"THE MAGISTRATE."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 102, 27 May 1909, Page 3

"THE MAGISTRATE."

AMATEURS AT THEIR BEST. New Plymouth amateurs have moic than a local reputation for tile excellence of their dramatic productions, ami the staging of Pinero's famous laivecomcdy last night in the Theatre Koyai maintained the best traditions of the town. One has usually, in sheer pity, to be to the deiects of stage amateurs exceedingly blind, and ft la to the critic a grateful and comforting thing that, in this instance at least, the wannest praise and the most honest approbation can be extended to the ' performance without _ straining the quality of truth ill tile interests of misdirected mercy. Incalculable harm is done to the honorable art of acting and to the weilmeaning amateurs themselves by the indiscreet praise usually showered bv indulgent friends 011 tile very indifferent efforts of tile alleged actors. Compliments, hungrily looked tor, are giwn like kindergarten prizes, 011 the least provocation. H c who does not bubble with effusive adulation is counted a deadly foe or'to be devoured of malevolent jealousy. In nothing so much as amateur effort is fair criticism fruitful. Th c professional must be good or lie loses his public. The amateur may be as sinful artistically as his evil genius can make him, but he will draw his crowd of sympathetic and tolerant, though perhaps bored friends. Who has not had to sit through a funeral comedy or a farcical t-ragedy and see it slowly and painfully' dissected, or dragging its slow length along like Pope's wounded snalte? Very many of those who were the audience last liigfit no doubt went wilh a sigh of anticipated sullerinjf. Ilk> amateurs' rriends were, loyai. Ihey turned up in hundreds, and the unprecedented spectacle of admission being refused to the most expensive seats was tile result. The circle anil orchestral stalls were, filled to their limit, and even the uncomfortable forms of the cheaper parts were prettv numerously occupied. And their faith and charity had their reward. There may have been equally good performances in the past by Xew Plymouth amateurs, but surely never was there a better amateur '"first night." One has seou--to one's woe—many amateur performances', but never a better than this. And one hesitates not to say that 'in this instance few professional stock companies could have put on a more vivacious interpretation of the comcdv. ihe performance was thoroughly good from start to finish, and tyre & small room tor criticism. Such criticism as suggests itself is in too small details to matter. The ensemble is the main thing and that was admirable.

The story of ''The Magistrate" is—or should be—too well known to need narration. Posket Is magistrate at Mulberry .street Court and.marries a charming widow after three weeks' acquaintance. Unhappily the widow robs herself, and consequently lier eon (Cis. Farrmgdon), of five years in age, s'o that the son .passes for a precocious child of .J 4 - The "child" teaches Ills stepfather i tlie fascinating game of *'Fi reworks" gives him tips for the St. Leger and finally ends by leading his adopted sire astray to his private quarters in the - val lor a midnight s'uppcr. Ihither come also Colonel Lukin and his friend, Captain Horace Vale, for a supper, and thither likewise come Mrs. Posket and her sister, Charlotte Verinder (briefly betrothed to Vole, bein™ rejected by him for alleged post-betrothal flirtations). The ertswhile widow seeks a private interview with the Colonel i who 19 her son's god-parent, that she may persuade him to keep the secret of her age. To give her the interview, the Colonel thrusts the Captain on to an unstable balcony, where he is drenched with the pouring rain, till hunger and cold drive him within. The Colonel, glancing out, thinks he has fallen off the balcony and is in agonies of apprehension. To '{lie Colonel's—and the Captain s horror the ladies aceept an invitation to supper—through Charlotte, who. having fasted in tile train 1 ail ■ t is unscrupulously ravenous' and past shame. The Captain reveals his piesenee and (here is a scene, ending .n mutual reconciliation. Just -las Ihc partv arc about to leave for their homes, the proprietor rushes in to say that the police arc in the house, and that all must hide to sftvc their reputations and his. They do so, and the lights are doused, Posket and his precocious charge are in the next room and take refuge with the others, and the Magistrate concents himself under tins same table with his wife, apologising tor his infriision! The police conic in. hut licfore the lights arc lit Cis'. nil,] file Magi.iti'ide jump from the balcony iu the ground and through the kitchen into I lie open, where after a stern chase, they effect tlicit' e-cupc. The Colonel and his party are discovered and arc placed under arret, for that they did' violently assault an ollicer in the execution of his duty. They appear next morning in Poskc't's Court. The Magistrate appears in his. office earlier than usual, battered, tattered and bruised after his" flight, lie 'breakfasts ofT a glass of water and proceeds with the case. Horrified to find that the ladies are ln\ own womenfolk he absently sentences them to seven days without the option, and leaves tire Court half-de-mented. Fortunately for the reputation ot all concerned. Mr. liullamy, a brother magistrate, re-opens the'case, and finding that the partv were in Karringdon's private quarters at the Cafe, secures' their acquittal 011 that ground. There is a re-union at Poskct's house and the tangled skein unwinds itself after the convenient fashion of comedies—or, as the programme has it, " the family skeleton crumbles."

Genuine approbation may lie extended : to the ladies for their actirtg. Mrs. 1 ( laude Weston appeared to the manner ' born—especially in the vital matter of. deportment. Few women have the gift " naturally of comporting themselves with dignity and graceful ease on the stage. Her acting was equally good. and°n more thoroughly natural and appropriate interpretation of the part could < not have been given by anv professional, i personality apart. Or course it is the personality w)iir.|i makes the part, but i Mrs. Weston's conception of the character was adequate and refreshing. Miss' Beatrice Evans, unlike .Mrs, Weston, made her "first appearance on this ur any other stage.' and d?H astonishingly \vell She was tile Charlotte' VerinScr of tlie comedy—a vivacious, bold and unconventional girl of the athletic type SO common in these days. It is a part that may easily be overdone—but it was'n t. ft was well-studied and Miss tans showed few traces of the amateurs defects of nervousness and the consequent unevenness. and throughout she was ns vivacious and natural as the part called for. l'opham, the maid, also received a splendid interpretation by Mrs. Fred. Wats'on—a really clever study. Beattic Toinlinson, the youn" music-teacher, was a pretty little character brightly <ponrtrnyed bv Miss Dora Bedford. Among the gentlemen the parts of Posket and the Colonel 'were the most strikingly successful, and the interpretations of Air. F. J. Eastlier and Mr. ,T. C. ,Sumner respectively vouid compare more than ravorably with any of the average professional' rendering's' we have. seen. They both appear to be well-experienced amateurs, anil the company was lucky indeed to lind two such men to take the parts. Mr. Kasflicr's Study of tile philanthropic magistrate, who is tailing into scnilitv and makes a larcc ol justice, who is led into misclue! by hi* stepson, was 1 to all intents and purposes faultless. The character ot the Colonel, in its own wav. was equally well render,.,! Mr. Sumner, whose acting was quit,, worihv of prolessmnal traditions. The Colonel has a very dillicult scene in Act If. ;,nd j[r. *ll inner handled it well. Mr. if (■ Da vies played I hi- precocious boy Ci« tarring,lon, very well. It a ''vnav' 01 a charaeiei' to rcp)'c«eu(, and jfr. I IJavics exercised commendable discre-' tion and much skill in reproducing it. Mr. F. li. Kimbell made a very "oo,| I'ullaniy. -.Mr. \\. E. M, (Jny impersonated Captain Vale, and in Act If was excellent. Mr. K. I'. ir«utoii made an | interesliiig and realistic study „t the quaint clerk or the, court, Worinington. He should develop into a capital amateur actor. Mr. I'eulonV; posters for the play, exhibited for some davs past in town. are. by the way, full of good work and striking likenesses of the originals .Mr. T. oodard's Inspector Jlessiter was a well-handled character, So was Mr. L. Hill's W'yke, a servant of 7m ,'. rs, . r A !l': L It: "l--sou (Achille Ijlondi, .\fr. If. Jennings (Isidore, the waiter), Mr. Jl. D. Coker (Sergpast Lugg; but why the gold chevronsf), n nd ilr. liort. Wliitcombe (Hani*, the oona'tahlc) ar-U'd their respective partsomllUiUlv.

The play wap \ve]l-s( ;1 g 0 d, Air. V. Fitzherbert being manager, though tlnAvork-1 "tg of the lights was indifferent. Tho! comedy .had heen well rehearsed. and 1 uTT "11 ° } } ] y , one really noticeable 1 JJ-mI 1, i- i 5 Upstage tradition with winch managvrs'comfort themselves. -Tlic final rehearsal, it is said, was heart-breaking—n su ,- 0 |, rom onito'r <>f a splendid first-nlght! Tlie entr'acU' were plaved l.y Mr. JVuys orchestra excellently, some pretty music tain» rendered -by a large number of instruments. Tin- nmking-up of the ladies (niilcn i\as done with discretion, so tilat ther countenances did not, as often is tlie case, glisten like an oily Chinese) JKJte..W3 k . 01

i pruduciion nio-t certainly deserves lvpej tition, though finanicaliy it might be uncertain. It sveins a pity that so i much labor should he expended for but one performance. Perhaps the piece might U? produced in one or two other towns down the line. The organisers (and especially whoever was renponsi'ile for the coaching of the players! /.id the actors are to be warmly congratulated 011 a complete success.