THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2624, 20 November 1915, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

The. World's a theatre; the Earth a stage.—Heywood.

£Bi Sylvius.]

"Potash and Porlmuttor." "The play," said the critic, "is no skit on the Jews." Rather is it an exposition of the fact that besides possessing the oldest faith in the world, the_Je\v is gifted with the possession of botii humour and sentiment. Thero is cause for both tears and laughter in the humours and pathos of the illustrious partnership of Abe Potash end Mawruss Perimutter. It was only the offer of high salaries which induced Messrs. Paul Burns, Sam lo Bert, Samuel Howard, Miss Margaret Vinton, and Miss Lizzie Wilson, who were tne principal in the original Now York production, to come to Australasia. Mr. Paul Burn6's characterisation of Abe Potash is, it is said, a study of a dolightfui- kind. He is a Yiddish shopkeeper through and through, but at the same time a most likeable human being. The character he has to play is constructed on rather broader lines than, that of Mawruss Perimutter, undertaken By Mr. le Bert'. Perimutter is the hard-headed business man whoso kindliness of heart is less on the surface. The business dialogues between' the two are said to bo irresistibly funny. Perimutter wants to buy an automobile. "What do we wkit for a oitymobila?" asks Abe. "Business don't look so good." And Perimutter replies, "Well, an oitymobile makes it look goud, don't it?" At the end of a quarrel Perimutter roars, "The feller vot invented partners had a grudge against the whole human race." Nevertheless, the partners remain firm friends through the worst of the trials in which they are plunged. "The Boomerang;" Mr. Winchell Smith has come to Australia for the title of'lris latest play "The Boomerang," which was produced by David Bolasco in. New York on August 10.

"This now Belascoproduction (says the New York "Theatre") is'a simple, pleasing little comedy inada perfect by that co-operation of efficient means under the direction of a man who understands how to givo the right' values to the smallest detail. The very slight-' ness of the material required a tit of over-elaboration here and there, but if there was a point lost anywhere we cannot imagine it. A doctor, who is more of a sportsman, at golf and hunting, than a practitioner, unexpectedly has his first patient.- He has also, unexpectedly, employed a girl to "attend" his office, thinking at first that she waß to bo a patient, but finding that she is seeking work. . When his real patient appears he.adopts a method of cure as suggested _by the circumstances. The young patient has a malady that puzzles his mother, the not uncommon oneunrequited love.,■■■ Mr. Wallace Eddinger, in playing .thisflighted being,-at; once engaged our interest. The doctor's plan is to 'play on jealousies. Abit obvious, but 'surety not-too-obvious. It could not be foreseen that the doctor himself was to seriously fall in love with his office girl. . That is the Boomerang. Could there be anything simpler than, this suggestion of the story - suggests? That is the , charm of it. It would have been an easy matter for Victor Mapes and Winchell Smith, the authors, and Mr. Belasco to have toade it very complicated. . As it is, the doctor, the nurse, and the patient transact the main ~, business—Arthur Byron, Martha 'Hedftan, and Wallace Eddinger. The.' scenes are the play. They keep it going, but not at an equal pace. Awkwardly handled or acted some of them would hardly count. Altogether it is a. veritable triumph of that skill that makes something out of every scrap." "Tho Spanish Main." Osjcat Asche 'is- acting in London again', this time in a play called "Tho Spanish Ma,in," by Vasco Marenes. A London paper says:—"As its title implies, this is a -stirring yarn of buried treasure aud pirates, high seas, and tho islands. Tho 1 particular island where the treasure lies buried is blown only to one character; the key to the particular spot'is known only, to another, upon whose arm it is tattooed. The man who knows the island Is Pedro Malorix, the Vulture, a peculiarly evil scoundrel with a- perfectly bald hetd; the woman who' has the plan is tho heroine Juanita, daughter of' the late pirate who amassed the treasure, arid the instrument of both is Capt. Patrick O'Gorman, the Irish master of the 'good 4 ship Albatross. ' Here, is line material for a rousing drama; and every advantage is taken of tho situations offered. •Mr. Oscar''Asche ,plays'the Irish seaman, Miss Lily Brayton the leroins,' and Mr. Caleb Porter the Vulture, while among tho pirates, a regular. 'Peter Pan" set of ruffians, are such well-known actors as Mr. Alfred Brydone and Mr. Handle Ayrton. The acting is of the hearty kind, in whioh. every one makes is much noise as possible, except Mr. Oscar Asche, whose gentler tones are therefore all uhe more effective." "Nobody's Widow." • Of "Nobody's Widow," that we are to witness here next month, when Muriel Starr happens again, the "Green Room" says:— ■ Miss Muriel Starr has lightly skip-ped'-from melodrama into drawing-room comedy or dressing-room comedy, whichever one likes to call it. She, | with Mr. Charles Milward and others, is-appearing at the Melbourne Royal in "Nonody's Widow,"' by one Avery Hopwood, an Amerioau and a sinner—a sinner against the commandment: "Thou shalt not drag out thy story." "No-, body's Widow" is the story ' of an' American girl who marries a title, and discovers, on tlie wedding day, her title good-bye to one of his ancient flames. She leaves him and gives out that she is a widow. The fun arises from the fast that she and her cast-off husband come together at a house-party. Of course it ends happily. They'marry again. In tho last scene, the lady's dressing-room, the pair part at 3 o'clock in the morning. "May I'come back?" he whispers. She says no, with a pretty affectation of .panic. Then as ho leaves she nods her head. Tho curtain goes down and comes up again, she blows out the light, or switches it out, and draws the_ curtains. The audience is very cxcited, expecting the return of the husband—nc doubt in his 1 pyjamas. But the curtain falls finally. It is a horrible-disappointment. For the Next Panto. The J. 0. Williamson, Ltd., "Mother Goose" pantomime will include ill the cast some important London artists who are now on their wav to Melbourno. The principal boy, as alreadv announced, will be Lilian De Vennv, who holds a bich position on the Enslish pantomime and inusioal comedy stace. The Dame will be Harry Farrow, who lias a brilliant pantomime record. Roderick, the Laird, will be represented bv the well-known comodian, Victor Kellv, whose mothods are described as post original. Jack will bo played bv Arthur Reynolds, who has been principal comedian in pantomimos, and musical comedy in England and. America for the past eighteen years. _ Albert Fclino, a wonderful eccentric impersonator, will be the Golden Goose. ; Goo. Le Brun (who was out here some time ago as one of the Queen and Lo Brun pair), will bo the important portion of tho donkey and tho 'horse. Of the others, Maeeie Dickinson will be principal girl. Harcv Ratc.liflo. the Demon King, Rita lieu as will bo Eric (tho "secohd boy"), Dorothy Firmin will play Lady Ida.. Otjier parts will bo allotted to Australian and English artists who aro now, ijouiu cjiEdgcd to complete., .tnscaatf - - ~"it-