THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2410, 16 March 1915, Page 7

THE THEATRE.

rha World's a tieatre; the Eiirtb a stage'.—Heywood. "Neptuno's Daughter." Annette Kellerman, the world-famous, is flow en route to Now Zealand, and wul arrive here the latter part of March, when eho will commence a tour of the Dominion. With her are coming a company of over two hundred actors, to say nothing of the five hundred supernumeraries required tor.' the stupendous production of 'Neptune's Daughter." Although Miss Kellerman does not come to us in flesh and blood, yet she will he soen here in all her wonderful boa lit y of form, and will display to us those marvellous aquatic fei.ts which have gained her world-wide fame. She will also demonstrate that she is a splendid actress, a remarkable dancer, an expert swordswoman, and mistress of a hundred arts, which contributes to the success of this wonderful photo-play, which takes two hours to produce. The beautiful Annette in "Neptune's Daughter" is said to have broken all records in New York, Chicago. Boston, and the other big cities of America- It sounds almost unbelievable that a picture play could pack a Broadway theatre for three hundred nights, but this is the actual record of "Neptune's Daughter" at the Globe Theatre, New York City. "Tha Song of Songs." _ Hermann Sudermann's novel, "The Song of Songs," has been made the basis of a play by Mr. Edward Sheldon, and has been produced with a cast that ought to make almost any play go. Sheldon in his play. has. taken the main incidents from the hectio life of Lily Kardos, and has made more of a localised panoramic description, rather than a dramatisation- of tho story. Describing the play, the "Theatre Magazine" say6:—"Lily is an orphan at work in an Atlantic City board-walk bazaar. A child in mind and figure, she is nevertheless variously sought after. Unable to accomplish his sinister purpose, Senator Calkins marries-; her and tries to fit her for a proper place in his social life. The victim of circumstances, Lily k cast off and becomos the mistreßs of Richard Laird. Into her r.ew environment comes a young person from the West, who proposes marriage, but, like the character in the booltj his UnclePhineas K. Bennett disillusionises the poetical nephew by showing up Lily through her own weaknesses, and the girl is forced to return to her lover. But he feels he understands her, proposes honourable marriage, and ; Lily's future would seem thereafter to be confidently assured. _ Incidental as this all is, situation logically follows out of situation, and considering the wealth of material in the book, it is quite astonishing how much of it Mr. Sheldon is able to realise by vivid touch and suggestion. If Lily is not the exact Lily of the novel, she is luminously expresBi\a of_a type and a character teeming with histrionic possibilities.-'' To Miss Irene Fen wick falls its interpretation, and marvellously subtle and finished is she in describing its, gamut'of moods. Her youth and her natural ingenuousness are valued factors.- As Laird, Cyril Keightley gives a performance which_ for repressed force and finished artistic detail has not been seen since Charles Cogl\lan flourished." ' John Mason and Ernest Glendining are also concerned to some purpose. "Tho Lie." ~ Henry Arthur Jones, the (most prolific dramatist of the day. has written another play to add to liis long list. The latest is called . "The. Lie, and was produced at the Harris Theatre, New York, on .Christmas Eve. Of the play, one New'.York papersays. "Henry Arthur Jones must still be reckoned with as a playwright of psychologic observation,technical.' capacity, and literary equipment. 'The Lie,' a study of English life in four acts, is the latest output from his pen, and presents at the Harris as- a star Margaret Jllington in. a role instinct with fine emotional opportunities. Miss Illington realises them. She personates Elinors Shale, granddaughter of Sir Robert Shale, an impecunious old baronet, picturesquely unproductive. It is she who bears tha awkward moments of their po»erty; it is she who makes the big sacrifices for her younger sister Lucy: Lucy, the epitome of selfishness, gets into trouble. v Elinore stands by ner, but by equivocation and a downright lie Lucy shifts the burden of her shame on Elinore. As a result, Gerald Foster, in love, with. Elinore, dashes off to Egypt, whither the speculating Lucy follows him and marries him Later, Lucy's hideous ingratitude and unsorupulousness are revealed to Elinore, who in a fine scene of recrimination, physical and vocal, tells Lucy just what she thinks of hkr; but Elihore's happiness is, assured as Noll Dibdin, inadvertently responsible for the misunderstanding which mado Lucy's duplicity possible, proposes marriago. Mi6s Illington in her big soene pours forth a volume of feeling with a responsive effect that, yields her unstinted applause. Her ability in such moments is absolute. The selfish Lucy is admirably portrayed by Violet Heming, who brings youth and beauty to her task. The contrast in natures between the two sisters is one of Mr. Jones's finest accomplishments. _ They are real characters, as is their indolent grandfather sketched with gracious urbanity and sympathetic graoe. Deliriously human is Alfred Bishop's rendering of the part. C. Aubrey Smith is natural and appealing in a role that offers few opportunities, while Vincent Serrano is oast for Forst-er. A bibulous and impudent old butler at the hands of G. W. Anson Btands out in bold comic relief, while Lucy's child smashes all theatrical traditions. Master James Eagle actually speaks and moves like a real child." Brleux'B Play, "Maternity." Brieux, the Frenoh playwright, is the most daring writer of social sin plays of the present day. He holds that the theatre can be made an immense factor for good in correcting the gross , errors of mankind in respect to sex relationj ship. His "Damaged Goods" was a j mighty preachment on s. painful subject. As for "Maternity," produced in New York in January, the ."Theatre Magazine" says:— " 'Maternity' is quite as bold as its predecessor, but its value as an educational factor, may well bo questioned. It presents various problems concerned with the science of gynecology. It .presents thorn, but fails to solve them. The unlicensed brutality of the inarried male cannot be cured by legislation. Whatever may be said" in extenuation of criminal operations cannot bo -urged for their general condonation. Brieux halts at that. The rules of convention supplement those, of the law as applied to seduction. The original furore over the adoption of eugenic principles has already petered out. The medical profession is divided as to either ite propriety or efficiency. In 'Maternity'— which can in no sense "typify tho'hap : penings in any average family, or otherwise —all' these complications lurk under a common roof tree. Social liorror is pileS on r.ocial horror, but no true'solution is given, nor can it be; nor is its form so deft and appealing that the - griiesomeness of the subject is atoned for by tho brilliancy of the exposition. 'Maternity" is a preachment. It is not drama." , =====