THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1794, 5 July 1913, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

[Br Sylvius.] The World's a theatre; the Earth * stage.—Hejwood. Actually Coming, & nd n ac ' : " a "j r to be visited duo £> £ • Company, which, is next iST™ «?." within tho news tUt 0 Jltile til,,a a S° th 6 vfo t Ti ? . b,s organisation was to it D ? m,nlol , 1 was circulated, but ot P ,n mucl > credence among those £2 Sa com I> utin S cost ofVingmfnninv t \9 o { npn " y to New Zealand-a company -which comes from England, ™ fI C ,? UIpP chorus and orchestra standta/ 1 ™ 7 P nnci P al s of very fair 1 am able to state that I lan Company will (barring, acci: dents) tour New Zealand. It will comy.aT1 r <l on December 22, and Plaj there until January 7 or 12 (if Air. Quinlan will consent to play at Wan»anui and Napier then the Auckland season to ir on J;be earlier date); at Wellington from January 14 to 24; at Uinstchurch, January 2G to Februarv 5; at Dunedin, February 6 to 12; and at Invercargil on February 13 and 14. Hitherto grand opera companies in Australia has meant tho importation of a number of vocal principals, a couple of conductors, and a producer. Chorus and orchestra, have invariably been supplied in Australia, and often the principals have included Australian artists. In the case of the "Madame Butterfly" Company, the company (outside local talent) consisted of Mdlle Bel Sorel, Miss Amy Castles, Mdlle I'ampari, Signors Zcrga, Zanelli, and Hazon (conductor). All the rest of the principals and all the chorus and orchestra, were Australians. This is not intended to bo said in any derogat°ry spirit, as the performances given by that company were, if not first-class, exceedingly good, and remain sweetly in the memory as tho introducers of the fpoetic Puccini.

"What will bo included in the Novr Zealand Tepertoir© is not yet known, but it is almost certain to comprise "Tho Tales of Hoffman" (Offenbach), Charpenl? Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde, and perhaps a selection from the 'Rinff —"The Valkyries" or "Seigfricd." It is. to be fervently hoped that "Madame Butterfly", will find a place in the repertoire.

Genee's Australian Premiere. Adeline Genee's first appearance in Australia at His Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, on Saturday week was acclaimed as a triumph. bays the Jielbounio Argusr "we have seen a good manv clever exponents of the ballet on the Melbourne stage, excellent performers up t.i a certain, point, but they lacked the quality which counts for everything— style, and that added gift of the gods which we call personality. Good intentions, industry, perseverance, and all such-like cultivable virtues are very well in their way, but it is tho manner, and not the matter, that creates all great works of art, for it is ordained that in all human, activities the most gifted shall come out- on top. No words cau adequately express Hdlle. Genee's dancing, of such fleeting art there is no description. It must be seen, and theu only will lie understood the graceful pose ana poise of figure, the brilliancy of the swift passages, the technical excellence, and singular power of rhythm, the informing beauty of the slower movements, and the joyous abandon that runs throughout it all, and makes it appear so easy of accomplishment, a veritable concealing of art by means of art in its, highest sense. What Ethel Irving is to th'o comedy stage, Genee 'is to the terpsichorean stage." The entire range_ of high-class pantomime dancing was inoluded in the opening ballet, "Coppelia," tho story of which is taken from Offenbach's .opera, "Tho Tales, of Hoffman," -of which "La Poupce" was. a distant echo. Iu this ballet Mdlle. Genee appeared as Swanild, the village beautv, who. is jealous of the wonderful doll which fascinates her lover Franz. "It was easy to follow her quick successive moods, of annoyance, dislike, hato, contempt, and revenge, which were all given full meaning and expression to 1 . Exquisite in every passage .was. .the .adagio, 'Tho Wheatsheaf,' in which _ M. Volinin iind Mdlle.' Genee were Tadiant with tlio spirit of life and raillery." Other dancers who made deep impressions were Mdlle. HaLina Schmolz, whose poses were said to be reminiscent of those found in the figures of ancient Greek vases, "Moving from one to the other with a grace and skill that was quite fascinating in its elegance and refinement."

Dominion Actors. > The Hamilton-Plimmer Company, now appearing at the Opera Houso in "A Woman of Impulse," includes ' among its members three actors of New Zealand origin, who have made am impression on the Australasian stage. Mr. 1 Harry Plimmer, one of the proprietors of the company, is Wellington-born, and in mists of yesterday is outlined as an elocu--1 tioEist of much vitality and dramatic power. He made his professional debut m Sydney in. the company headed by ■ Miss Ada Ward (who will be best remembered as the lady who divided her time between the stage and the /Salvation ' Army), and after a serviceable appren--1 ticesmp joined Bland Holt, whose coni- ■ pany he left to. join that of the late George Rignold, with whom he was asso--1 siated as leading man for many year 3. J. C. Williamson next eccured nis services, and held, tliem over ft period of years, until tho Broughs found the young actor to their liking, and with that company lie toured for a long' wliile, visit mg such far-away fields as India _ and China. After an interesting experience in America, ho returned l , to Australia to 1 J. C. Williamson, with whom he remained, off and on, until he initiated his own company, which has now been prospering for the past three years. Mr. Harry Roberts, who is also included . in the cast, hails originally from Auckland. He is regarded as. one of the most versatile actors whom- Australasia has produced. He is especially good in character parts, and has in his time played many parts from Shakespearean leads to Johii Stofel (in "Struck Oil") and "Hans the Boatman." Still another New Zealander is that grave and reverend actor .Mr. Winter Hall, who up till a few years-ago, was a college master in Christchurch. He has graced many roles in his stago'experii ence, and never fails to convey a certain innate dignity and refinement across the "funny little row of lights." It is interesting to 'see three New Zealand actors of such prominence figuring in tho game cast. "Quo Vadis," "Quo Vadis," a magnificent pictorial dramatisation of the famous novel of that name, will be the next bis* artistic production in tho picture world. Tho picture was enacted on the scenes in Rome and other parts of Italy concerned, in a manner which shows with great vividness the ancient glories and tragedies of ancient Rome in the times of Nero. The story is closely followed throughout, even to the spectaclo of Rome in fianies, and the massacre of tho Christians in the terrible Roman arena. It is stated that the great dramatic power of the Polish novelist who wrote the book is oven enhanced by the picture. It created a sensation in England, tho Continent, America, and Australia. "Quo Vadis" will shortly ho presented at His Majesty's. Ten Thousand Dollars for a Play. Mr. Wilithrop Ames, the artistic controller of tho Little Theatre. New York, is offering a prize of 10,000 dollars (,£2000) for tho best original play by ail American author, to be submitted by August 15, the samo to bo produced at tho new playhouse now being built for him in West Forty-Sixth Street (near Broadway). The judges will be Mr. Augustus Thomas (who wroto "Arizona"), Mr. Adolf IClauber, dramatic editor of tho "New York \ Times," and Mr. Ames. The conditions are as follow:—(1) Authors must bo residents of tho United States. (2) Plays must be original, and 'of the right length for a full evening's entertainment. No translations, adaptations, one-act pieces, or musical comedies will l>e considered. Dramatisations of novels, short stories, etc., may bo entered. provided full rights to mako such dramatisations have been secured. (3) j Each play submitted must be signed with | pseudonym only, and lie accompanied by I a sealed envelope, bearing outside the ! title of tho play, and tho author's j pseudonym, and enclosing tho aulhor's j real lianio and address. There envelopes ' will not be opened until the judges have nindo their decision. (1) The payment o'H I the award of 10,000 dollars wiil nntil.lo '.Xt, Aiaea U aU, »->alcYcr in tho

accepted play, and shall bo considered as advance payment on account of royalties until these royalties, reckoned at 10 per cent, of tho gross receipts from tho play, shall have amounted lo 10,000 dollars. Thereafter Mr. Ames will pay royalties of 8 pen cent, on all additional grosß receipts derived from the play. (5) While Mr. Ames engages, in any case, lo pay 10,000 dollars for the best play submitted, j ho does not promise a production if, in tho opinion of the judges, no play of requisite merit is received. An Actor Knighted. Sir Johnston Forbes-Ilobertson, the wellknown actor, who has just been knighted, has bepn well described ns "amongst the chief assets of the English theatre." Ho is a scholar, as well as artist, who is a student of history, and distinguished for his love of art and beauty—qualities which help to explain his success as Hamlet. Ho is a talented painter, who, on leaving school, bccame a pupil of the Koyal Academy, where ho met Kossetti, and Madox Brown, and was the model of .Dante in Eossetti's famous picture "Lovo Kissing Beatrice," which now hangs in the Municipal Gallery of Liverpool. It was at the persuasion of the lato W. E. Wills that he deserted painting for the stage, though he has never entirely abandoned the easel. Indeed, ho has painted Madame Modjeska, Miss Ellen Terry, Madame Navarro (Miss Mary Anderson), and his wife (Miss Gertrude Elliott). One of his bestknown pictures is the wedding scene in "Much Ado About Nothing," painted for fcir Henry Irving, and containing a portrait of the artist as Claudio. One of tho plays of Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson's present farewell season at Drury Lane, is The Light that Failed"—tho adaptation of Kipling's well-known story. Puccini, tho composer of "Madame Butterfly," and "The Girl of tho Goldtin \Yest, went to London specially from Pisa to see this performance, since he is considering the play as tho subject of his next opera. Notes. Mr. Julius Knight and a complete Williamson Company will occupy tho stage of the Wellington Opera House from August 27 to September 9, with "Milestones" and other playa. "The Night Side of London" is the suggestive title-of the melodrama to bo presented by the MarJow Company at the Opera Houso during the present'month. Mr. Stanley Grant is at present making arrangements for tho New Zealand tour of the company. Signor Angelini, who was the conductor of the Melbourne Grand Opera. Company of two years ago, has in association witfl Signor Galtini taken a Milanese Opera Company to New York. "The Amazons" lias been revived in New York by Miss Billie Burke. Mr. Rapley Holmes, who will be remembered as Big Bill in "The Squaw Man" in New Zealand, was appearing aa Old Canby in a revival of "Arizona" in New lork when tho last mail left.

"The Passing of the Idle EichV' is the title of a play*recently produced in New York.