MIMES AND MUSIC.

[Bx Obphbtjs.] COMING EVENTS* ' OPERA HOUB£. Physical Training School, Gymnastic Exhibition — November 14 and 15. J. C. •Williamson Company* 16th to 30th November (doubtful). Pollard Opera Company, 26th December to Ist January. Robert Brough Company t 20th Januaryto Bth February. W. F. Hawtrey Company, 17th February to Ist March. J. C. Williamson Company, 3rd to 15th March. . Charles Holloway Company, 29th March to 14th April. Crane-Power Company, 15th to 25tb I April. Charles Holloway Company,. 26th May to 4th June. j MR/ PINERO'S NEW PLAY. Mr. A. W. Pinero's new play, Iris," produced: at the Garrick Theatre, London on 25th September, was eagerly looked for and heartily received. The play (writes the Dai}y Mail critic) is a minute study of the mind of a woman to whom luxury and physical comfort are more than love and more than honour. The type is not a new one, not a rare one,, not perhaps an attractive one, but Mr. Pinero has drawn it with relentless fidelity and unusual detail. The action is divided into five acts, two of which are again subdivided into three episcfd'es, and though at times it may seem to lag, at the conclusion the hearer recognises that every line and every detail have played their parts in the elucidating of the characters. The conclusion of the story is tragedy, almost brutal tragedy, but it is true and inevitable, and that' is its artistic and moral justification. There was no other possible end. Iris Bellamy is a rich young widow who, under her husband's will, loses her fortune if she marries again. She is popular both with men and women, but out of her numerous admirers two alone attract her — Laurence Trenwith, a goodlooking undesirable, and Frederick Maldonado, a Spanish Jew millionaire. Iris loves Trenwith; she is fascinated by Maldonado's money. At first love conquers. She refuses the millionaire, and though she will not marry Trenwith, she persuades him to follow her to' Lake Como, ~where they are sketching together from morning to night. The boy, who is an ordinary nice boy, wants her to be his wife and go out with him to British Columbia, but she will not risk poverty. Then, comes a crash. Iris's solicitor, who is also her trustee, decamps, and it is found that he has embezzled the .whole of her fortune with the exception of £150 a year. Trenwith at once sets out for British Columbia, having her promise to marry him in two years v when he will have some sort of a home to take her to. She is to live meanwhile in cheap foreign pensions, accustoming herself to be a poor man's wife. The woman is, however, too mean-spirited and too selfish. She does not forget tfie absent Trenwith, but she takes the Jew's money. She sells .her soul for a flat ia Park-street. The> finale is tragedy, all the more tragedy from its tawdriness. Iris, who has played fast and loose with both her lovers, loses both. • Trenwith, when he hears the story, leaves her, answering her .cries for his mercy with the repetition, in a broken voice, " I'm sorry, very sorry." Then the end comes. Maldonado- in a fit of jealous rage turns her out into the street in the middle of the night and then proceeds to wreck the flat. "You are a rag of a woman," says Maldonado to Iris in this concluding scene, and he is light. That is the tragedy of it. She has great and attractive virtues. Croker Harrington, a Cayley Drummle character, is her devoted slave. Fanny Sylvain, a charming woman of the world, talks long and eloquently of her charms, but they are superficial. Maldonado alone has no illusions. He knows from the beginning what "a breed for barren metal" she is. Iris has no backbone. She is the rag, in the stream borne inevitably to her end. This is the story, and it is told -with all Mr. Pinero's restraint, wit, and supreme stagecraft. The gloom of the play is relieved by lines of, epigrammatic sparkle, such as the Temark that "A financier is a pawnbroker with imagination," "An ideal club secretary is a fellow who sees that the members have every opportunity for grumbling«'and no cause," and so on. Miss Fay Davis, taking into account the immense difficulties of her task, played Iris surprisingly well. The character is essentially out of her range ; her pretty stage talent is too healthy and pure for her ever to quite realise the part; but she was earnest and intelligent, and more than deserved the applause she received. Maldonado, the half-civilised ' Jew, a "mixture of prudence and passion," was magnificently acted by Mr. Oscar Asche. Mr. Asche is an actor who has both rugged force and keen intelligence — a rare and valuable combination. Mr. Charles Bryant, who played 7 Trenwith, is a good-looking young man. with a pleasant voice, and when he has learned the technicalities of acting he will be a. promising addition to the ranks of stage lovers. Mr. Dion Boucicault, as Croker Harrington, and .Miss Beryl Faber as Fanny Sylvain, were both admirable. At the fall of the curtain author and actors were called and recalled. Mr. Pinero has scored another triumph. Mr. Alf. Linley, the well-known local theatrical agent, hasi accepted an offer to act as "advance" for the Broughs on their coming tour of the colony. Mr. A. Clark writes me from Melbourne that he is leaving in a week for New Zealand in advance of the Hawtrey Comedy Company, due in Wellington in February. The, company will open with "A' Message from Mars," and follow it up with "Tom,' Dick, and Harry," \'ln the Soup," etc. "Mars" repeated in Australia the success it attained at Home. Somebody "burgled" Teddy Geach's bedroom while he was in. Townsville, North Queensland, a week or two ago with the Arnold Company. They got some silver and a bunch of keys. Mr. Bland Holt sends a copy of the playbill of his latest production at the , Theatre Royal, Melbourne. The play is Cecil Raleigh's Drury-lane spectacle, , " Hearts are Tramps," and carries . a heavy cast, their being over 30 characters on the bill. The company has a strong quartet of leading ladies in Mrs. Holt and Misses Frances Ross, Harrie Ireland, and Florence Seymour. Mr. Holt, who plays his favourite part of a money-lender, still has his stalwart brigade of male players with him. The drama has some sensational spectacles, including a baccarat incident, a biograph picture (which plays an important part in the story), and the representation of an Alpine ' fatality. The expectations aroused concerning the new contralto Miss Alice Hollander, who came from New Zealand with a high reputation, have (says the Melbourne Leader) been amply sustained. The young lady possesses a voice of phenomenal quality, of extensive compass, strong, rich, and pure. The predictions concerning her future success in a wider

sphere are not made without warrant. She displays careful training in her methods of production, but is still lacking in some of the requirements which denote the finished artist. There is some danger that she may fall into the habit of forcing her lower notes, and this tendency should be carefully avoided. Concerning the grand opera season in Sydney by Mr. Williamson's Italian Company, the Sydney Morning Herald records that "La Boaeme" heads the list, which provided 72 evening representations and 11 matinees, with 13 performances ; "Rigoletto" comes next, with 11 ; "Cavalleria Rusticana" and "I Pagliacci," 10 j "Lucia di Lammermuir," 9j "Un Ballo in Maschera," 8; Gounod's "Faust," 7; Verdi's "Otello," "La Traviata," and "Aida," 6 eachj "Ernani," 5; and "II Trovatore," 2. The pieces that drew the largest audiences were "Faust," "Bigoletto," "Lucia," and "La Boheme." "Otello," in spite of the magnificent acting and appropriately robust vocal style of Commendatore Larizza, and the masterly nature of the score, did not quite catch the public taste. After Mr. Gillette's engagement in Melbourne next autumn, Mr. J. 0. Williamson will, it is stated, take him on tour through New Zealand and other countries with "Sherlock Holmes." Miss Adams also will play under Mr. Williamson's management in the leading cities of Australia, most likely with J. M. Barries new play, as well as a revival of "The Little Minister." Her engagement is fixed for a year after Mr. Gillette's, but Mr. Williamson says that he expects to have the date changed, so she may follow Mr. Gillette in the autumn of 1902. 7 Mr. George Musgrove, the well-known Australian theatrical • manager, was a passenger for Australia by the F.M.S. Polynesien, which left Marseilles on 31st October. Theatrical clips:— Williamson's Grand Italian, Opera Company is now playing at His Majesty's, Brisbane. . . Mr. William Anderson's latest at the Sydney Lyceum is "The 10.30, Down Express," by Horace Stanley. The play is a railway drama full of startling situations, and the audience was most excited about it. . .Josephine Stanton Comic Opera and Musical Comedy Company is jogging along with "Said Pasha" at the Criterion Theatre, Sydney. - ... A strong committee has been formed in Sydney to carry out -the Bernard Espinasse complimentary benefit. Espinasse is going to London in connection with several of his plays, written in Australia. ." .Jodeller Jake Friedman, through New Zealand some years ago, is playing a principal part in the Comedy Theatre, Manchester. . . Juliet Wray, remembered here as the Kitty Hetherton in the first "In Town" Company, is on a visit to her parents in Ballarat. She married Dr. Sharman, of Auckland. . . Frank Lincoln is one of the bright particular stars at the London Palace. . . The Sunday Examiner, San Francisco, devotes a page, witn eight characteristic illustrations, to "The Art of Facial Expression," by Hilda Spong. . . . Charles Arnold has paid over £2500 in royalties to Broadhurst on the "Jones" and "Smith" plays since his last Australian visit. . . Rennie Lees, the little Sydney pianist, who was so unfortunate as to* lose all her wrist power, joined' the Tyrone Power Company just before it closed down. . . Nellie Stewart is due in Melbourne at the commencement of December. . . The breach of promise case by Carrie Moore against Ernest Tyson is set down for hearing- ii the Banco Court, Sydney, on 4th December. , . J. C. - Williamson expects his two new artists— Florence Young and Claude Bantopk— to arrive in Melbourne on 4th December. . . It ig estimated that 7500 people visited Fitzgerald Bros. 1 Circus on a recent Saturday night. .. George Musgrove offered Edward Lewis a twelve months' engagement to go to Australia as his principal comedian, to sail in November. The actor had to decline the offer, owing to his inability to break contracts. Madame Melba's cabled message to Australia that she is really coming out to the colony in September of next year is interpreted to mean that she has signed a contract with Mr. Williamson's London agent— Mr. Malone. This will, it is thought, cover a three months' concert season in Australia, , with four concerts to be given in Melbourne, four in Sydney, and two each in Brisbane and Adelaide. , Wanganui's municipal speculation in Opera House property is turning out well. The build/ng cost £5249. The first year resulted in a profit of £235 after paying all expenses, including £160 hy way of interest on a loan of £4000. This, year's receipts, it is said, will quite equal last year's. Palmerston North ia thinking of going in for a municipal theatre on the same terms. Mr. Frederick Tyrone Power filed his schedule at Melbourne Insolvency Court on the 23rd ultimo. The insolvent sets out that he became unable to pay his debts on 25th September, and that tht cause thereof was the iailure of the theatrical business carried on by him at the Princess' Theatre, Melbourne, the takings being insufficient to pay expenses, and that his insolvency arose through his having insufficient capital to carry on the theatrical business undertaken by him. . The unsecured debts amount to £1238 13s 7d, and the list includes debts due to Edith Power, .Frincess' Theatre, £300 for salary; J. C. Williamson, Her Majesty's Theatre, £100 for royalty on plays; R. C. Pitcher, actor, £200 for money borrowed ; and various 'other items for goods supplied and work and labour done, etc. The only secured creditor is Mr. George Musgrove, who for a debt of £350 for rent holds security. The total assets of the insolvent, consisting of scenery, painting, and theatrical properties, are valued at £250. • This looks as if the company will not bo along this way in the New V.ear. An open-air performance of Planquette's pretty opera "Les Cloches de Corneville" was recently given at Comeville, the hills of the charming French seaside town being used as the background to the "stage" pictures. Mrs. Maesmore Morris, who plays Miss Pinsent in the Garrick production ?* iT* 1 ' new P la y> " Iris >" » ( sa y» JM.A.i'.) one of the most beautiful women on the English stage. Before her con T nection with *the dramatic profession, which began but four years ago, she was famed throughout Australia as a society beauty. Her father, the late Dr. Julius Wilmot, of Weston-super-Mare, was at one time captain of the Somerset County Cricket Club, and in that neighbourhood his only daughter was born a quarter of a century ago. Even before she came to England, Mrs Maesmore Morris's pic* tures frequently appeared in London ih lusrrated papers, and soon after her arrival Mr. George Alexander gave the English public a chance to admire her swaying, slender .figure and delicate face illumined 1 by liquid, Oriental eyes. Seven ?£-i eig ? ears °S°' M Miss Gertrude Wilmot, she became engaged to a rich young Melbourne merchant, Mr. Maesmore Morris, who, while travelling in America, lost the sight of an eye. On [ this account he offered to end their' engagement, but she refused to accept ter release, and their' wedding was one of the season's events Melbourne society. She has one little son, who is at present living with his father's people in Attt* tralU.