ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2999, 9 February 1917, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

"DAMAGED GOODS." ■ M. Eugene Brieux's sociological drama, "Damaged Goods," will be staged for the first time in-New Zealand at the Grand 1 Opera House oil Monday, evening, when 1 the J. C. Williamson firm ivill inaugurate a six night's season. "Damaged Goods" is said <to have left an indelible impression upon the Australian public, and an impression, it is claimed, likely to cuhninato in.tangible action. A feature in the present production will be the cast of characters, the management having exercised the greatest care in securing special personalities to fill the various parts, and from all reports the resulting combination is remarkably effective. Bernard Shaw, in his preface to "Damaged Goods," 6ays: "Taboo is not morality, not decency, not reason, justice, or anything agreeable; it is a traditionally inculcated convention that certain things must not be mentioned, with the inevitable result that under this strange protection of silence, they fall into hideous corruption and abuse, and go from bad to worse, while those who know what is happening must look •on tongue-tied, at the innocents playing unwarned on the edge of a hideous precipice." Bernard Shaw's advocacy did niuclr to get Brieux's propagandist drama on to tlio English stage. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. .■ Large audiences have patronised His Majesty's Theatre throughout this week. The programme is a long and entertaining one. Miss Violet Trevenyon is making a reappearance in Wellington, and sings a number of songs which get her a good hearing. Madame Alverna and M. Jean Lacrto provide an excellent musical turn, one of the best heard here for some time. Tsuda, a Japanese hand-balancer of particular prowess, and Emerson, a comedian, both put on good items. The La Blanc Company produce "In Watts," a farce, including a number of good jokes and songs, which fills up the second half of the bill. THE KING'S THEATRE. 'To-night Billie Burke -$11 lomp around the staid old Scotch village of Dunkirk in the Triangle picture play "Peggy" for the last time. To-morrow at the matinee there -will be screened "The Law Decides," a powerful Vita-, graph- .feature, picturing a story of domestic life. Innocence does not protect a pure young wife from dire trouble caused by an old admirer's recklessness, but in the end virtue is triumphant. EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. Norma Talmadge, in "The Social Secretary," will be seen for the last time to-night. To-morrow Mr. Charles Chap'lin, "the prime- - 'minister of mirth," will be seen in his latest laugh-maker, "The Pawnbroker," in which he ihas made a Now Zealand record for attendance in Auckland. THE EMPRESS THEATRE. To-day "The Velvet Paw" will be shown at all sessions for the last time. To-morrow the statuesque star of the World Company, ICitty Gordon (Lady Beresford in England) will be seen in Oppenheim's . well-known novel, "As in a Looking Glass." A bewildering suc-cession-of lovely gowns, furs, and jewels are worn by the queenly Kitty.