"THE THREE DOORS"

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 210, 30 May 1919, Page 7

"THE THREE DOORS"

A TRIP TO THE REALM OF FANTASY "The Three Doors," an original entertainment devised and elaborated by Mrs. ,lame,< Hannah and Miss Gladys Campbell, as produced at the Grand 1 Opera House last evening, were portals leading to the fairies! form of poetical fantasy, appropriate to so deserving and important a movement as the Wellington Free Kindorgarten, for the. whole spirit ot the entertainment was one which must over be associated with the children— the pursuit of health, and happiness, the love of truth and beauty, in the purest sense. 'I hose are-the elements which Miss Campliell and Mrs. Hannah have so happily collaborated in, and he would be a curmudgeon who would .not add with the greatest success.. Indeed, without reflecting on the. many excellent entertainments of the kind which have been Riven in the past, one is inclined to venture the opinion that, "The Throe Doors" sots a now standard, for tho reason that every movement was alivo with meaning, and each allegory had its uuetical appeal to the imaginative. "Tho Threo Doors" is a fantasy in the best sense of the word, and consists of dancing, acting, reciting, singing, and artistic -picture-building in harmonious relation and''intelligent sequence. The "doors" are the'doors of happiness beauty, and faery—which doors are opened to some extent at least to all those dear little ones who come- under the beneficent' influence of the kindergarten. The performance opens with the. recital by Mr. .1. M. Clarke of Alfred Noycs's charming poem "A Spell for a Fairy," the sentiment of which proclaims that the greatest benelit that can he bestowed on the little ones of our mean streets by human fairies is to.'open their-minds to the higher and purer ideals of life. The audience is introduced, to a group of rowdy little ' urchins playim;. in their rags in tho street. 'To (hem appears the spirit of kindergarten (for which German word an, English one might be coined), a figure iu spotless white, who provides them with bread and milk, as sustenance for their,frames, sponges and •towels as a first course in hygiene, and soap and water the natural concomitant. As these articles are produced a' ballet »1' children, characteristically costumed as the articles mentioned, dance a measure before the delighted unfdrtunav.es. There, is ..even a mifiint. clean clothes ballet, each dancer bliTifeneil with a clothes horse hung with garments. The ministrations of Princess Kindergarten are'so -much appreciated Uiat the children are sceir clinging lovingly to her as she leads, them to the door of happiness—surely a very beautiful conceit. .Miss Vera l'egg moved gracefully, and looked very sweet and clean as'the fairy Kindergarten, and her converts were very, cleverly acted by Elsie Dick, Eila Chapman, Peggy and Livonia Cook, and Mavis KiiiK. The attendant •was Iris. Inglesby. The 'and towels were represented by X. Carrol, P.- Clunies-Koss, - M. Brown, fi. Almao, D. Pollings, P. Brown, G. Cunningham, and Bennett. The very graceful soap and water ballet was airily danced in'flowing diaphanous costumes--by Thelma Harris (soap), and K. Boyle, O. Hmythson, D. Kdmondson, K. Cruickshank; B. Earle, and H. Fuller (waver). The clean clothes clog-.ballet found capable exponents..in N. Phipson, J. Julian, and -H. Hardwicke.

For sheer beauty in. conception unci performance "The Door of Beauty" stood, out. The prologue was the .'reciting by .Mr, J. 51. of Keats's poem, ''Ode on aiGrecian Urn," and■ thereafler follow'-, tour episodes—gracefully illustrating the scenes which, the figures on the old urn conjure up in the mind of the poet. Tlie first \vi\s a pretty love pastorale set. in the days when the world was young, with Miss Mabel Gallielmn as tlie piper, and Miss. Ellen-Miller as the lover. Episode number two is a gorgeous BtirncJones spectacle of maidens in- procession, entitled "The Procession to the Sacrifice." The costumes, the measured slnteliness, dignity and grace of the girls, the breath of incense, and the lovely Brahms strain to which they marched made up a. scene of youth and beauty •which charmed the artistic sense of the big audience, -and was greeted with rapturous applause, as' it well deserved. In- this interlude Miss Mavis King was the emblem-bearer, .Miss Billie Williams was, picturesque, as the priest, and the units in the-procession were each beautifully costumed. The fourth episode was "The Piper and the Children," which was also a pretty conceit, • cleverly acted. The second partof "The Door of Beauty", was a moving study of tlie value of curythmics, calisthenics, and dramatic dancing as an.aid to beauty, arranged by Miss Gladys Campbell, for which .Mr. Johannes G. ' .Andersen wrote introductory verses (dramatically.spokon by Miss Hazel Jeffory), a divertissement that was marked by a wide variety of graceful dancing. A very popular number (in defining ■ calisthenics) was tlio skipping ballet by .T. Julian, E. Dick. M. Young, and Z. Carroll, which children also indulged in free exercises. The coon dance of Miss IC. Boyle more nearly approached tho "Apache" form .of dancing. This young kdy's stylo is vitally effective. The skipping dance of Miss Julian was also cleverly done. Then followed a dramatic representation in which the Spirts of the Flowers—colour, shape, and perfumeare visited by tho unruly west wind, who demands that they shall produce their very best for her mistress, the Queen of Summer, who intouds to 'reign more augustly than ever as soon as Spring vacates her throne, but the latter being jealous, sends Frost to blight the spirits. This, dreadful person is caught in the act. by the Sun, who kisses the spirits back to life. In this interlude Ngairo Phipson made a graceful picture us' the rushful West Wind, Miss K. Boyie froze boisterously as King Frost,- and Miss F. Muter danced with airy charm as tho Sun. Tlie final scene was an elaboration of .the well-known quarrel sceno between the fairy hosts of Titania and Obortin from "A Midsummer Night's-Dream," in which the performers ■ figured as shimmering fairies, with irrideaccnt wings of dazzling loveliness. Shakespeare is not easily spoken by many amateurs,. and the young ladies concerned in the scone hardly compassed its difficulties as well as they might. Miss Zita Chapman was Titania, Miss Ellen' Miller Oberon, and Miss Hazel Hardwicke made a very spry and intelligent Puck. A very attractive feature was the ballet of autumn "leaves''(embodying the tall of tho first autuniii Jeai), fireflies (electrically equipped), and moths, the costumes mid colour schemes being admirable in each instance, ' ' ~ Enormous credit is due to those responsible for "The Three -Doors, those with a knowledge of the work entailer in arranging such a progniiniuo (apart altogether from its conception can grasp what that work entails, and the success achieved was most thoroughly deserved. Tho Grand' Opera House should be, too small for all -rto mil wish to experience the charm ot .the Three Doors" 'this and to-morrow eva'JAiiion" those present last evening were His Excellency the Governor-General and tho Countess'of Liverpool, and a party from Government House.