THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2630, 27 November 1915, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

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

TBr Sri/Vina.]

The Jew on the Staga. The Hebrew on the stage is usually a caricature of tho real thing. For a century he_ has been the comedy' foil — usually in a grossly exaggerated form — of tho Gentile hero and villain, and when ho is riot the huge-nosod oomique of farce and vaudeville, ho is tho Fagan of tho drama or the Moses of comedy. Even Sheridan could not refrain from making him a scoundrel of 70 per cent, dye, and all playgoers know, the wretched kriavo or fool or both he is made in tho melodrama. In "Potash and Perlmutter," the play adopted from those clever tales by Montague Glass, which originally appeared in the American "Saturday Evening Post," the Jew trader, as he is known in America, Is given some semblance of real life. "Abe" and "Mawruss" are actually people that might be. Partners in a clothing business, they squabble and jibe at ono another, but deep down they love ono another, and the lovo of a good Jew is something that passeth understanding. Tho play will be seen to-night and throughout next week at the Grand Opera House. Connie Ediss In Australia; Playgoers throughout Australasia, will be glad to learn teat J. C. Williamson, Ltd., have secured for a visit to this country Miss Conuiq Ediss, tho creator of broad comcdy roles which have come to be known as "Connie Ediss parts." Such parts have been played in Aubtralia by Clara' Clifton, Billie Barlow, Florence Vie, Maggie Moore, and others. Miss Ediss includes amongst her most successful characterisations Mrs. Bang in "The' Messenger Boy," Mrs. Smith in! "The Arcadians,"_ Brena Blacker in | "The Sunshine Girl," Euphemia Knox m "The Girl on the Film"—a few of many parts which she has mado specially her own. . Miss Ediss w;ill make her first appearance in . Australia in the American musical, play, "So • Long, Letty," which is to be the Christmas attraction at Her Majesty's, Sydney. The Wonder Woman. _ Tile most remarkable thing about Bernhardt was the , impression of all impressions that though wo know her age she seems to have none," writes a contributor to "The Theatre." "A. young man to whom 1. had given a letter of introduction to her in France wrote me that ho had just been to see her, and that ho had found the walls ol her room covered with war maps on which she was following the trail of the French. Army. Her energy and enthusiasm are endless. I never jsaw her snow the slightest fatigue, I nover saw ber bored, I never saw her miss a beautiful bit of scenery from the car window, or fail to appreciate a good joko. She lives very modestly as far as food is concerned, and though she .is the most extravagant woman in moniw mat-, tors I ever knew, it was a delight to help her make the money. You oould always tell what floor of the hotel 'Sarah Bernhardt was living oil by the number of trunks in tho corridor. She carried seventy-six trunks of her own, and employed eight maids to travel and take care of her and her gowns." Ttaatrioal War Conditions.

The sparsity of theatrical attractions m New Zealand is illustrated by tho long period of closed doors at the , Grand Opera House. < • Not since the Musical Comedy Company's season closed on October 28 has there been a show of any kind at the new theatre, which means that when tho doors open on Saturday evening for ".Potash and Perlmuttcr the principal theatre, o.' at least the sole ono devoted to legitimate drama and comedy, will have been closed for onetwelfth of the year. And that is not the only period it has been closed. Wbea.it is ..totalled up at the end of tiho year it will be found that the Grand has been unoccupied for nearer three than two months out of tho year, which is very unfortunate for the ■ lessees, Messrs. J. C. Williamson, Ltd., as the money, lost on the lease must make considerable inroads into the profits of the firm's_ touring companies. The situation is scarcely . .likely' to improve. Every casualty list published affeots tho playgoing-public, and ! every reinforcement that goes forward takes away a proportion of good playgoers. : Not only that, .but without the. young follows to "treat them,", young ladies are unablo to afford to pay for admission. This condition, whilst it grievously- affects the high-priced attraction, favours .the pioturo theatres. Whilst people realise that they cannot afford to pay 3s. or 4s. to see a good show, they can invariably spring sixpence for the pictures. Should the. -war . continue another year, it is almost inevitable that even J. C. Williamson, Ltd., will probably find it necessary to cut) down the number of their attractions in order to "fit the times." ' • "O'Leary, V.C." to expectation (says the "Australasian"), Allen Doone's new play, "O'Leary, V.C," at the King's Theatre, is'liot a'series of war scenes played around the winning of one of the first Victoria Crosses of the war by Sergeant O'Leary. O'Leary and tho are only incidents of the last act, because _he is really Richard Dale, a young lieutenant who, through the machinations of a jealous rival, has been brought to disgrace, aad volunteers for service under tho name of O'Leary. Anotlior incident'of the war is used to 1 effect in tho fact that Dale loses his memory for a considerable : period. These. and one or. two other incidents of the play make- good ' dramatic situations, but on the whole there is nothing, vory new or convincing about it. The acting is better than the subject, Mr.' Allen Doone, Miss Edna Kea> loy, Miss Ethol. Basraord, Mr. Onslow Edworth, and Mr. Clive Farnham all satisfying a large and unquestionably well-disposed house. Notes. "Our Miss Gibbs"' and "Ma Mie Rosetto" have been revived by the Royal Comic Opera Company in Melbourne. This oompany is to commence a tour of New Zealand at Auckland at Christmas. , Miss Dolly Castles, who has recently undergone a slight operation', leaves for America by the Ventura at the end of tho month. _ Tho death is announced of Miss Millie Herbert, who in private life was Mrs. Charles _ Elliott. Miss Herbert, was .well known in the earlier days of vaudeville as a 6ingor, hor success being chiefly in what may be termed, tho homely paretic. Oil the stage, she was. often associated with Mr. Will Whitburn, the Ooghill Brothers, and other notablo burnt-oork comedians of the past.