THE THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1782, 21 June 1913, Page 9

THE THEATRE

[By Sylvius.]

The World's a theatre; tho Earth a stage.— Heywood. "The Butterflies." rile Butterflies," who made such a favourable impression on their appearance here a month or two ago, ami who have in tho meantime toured tho Dominion, are duo back at the Opera House on •Monday evening. As before, this clever u- m col "P a "y is headed - by Mr. Jack 11 tiller, u capital comedian, and quite an nolo violinist. Jlr. J:reil. Dennett will bo remembered for his able and artistic work at the piano. Mr. Wylie Watson is a smart comedian and a competent cellist. Miss Cecilia Gold is a captivating soubrette, and Miss Marion Armitage. will be remembered for her Yorkshire songs. Other performers are: Mr. It. Foster Hine (baritone), and Miss Ada Smart (soprano).

A Play With a Punch,

A Woman of Impulse," the new Widner drama that is to be produced in Wellington .shortly by the Hamiltoii-Plimmer Company, is described in one Australian paper as "a play with a punch." This, because it teems with high-strung, dramatic situations, and clean-cut characterisations.

•Ihe drama is built up (says the Tasmanian "Daily Telegraph") on the hold obtained by Carl Navourac, an unscrupulous political agent, intriguer, and spy, over .Lady Langiord, of the Foreign Affairs Minister in a British Cabinet, Navourac induces the father of tho blueblooded and family-proud Lady Langford [to steal certain documents showing tho route taken by a certain British expedition in Africa, tho success or failure of which will involvo international complications. He then plans to have tho expedition intercepted by a hostile tribe to prevent it reaching its goal, with tho result that the members, included in which is the only son of Sir Matthew Ward, are believed to have perished. To avoid this knowledge getting to her husband's ears. Lady Langford consents to become involved in Navourac's schemes,, with, the result.that she is suspected of a love intrigue with him.' Further complications ensue, but the tangled threads are straightened out by dramatist and performer in the end, and all appears to end- happily. The expedition returns safely, ana a fond wife is restored to a loving husband's arms, whilo Navourac becomes a fugitive, etc., etc. Tho characterisation throughout was obedient', and those impersonating the characters named, all very difficult types to present, were especially successful. Tho acting of Miss Day and Mr. Plimmer as the estranged but subsequently reconciled husband and wife in a series of the most powerful scenes left nothing to be desired, and they were repeatedly ovationed by the audience.

The Wellington season will comm'ence on next Thursday week (July 3). . Genee in Australia, On the evening of her arrival in Sydney, Genee, the distinguished Danish dancer, was entertained at Paris House by Mr. Hugh Ward. Tho visitor's response to tho ; toast of her health, which Mr. Aschc supported in Norwegian, was short. "As a* little girl," she said, "I was always told not to speak with my mouth lull. Your kindness has put my heart in my uiouth, and all I caii do 13 to say thank you." Mdlle. Genee says she is anxious to start her practice again. It is-six weeks since she left London, during which tinio slio had been unable to.do her dancing exer* cises. When dancing slio i"egularly practises two hours a day at the theitre, in r«ddition to her rehearsals and her performances at night. She lias done, this since, as'a child of eight, she entered the dancing f.chool of the Royal Theatre, Copenhagen. This institution, she stated, was supported ■ by the Government, and' no prollt was looked to from tho theatre. Students were enrolled for tho theatrical profession, and all. went; through the dancing course. Part of this was pantomime, not as it is known .in Australia, but dumb show. If one showed dramatic talent that branch of profession became one's career. For herself, she always loved dancing, and used to howl if slio was prevented from attending tho school for a day. Since her debut she had appeared in all the European capitals, in addition to London and America. Mdlle. Genee is a soft-featured, gentlevoiced woman, slightly below middle height, slim in figure, fair, and typically Danish in appearance. Her manner is distinguished. The Gcneo season commences in Melbourne this evening. "Excuse Me!" Writing of the farcical skit "Excuse Me," the "Sydney Daily Telegraph" soys: "The central love story, in : which Mr. Niblo and the newly-arrived ladjr lead, Miss Beatrice Terry, figure, concerns an elopement. Tho hero, Harry Mallory, having been ordered oil suddenly to tho Philippines, induces his sweetheart, Marjorie Newton, to elope with him, marry hurriedly, and accompany him to his new home. The betrothed pair 'miss the parson,' aro not married, and catch the overland express train and aro about to. part, when tho machine moves off. The rest of their time on the four days' unbroken Tail journey is devoted to finding some means of marrying 'on tho wing.' A 'deus ex machina' fortunately appears in the last act in the person of an agreeable parson, who lias tossed off his clerical weeds and is enjoying a sumptuous vacation in a. screeching red necktie and with ample supplies of cigars and whisky. On tho samo train are groups of intending divorce parties proceeding to Reno, a town in . America formerly renowned for the facilities it furnished for undoing unhappy matrimonial knot?, but more recently celebrated throughout the world as the scene of Jim Jeffries' total eclipse. Some mild and not unhealthy fun is furnished: by this queer gathering of characters on the limited express, and by the typical personages representing railway officialdom. With such weak drama it could not be expected that this piece could last very long. The audience were catching their tram at 10.30 p.m."

On Theatre-Building. Mr. Frank Dix's remarks on the construction of au up-to-date stage, which appeared in The Dominion of Monday last, might with advantage be taken seriously a, a guide by architects who give attention to theatre construction. In the old days the stag<! proper was the last thing considered by the architect, unless it was the dressing-room?, which in many theatres are still a disgrace. < It has always been a- puzzle to mc why Government and municipal inspector's have not paid more attention to the drcss->ng-room accommodation provided for actors and actresses in theatres. 'They very properly are conscientious'in seeing that the conditions under which factorygirls work aro made thoroughly hygienic, but no note is taken of places* where from twenty to thirty girls aro compelled to "dress and 1 undress (and sometimes change half a dozen times during th» evening) in one room, leaving much to bo desired, llere is a chance for a reform that is really badly needed. I raise the point just now, when theatre-building is in the air, not only in Wellington, but elsewhere ill New Zealand and Australia, in the hope that the authorities will insist on providing adequate accommodation in every way for the biggest companies (as far as numbers go) .which lour the country.

Mr. Dix.mentioned this need, and also went into technical details as to the construction of stage and fly-lloors, and gridirons. which (coining I'rom such an authority) should bo of value to tlioso wishing to learn tho right thing to do. Mr. Dix stales emphatically that the old idea of putting a "rake" in the stage tloor lias been completely done away with, the flat, stage having been found the best, both from the producer's point of'view and that of the audience, always providing that the floor of the auditorium Is properly "raked."

Mr. Uix lears lli.it Xew Zealand is building , theatres on the large size. lie favours the theatre thut would scat from 1500 to 1700 people as the one most likely to give satisfaction. There may lie times when a company is doiiis only fair business in a very targe theatre, hut fuel) is the disparity between those, present. and what the theatre could aceonimodotc that (ho effect—lwlh on Iho audi■WCfi anil jalaxcrs— ia most detfrcwijw, l s ®-

side?, the large theatre with a capacity for over -001) people, is not really suitable for soino clashes of play. In Loudon one would never dream of producing a rclined comedy in u very large theatre. .Small theatres are always favoured, because thechances of success largely depend on the audience being close enough to the stage to wilneps the finest worlc of the players—work that would, to a great extent. be lost half-way back in fto circle or gallery W a large theatre. For grand or comic opera, musical comedy, pantomime, and spectacular drama,'the big theatre is the thing, but, if a manager fails, to do ; ordinary good business, the "beggarly array of empty benches" are apt to depress an audience. Whero one theatre has to sufiico for all classes of >»hows, as in New Zealand, Air. Dix thinks the theatre that would actually seat IGOO people should bo the happy mean. Notes. The new Dandies, nov,- appearing at the Concert Chamber, arc to make a trip across the strait early next month. On .Tuly J, 0, and 7 they will appear in Blenheim, and'on July 8 at. Picton, reopening on July !) at the Concert Chamber, where they will remain until July 24. Ethel Charlotte Mantoll, the 10-year-old daughter of ]!obert 15. Mantell, the American Shakespearean actor,' has mado her professional debut on tho stage, and, singularly enough, she appeared in the same theatre where her father made his first American appearance, Mr. llantell arrived in America in 1878, and was seen on the stage there for tho first time when he appeared in support of Mine. Modjeska at the old Leland Opera House in Albany, N.Y. Mr. Allen Doono lias' secured a new Amorican-Irish play, entitled "Tho Top of tho Morning," which has been produced with success in America. All Irish plays are written in America-nowadays. Manj' people interested in tho stage of yesterday will regret to hear of tlio death of Jlr. Erskino Scott, the genial manager, who of late years had charge for West's in Melbourne. Mr. Scott was very well known in New Zealand from: fifteen to twenty years ago, when ho. was one of tho regular brigado of advance agents, who numbered amongst them Mr. .T. L. Lohr, Mr. Joe St. Clair, Mr. Underwood, and others of whom wo hear so liltlo now. Mr. Scott is remembered best in connection with tho Martin■Simonson, Montagut-Turner, and Florence Seymour opera companies, which used to appear in the Theatro Royal before tho days of opera houses or grand opera houses in Wellington. In those days, ' Florence Seymour (Mrs.' Scott) was accounted a very handsome and talented contralto, and" a most conscientious artist. : Later slio became a dramatic actress, and as such achieved a good position in Australia. She toured at one time as tho lead of the Majeroni Dramatic Company, playing "Trilby" to the "Svengali" of George Majeroni. Mr. Erskino Scott was manager of the company. ■ Whether or not ho was related to James VI of and tho illustrious Erskine family does not matter in the least degree in Australia, where lie was respected as a good fellow and a capable business man.