion. F. M. B. Fisher stated that ho desired, on behalf of the Government and the citizens of Wellington, to express delight at seeing Mr. and Mrs. Asche at last in Wellington. .Some time ago ripples had drifted across to New Zealand of the company which Mr. Asche had toured-Australia with. In Australia tho company had left many Shakespearean societies in their wake, and he hoped that such would lie the caso here. lie congratulated .Mr. Afchc on reaching perhaps tho highest pinnacle in his art. Mr. Asche had been born under the Southern Cross, and New Zealanders were broad-minded enough to join in congratulating Australians as well as their own boys. It ought to be a duty of every theatre-loving community to see that adequate provision was made not only for thos? before the footlights, but for those behind them as well. (Applause.) So he hoped to some day see a national theatre here. Mr. and Mrs. Asche were producing the works of perhaps the greatest literary genius the world had known—Shakespeare, and he hoped that this would not bo their last visit to this country. ™ l »- H - E -,Nicholls. president of the Wellington Shakespeare Club, said that welcoming Mr. and Mrs. Asche did not seeni like greeting strangers, as Shakespeareans all the world over were friends. He wished the guests a most successful season, a.nd he hoped that they would carry away pleasant memories of Wellington, and that they would return, for an good Australians desired to retain the Asches. wC' Freeth said tnat - <™ tehalf • E. j l l terar . v craff of New Zealand, ho wished to extend to the guests a heartv welcome. He trusted that this visit would only be a prelude to other "invasions. Mr. Oscar Asche replied briefly to the addresses of welcome. He said that he was delighted with , tho reception; and observed that he always tried to leave all the members of his company behind when lie attended these functions, as tho members of tho company usually welcomed the opportunity of giggling at him while he was making his speech. He had been glancing over the audience for faces of those who had been with him for eight or nine years; and was pleased that none were present. An actor-manager, he continued, was often lcoked upon as a very "commercial" person; but had it not been for actor-managers' conceit Shakespeare might not have been produced in the last 20 years—commercial managers olwavs fought shy of it. When Mrs. Asche and himself had first visited Australia to play , Shakespeare they had been told that they would meet failure as Shakespeare was | dead there. The prediction had not come true. To his mind, Shakespeare had been I the great welder together of the British Empire. Wherever one found British people, they found Shakespeare loved. No matter of what nationality Shakespeare's hero was he always preached "love of country." Mr. Asche went on to say that ho would be glad to see a municipal theatre here. Some places did not cater at *all for the comfort of the artists.. The artists had to dress in cellars and all sorts of places which the Public Health Department would condemn in any other building than a theatre. "I thank you," he concluded, "on behalf of my wife, my company, and myself for the very kind welcome you have given us to-day and during tho past-week." (Applause.) T]ie Mayor apologised for the absence of Sir Robert Stout and Sir John Findlay, who had been expected to address the gathering, but who had been unable to attend!