ART, LITERARY, AND DRAMATIC GOSSIP.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1659, 14 June 1879, Page 3

ART, LITERARY, AND DRAMATIC GOSSIP.

(From English files.) A London contemporary eaya : —The mystery of the so called “Automaton Chessplayer," which excited the world a century ago, and was revived in the Crystal Palace during recent years, has led to the construction of a far more curious figure, which plays chess in the midst of a circle of spectators, and may at the same time be probed with a cane in a manner which appears to defy the possibility of any person being^concealed, as was the case originally. Mepbisto ia the name given to the figure, and its anonymous inventor represents it simply as a scientific puzzle, Scvcry gentlf men played against the demon recently, at No. 9, Strand, and were eas’ly beaten. At one time the chessboard was completely covered with a cloth, held just above the top of the men, but Mepbisto was quickly awake to an unexpected move made for thepurpoie of testing his skill. We are sorry to see the Strand figure show such contempt for hia brethren in Piccadilly, but Mr Maskelyne will no doubt be able to defend Psycho and his companions. Meanwhile the public are left to form their own opinions ns to the mysterious motive power at work in these interesting puzzles. Mr 8. C, Hall is about to publish “ A Memory of Thomas Moore,” with whom he was acquainted so long ago as the year 1821. The centenary of the poet was commemorated in Dublin on May 28th, Mr Chevalier, the well known painter, executed for Lord Bute a charming water colour landscape studied at Mount Stuart, in the Isle of Bute.

Mr Sothcrn has recently been suffering from an attack of gout in the leg, and yet large audiences have been roaring over—■ among other things—his famous hop in Dundreary, This reminds us once more of the old fable of the boys and the frogs. What has been fun for the onlookers has been agony to the actor, Messrs, Cave and West have arranged with Messrs. Conquest and Pettitt for the production of " The Green Lanes of England” at the Marylebona Theatre, and it will also be played at tbo Albion, This makes seven London theatres at which this popular drama has been acted since its simultaneous production at the Surrey, the Grecian, and the Park in August last. M. Jules Ferry, Minister of Public Instruction, is said to have advanced 25,000 f. on the part of the state towards the cost of bringing out the posthumous works of M. Thiers, which are now being published by the statesman’s widow. The " Athenmam”understands that "Good Words” and the " Sunday Magazine” have been bought by Messrs. Isbiter and Co, (Limited) for nearly £30,000. A new company with which Mr Daldy will be connected is being formed to take over the " Art Journal” and other valuable copyrights. Professor Pepper has accepted an engagement in the Australian Oelonies for the purpose of showing to the inhabitants of the Antipodes a now mystical allusion that he has just perfected, and which he says will rival in popularity his famous " Ghost.” At the request of the directors of the Eoyal Polytechnic, Professor Pepper has promised, before leaving England, to devote one week to showing his extraordinary invention at the Polytechnic Institution, where he will take leave of his numerous friends and the British public. Mr Stephen Massett (says the “ Dramatic News”), who is stated in his programmes to have presented his entertainments in various parts of the world, such as America, India China, &c., gave the firsi of three readings at, the Steinway Hall, on Tuesday evening. However popular Mr Massett may have been in foreign lands, he is hardly likely to make his mark as a render and examiner here. He gave us the impression of a painstaking amateur, and ho is immeasurably behind our best entertainers in this country, such men, for example, as Messrs. Corney Grain, Arthur Sketchley, Walter Pelham, and George Grossmith, Mr Massett has a hard and unsympathetic voice, he has carefully cultivated an American accent, and he has too little command of facial expression. Nor is hia singing particularly striking. He plays fairly well, and the music of his songs, which is hia own, is frequently pleasing, but he sings in a curious staccato style, and seems to have based himself on the Christy Minstrels. One of his songs, by the way, was called "The Dying Boy’s Prayer,” and to it is prefixed a wonderful account of how "the infant prodigy,” a child who played upon the violin, came to California, and after making a great success, died with certain words on bis lips. After this anecdote, which we imagine to be an American invention, comes without acknowledgment one of Mr Austin Dobson’s best known and moat beautiful poems, “ The Child-Violinist.” It is so cruelly and senselessly misquoted in Mr Massett’s programmes, that we give the correct version here. Those of our readers who are not familiar with it will thank us for doing so, and those who know it will be glad to read it again ;

He had played for his lordship’s lev6s, He had played for her ladyship’s whim, Till the poor little head was heavy, And the poor little brain would swim. And the face grew peaked and eerie, And the large eyes strange and bright, And they said—too late—“ He is weary ! He shall r,st for, at least, To-night 1" But at dawn' when the birds were waking, And they watched in the silent room, With the sound of a strained cord breaking, A something snapped in the gloom; ’Twas a string of his violoncello, And they heard him stir in his bed : “ Make room for a tired little fellow,

King God 1 ” —was the last that he said, The best part of the readings was the imitations of popular lecturers, that of Artemus Ward causing much laughter at the Show* man’s quaint expressions in the passage chosen. The imitation of Mr Dickens was ludicrously unlike the original, and in the imitations of people met at sea it would have been better taste to omit a nasty joke from “ Punch’’ about sea-sickness. The room was well filled, and ihcre were several Americans present, no doubt under the impression that Mr Massett was a countryman, when, as a matter of fact, he s not an Ameiic in.

It may have been observed that whenever an amateur dramatic performance is noticed by the theatrical press it is almost invariably condemned. As a great many of these performances are worthy of considerable praise, there must be some reason for this almost universal condemnation, and we may asstm ’ that the organs of tfce profession look upon the aspirants to histrionic fame with a jealous and mistrustful eye. This is to be regretted, as it is from the plucky rank and file of this volunteer contingent that that the very army supporting these organs is recruited, 'Twas ever thus I Private Brown, promoted from the ranks, ever endeavoured to keep his old “chum ” Jones a common “Tommy Atkics;” and the profession through their mouthpiece would wish this corps disbanded. But there are occasions when it is nest to impossible for the critic cf any paper to be present, i e , occasions when the performance—known to be shady by the amateurs themselves—is purposely kept dark, It is of one of these perfo-manccs we would write. Prowling around a neighbourhood Dickens would have termed “ shy,” we stumbled across a building, to judge from various announcements, principally devoted to “ long quadrille nights,” whatever that may mean. The setting sum illuminated the posters, and we noticed that the announcement for this particular evening was a performance by a company of “selected amateurs,” the play underlined being “Othello.” Ob, what a chance was missed by that man who loves the amateur ! We paid our money and plunged into that dismal hall. We heard upon taking our seat a small voice, proceeding from a sma l ! man upon a small stage, announce the fact that “ the performance is for the benefit cf Brother bmltb, wot broke ’is leg, and ns the characters is all took by brothers an’ friends, I 'opes as you’ll look over any shortcomings." Heavens, the band ! But, no matter ! Then it was delicious to hear the Rodrigo—- “ What 0 ! 'Ouse there, ouse ! What 0 1 Brabantio ? ” We waited for “Way O, Oully 1 ” but it came not. The Roderigo we afterwards discovered was the pot-boy from a neighbouring hostelry. The Othello lacked teeth, and spoke his lines ss though in constant dread lest he should lose an imaginary mouthful of water. He wore brown gloves and short sleeves to his robe, thus showing four or five inches of British arm ere the eye could reach the Moorish fist, lago was a demon of the deepest dye. Can we say more 1 Cassio appeared to enjoy himself immensely, and it was patent that in his

drunken scene the obfuscation was not all imaginary : his wig fell off twice, and it was most refreshing to hear him ask Ingo to “ look after my jasoy.” The said " jasey” he he coolly replaced each time as if nothing bad happened, Brabantio, we ultimately discovered, was a dresser from an East end theatre, therefore it will not excite wonderment when we say that as an actor he carried off the pa’m, thus proving the truth of the proverb, " Evil communications,” &c. The Duke of Venice struggled manfully with his words, but finally addressed Othello ns follows :—“ Now, good Othello, wot ha’ yer got to say for yourself ? ” Otherwise the Duke was good. Desdemona was—amateur ladies are always beyond criticism ; but Emilia might have endeavoured to pronounce handkerchief eomcw T hat nearer the spelling than *' ’an’kercher ” The audience cheered the performance to the echo. The man who loves the amateur will clearly see that he has missed a chance, for this, though necessarily a short account, is a truthful one of the performance of “ Othello ” by a company of “ selected amateurs,” for the benefit of one Smith, “wet ’ad broke ’is leg.”— 11 Figaro.” ______