THREE PLAYLETS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 29, 29 October 1917, Page 7

THREE PLAYLETS

PATRIOTICALLY PERFORMED. The Concert Chamber was well filled on Saturday evening, when three interesting little sketches were performed, two by the members of the "Charley's Aunt" Club, and one by St. Andrew's Brightlights, who united for the purpose of assisting the Red Cross Funds, .whioh, it is happy to note, will benefit to some purpose by the effort. The Countess of Liverpool, accompanied by Mr. Gavin Hamilton, was present, the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) doing the reception honours on behalf of tho promoters of the entertainment. The jirst of the little plays was a vivid, fullblooded drama, rather crudely, but forcefully, conceived, and acted really well. A shot is heard before the curtain ascends, making the audience jump in its aggregate 6eat, and on the darkened stage being revealed, Ethel Clayton's voice is heard asking who is there. Sho turns the lights up, to find that her guardian has been shot. Mrs. Callahan, the placid housekeeper, arrives to calm tho agitation of the girl," and to ring, up the police. The detective (Tim Daly), ,who arrives, is the fiance of Mrs. Callahan's daughter, and he at once puts both women under a close examination. He ascertains that Miss Clayton's fiance has been there that evening, and has had a quarrel with the guardian about Miss Clayton's estate. Daly gets Miss Clayton, to call up her lover and ask him to come to the house at once. On reaching the scene of the fatality, John Harvelaon. is closely questioned about his doings there that night, and makes such a bad showing that he is arrested on suspicion by Daly, and is about to be taken away, when Mrs. Callahan confesses to tho crime, admitting that she had murdered tho man because ho had refused to do the right thing by her daughter. That Mrs. Callahan should have fired .the shot, and that it 6hould have been over her daughter's misfortune is a double shock to the detectivo, who thereupon arranges to hush tho whole matter up. Tho end of the play is weak. Daly simply reports over t'he telephone that the culprit had got clean away, and that there was little chance of ever catching him. A. stronger and more probable ending could easily bo substituted. The acting was good'. Miss "Ruby Scott made Miss Clayton a girl fluttering on the border of hysterics— weepful, nervous, tremulous, and restless. He fault was her over-rapid utterance, -whereby a third of 'her diolngue was lost to tho audbnce. Miss Hardingellaltby was sate and eflicieut as Mrs. Ctflahan. .Her confession could have been made to blazo more dramatically, as it is tho great point of tlie play, is Tim Daly, Mr. W. Crawford was excellent—a cool, well-studied performance. MivV. M'Kenzie was not at all suited as Harrelson. A propor stage lighting equipment Would have heightened tho effect of the play. When the world was a score of years younger, the women of Now Zealand were given tho Parliamentary franchise. In. tho spirit of raillery Mr. H. B. Bridge wrote a skit on the subject under the title of "Covey V. Toosweet, M.H.R.," in which tho sovereign 6way of woman over mere men whs cleverly satirised bj a court-scene in which Judge, counsel, witnesses, and clerk were all of the gentler sex. This sketch was humourously presented by St. Andrew's Brightlights, a number of clever young women who culored thoroughly into the spirit of the sketch, and extracted just as .mucli fun out of the farce as did the audience. lu tho play Covey seeks to unseat Toosweet, M.H.R., on the grounds of bribery and corruption, which, on analysis, proves to bo.the natural sweetness of disposition and personal attractions of t'he. defendant. Covoy is, of course, non-suited, but before that point is reached a whole gallery of comic witnesses testify moro or less irrelevantly to tho accompaniment of- screams of laughter. Mrs'. Wychcrley was terse and clear-spoken as thn Judge, and Misses Gold and Fairbrother wore capital as the respective counsel. -Miss Campbell, as the poker-backed Covey, puffed up with alleged indignation, was comically assumed by Miss Campbell and Miss N. Innies looked the part of Toosweet, M.P., to a hair, but was inclined to speak her lines like a. learned lesson rather than with frank spontaneity. The witnesses were impersonated amusinglv by Mesdarnes J. Hislop and Page, Misses Orange, Smith, Hennie, Thomson, Paisley, Blackwood, M. Paisley, Shearer, and Harper.

Fiaally tho "Charley's Aunt" Club members appeared in the one-act comedy "Kisses and Misses," which was brightly played by Misses Ruby Scott and Mallei Ga.llichan and Messrs.Albert Russell and George Clapha.ro.