FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 230, 7 February 1885, Page 12

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

I It is reported that Mrs Parnell, the mother 6f the Irish leader, is writing an opera. ! Mr St. Laurence, late of the Lewis Company, intends to take up his residence in Auckland as a teacher of elocution. The Gene vie ye Ward Company will be succeeded in Auckland by the Pollards, ,who will be followed by the Marie de Grey Company. It is said that M. Sardou obtained the idea for " A Scrap of Paper " from picking up a bit of paper from the floor of a tobacco-shop to light his cigar, and finding that the scrap was a woman's letter. Four leading dramatic authors in London are each in receipt of an annual income of £10,000. One popular author of melodrama lately, complained that his author's rights had fallen to £400 per month. Here is a good story told me about the editor of Punch. When the curtain fell on the night of the production of his pl t ay " Just in Time," at the Avenue Theatre, some one raised a cry of "Author." '• Oh," said a neighbour, " it's no use calling — he's dead ; or, if he's not, he ought to be, after writing that." On Sunday last we visited Mr Douglas, the actor, at the Auckland Hospital, and found him as lively as a cricket. Though he lost 51bs of blood after his severe fall, he is rapidly recovering, and will probably be about again in a week or two, though he will peed rest for some time longer. We understand that a benefit will be tendered to him by a host of local talent early next week. We wish him a bumper house. A singular incident occurred in Dublin at the recital of "Shamus O'Brien," a piece which gives an account of the career of an Irish rebel. When the writer was in the

middle of the passage which describes the scene on the scaffold, one of the audience, a young woman, 'the sister of Joe Brady, who was executed for the Phoenix Park murders, shrieked and fainted. {She was carried out and restored with difficulty. '• Patti sells enormously, "and will until she dies. She poses easily and gracefully, and makes a very fair portrait, as well as a pretty picture." She was paid. £200 for the privilege. But one of the greatest cards of recent years is Mrs Langtry. Scores of thousands of her photographs are sold every year. She was paid £300, £200 of which was paid in cash, and £100 in works of art. Miss Mary Anderson, it is said, will, for the future, take up her professional head-quarters in London as manageress of the West-end theatre already indicated in these columns. But before settling down for good among- the Britishers, the fair American actress — taking with her an English company — will return to her own country in September, for the jrarpose of entering upon a tour of thirty-three weeks 1 duration. Paddy Doran and his Minstrel Variety Troupe are once more on the war - path. This time he takes a troupe of "wandering minstrels" to serenade the lively township of. j Kawakawa. The company in their war paint are said to be "real jam." We wish Mr Doran the success he certainly' deserves. The jVlettam Brothers will ' be a, tower of strength in their song and dance specialities. A| more . enterprising showman than Paddy it . would be difficult to find—unless it be Barnum; : ,•■ ' , . '■■'■:■[ George Darrell's "Sunny South" is favourably, noticed by the' London Press. Figaro says that judging the author from this specimen of his work, it would seem that' antipodean authors study the melodramatic and sensational school of dramatic writino»with some success. There is much that is very exciting in the" Sunny South," which deals .chiefly -with life at the gold diggings the firing of revolvers- being especially frequent. The; most, sensational situation, perhaps, is that in which the virtuous digo-cr isjtied to a tree by his rival, who proceeds, having first pinned the ace of hearts on his breast, to take shots at this living target. The most ingeniously-arranged scenic effect] however, is certainly that of the zigza^

railway in .the Jast.aetan which*the rails' are* removed and a free fight between the-dramatis-persona ■ ensues. ■ 'Mr patreji playstheparfof the 1 virtuous digger,' arid'pla'ys in an effective and ,vj^oi:pus _.s tyle, his chiefs fault beiiig : th ! c disposition 1 to over-adt. THe quarre'f -between Mr Yernoti and' Miss a yery pretty quarrel as it stands^. Our business as critics . is before, and not behind the footlights, but as journalists it isonly right to say .the woman , seems to . havethe best of the argument in our contemporary, the Evening Telephone. It is, as weremarked last week, ungentlemanly to throw the blame on the lady,- and so far aa. the? correspondence has proceeded, no proof has been adduced. that a " call for,rehearsal " wasput up. As to the introduction of quarterdeck discipline on the 'stage, that is a matter of taste, but as the stage is, or should be, amodel of politeness' courtesy, arid pronunciation, we venture to suggest that the hoarsepiping boatswain^ tHe ! > triangles, and otherrough disciplinary : usages of the army and. navy would be somewhat out of place on thestage, except for*- mere dramatic effects. Would Mr Vernon flog any lady who, having;been accustomed to/the courtesy of the stage,, did not obey the prompter's impertinent. command ? We put this to Mr Vernon with, some experience of array and navy discipline

" FOItGKET ME NOT." As predicted, the advent of Miss Genevieve? Ward caused the Opera House to be crowded, with a delighted and enthusiastic audience onMonday night last to witness the performanceof Messrs Grove and Merivale's three-act-play, "Forget Me Not," in which this talented actress sustains the character of Stephanie, Marquise de Mohrivart, in a manner that proved her mastery of the role. Her praiseshad been heralded, but her representation of the part proved that her reputation -lyas'in noway estimated. In some portions of the play • the emotional power displayed by Miss Ward reminded those who have ' seen Madame Ristori of the acting of this talented lady» The sudden change from careless laughter to> stern reality, a great forte m liistori's acting,,, was admirably depicted. The piece entirely depends on the acting, and not on stage accessories. The plot of "Forget Me Not** has been well reviewed in the TekpTionCy. and it is unnecessary to repeat it here. Th&Sir Horace Welby of Mr Vernon, a well-known*. English actor, but new to New Zealand, wa& a gentlemanly and masterly piece of acting,, and marked Mr Vernon as an actor of noordinary merit. Mr Lawrence impersonated..-^ the part of Prince Malleotti in a clever way,,, his make-up and by play being appropriateto the character. Miss Watts Phillips, asMiss Verney, played in a very careful and effective manner. Miss Veitch (Mrs Foley)< was a very creditable impersonation of an-, elderly, captious spinster. Mr Fenton, as theCorsican, had a small part, but he made themost of it, and played well. There is not theslightest doubt that Miss Ward is a capital, tragedienne, and no true play-goer should, miss a chance of seeing this great dramatic?impersonation. . . ;