A TOILER AT HER ART

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 89, 8 January 1918, Page 2

A TOILER AT HER ART

MISS MARIE TEMPEST'S "WAY. Miss Marie Tempest is undoubtedly one of those rare women who can combine the often rather conflicting qualifies of genuine capacity and charm, for | slio is as charming as she is full of verve and capability. Arriving in Australia in March, Miss Tempest set about the task of collecting and training a company capable of collaborating with her in the series of interesting but extremely difficult plays which lias been the entertainment. of our public for the last week. Miss Tempest was most generous in her appreciation of the high level of the intelligence of her Australian colleagues. Tlio great London comedy actress is far removed from any petty feelings of jealousy and rivalry which so often strike a jarring note in the character of many a' footlight favourite. Miss Tempest is an untiring and enthusiastic worker herself, and expects the members of her company to be the same. And. infected b.v lier genuine and tireless search for perfection in every detail, her company give her that unlimited appreciation and loyal support that make all tho plays she produces the -undoubted success that they fire. ' From the time nf her arrival in New Zealand, Miss Tempest has hardly ever been out of the theatre. There is' no time for social amenities in her programmehowever much slio would like them— for. she is always aiming to. maintain the high standard attained by a good English comedy company. Miss Tempest came .here imbued 'with the idea that the Wellington audiences were a rather chilly and tmappreciative collection of human beings, but she speedily found that this was not so. "They never missed a point in 'Penelope,' " said Miss Tompest to an interviewer yesterday. "And in 'Annabelle,' which is a play most difficult of interpretation, I felt that th« audience was quite 'en rapport' with mo from my opening lines." "Clare Kummer, the clover composer of 'Good Gracious, Annabelle, 1 was one of the few playwrights who made a hit with her first play," continued Miss Tompest. "Dp to the time when slio wrote the comedy she was known onlj as the composer of songs—both words and music. The song I sang in the second act of 'Annabelle' was composed by Miss Kummer, who is, by tho way, the niece of the famous American actoi Mr. William Gillette."