STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 16, 16 July 1910, Page 12

STAGE JOTTINGS.

BOOKINGS. (Dates subject to Alteration.) HIS MAJESTY'S. July 18 to 31 — Hngh J. Ward. Anguet 1 to 13 — J. C. Williamson September 1 to 3 — Auckland Boxing AsEodation. September 5 to 24 — J. C. Williamson. September 26 to October 19 — Allan Hamilton October 20 to November 1 — Fred Graham. OPERA HOUSE, KOYAIi AL.BEBT HALL,, AND TIVOJLI THEATRE. Pictures — Nightly. Farce—quite Frenchy farce, too, if report speaks true—takes the boards at His Majesty's on Monday, -when "The Girl from Eector's" is to submit herself to the judgment of Auckl-anders. That Bhe made Melbourne laugh uproariously there can be no question, the unregenerate roared with laughter, and a large section of the public pronounce the playlet as the funniest thing of its sort seen ior several years. It is admitted, I understand, that the temperature of the situations and Borne of the dialogue is not of the milk and bath-bun order, but is, in the words of a contemporary, "diluted French," and certainly the posters and the photographs aixs "teeny tiny tooney," as Percy says in some comic opera or another, " bit above proof," so to say; ibut we all know how desperately deceiving theatrical posters ore. Anyhow, the production must not be prejudged on hearsay. On Tuesday wo shall know oil about it, and in "another place," as they say in Parliament, I shall have an opportunity of giving my opinion on the same.

Suavest, most gonial, best natured of men, and' most entertaining of companions, nobody this side of the line is more 6uve of a warm welcome in club, drawing-room, or newspaper office than Herr Benno Scherek. But a slight frown —mitigated by the humorous smile which is never far from hie lips, was visible yesterday, when the great little impressario called to contradict tho information that he is in any way connected in business with Mr. T. Beecham, conductor, and eon of the great pill proprietor. The information, published last week to this effect, which was from a Southern source, was, it seams, incorrect in this particular. Mr. Bcecham is known to Herr Scherek only by reputation, and naturally does not want that gentleman to think that he is furnishing reports of an alliance which does not exiet. For the rest, Scherek —one drops the Herr as a compliment to his position in the world of art and his profession (one docs not talk of General Julius Caesar) —is deeply mysterious. He has much to tell, but not now. Sousa's Band ie a certainty—this much he promises—but for the rest wo must await the proper moment for some announcements, which will be, he says, of the very greatest moment. There is nothing of the usual "blather" where Scherek is concerned, and "Deadhead" ie quite satisfied .that the nows, when it is fit for publication, will be really in its way sensational.

Mr. Henry Arthur Jones, speaking at the Oxford Union for the Shakespeare National Theatre scheme, made tho following points:—

In England tho drama does not exist as a form of art at all; it is merely tolerated by the great public as a more hanger-on of popular amusement.

Literary men will not take the troublo to learn the very hard and tedious craft of play-writing. Why did not George Meredith follow Moliero's habit of reading hie comedy to his housekeeper?

I believe that gradually the public can be led to take an interest and delight in the drama as an intellectual entertainment. If we could turn over the books of all the London theatres in the last thirty years we should find that enough money had been wasted and thrown away in London theatres to establish and endow three or four such institutions as the present proposed National Theatre.

It is no use for Mr. 11. A. Jones to lift his voice in lamentation; the variety theatre —one must no longer speak of music 'halls—is conquering all along the line. Madame Sarah Bernhardt is going to the London Coliseum in September, and the beautiful Jane Hading, the wellknown French actress, is engaged for the Hippodrome from Oct. 10 to 29. New Zealandera in London in the autumn will thus have an opportunity of seeing the greatest living actresses —save the Italian Deuse—in half-hour extracts from tiheir greatest parts or in playlets specially written -for the purpose.

Richard Strauss, who is finishing a new opera, Dcr Jtosencavalier, at his cottage at Garmisch, Bavaria, has given an interviewer some interesting accounts of his manner of working. "I am always composing," he said, "walking or driving, eating or' drinking, at homo or abroad, in railway cars and crowded hotel rooms, my sketch-book never leaves mc, and as soon as I find a motif I jot it down. One of the most important melodies in my new opera struck mc while I was playing schafskofl, a national Bavarian card-game, with the 'upper ten' of my village. The ideas I jot down are, of course, only sketches to 'bo worked ,out later. 'Before I improvise even the smallest sketch for an opera I allow the text to permeate my thoughts and mature in mc for at least six months, so that the situations and characters may be thoroughly assimilated. Then only do I let the musical thought enter my brain. At that time the stfb-skctches become sketches. They are copied out, worked out, arranged for the piano, and rearranged as often as four times. That is the hard part of the work; the part scores, the symphonic colouring, which follow, are my recreation. The score I write in my study straight away, without trouble, working at it twelve hours on end."

One hundred and fifty cameras for taking living pictures were in operation on the Royal funeral route in London, at Windsor Station, and, by special permission, in the Grand Quadrangle of Windsor Castlp. The cinematograph houses of Paris and Berlin sent special operators fco London, and at ten o'clock on the same night in Paris the bioscopes were showing on the screens the funeral of King Edward VII. To do this (he pictures had by special arrangement with the English and French railways to bs developed and printed on the" journey from London, a.nd conveyed instantly oti arrival at Paris to the theatres. At upwards of 2COO variety and cinematograph theatres in the United Kingdom living pictures were exhibited on the night of the funeral. Most wonderful of all, the fdms for Australasia—the ones we saw at Fuller's, West's, etc.—had to catch tha Bvindisi mail, •which left at S p.m. on the evening of tha day of tha funeral a wonderful feat indeed, -

In ihis interesting "Reminiscences," Mr Cyril Maude, a London actor, who may visit Se\v Zealand . one of "these days, recalls an amusing , incident during the rehearsal of "The Little Minister," at the Haymarket, -when poor Mr J. M. Barrie was nearly killed. "He and I," writes Mr [Maude, "were sitting, as usual, on a sort of little platform built on to the front of the stage, from which we conducted the rehearsal. Unfortunately the railing that surrounded the platform was not of the strongest, and Barrio, who had a habit of lolling about on ehair3 in somewhat unusual attitudes, leant hea-vily against it, with his seat tilted up. Smash went the railing, and over he fell into tlie orchestra. We picked him up, apparently lifeless, and, dismissing the rehearsal, carried him up to my office and laid him on the sofa. "Happily he soon recovered, and, curiously enough, suffered practically no ill effects from a fall which might conceivably have proved a very serious one. Hardly had. the' accident occurred than we were visited by the reporter of an enterprising evening paper. 'I hear,' he began, 'that Mr Barrie has met with a serious accident? , 'Oh, it's nothing, , I replied, cheerily; 'only a bad shock.' 'What?' exclaimed the disappointed emissary, 'no blood?' "

On the evening before the mail left liondon that brilliant farce, "The Importance of Being Earnest" (brilliantly done here sixteen years ago by 'Dot' Boucicault and Brough), was played for the 350 th time by Mr George Alexander ai the St. James's Theatre. Another great London success has been achieved at the Haymarket Theatre, wheTo Maeterlinck's "The Blue Bird" promises to keep going indefinitely.

Already the novel process of booking by "wireless" has begun for London theatres. Recently four stalls were secured by Marconigram from a Cunarder m mid-AtliiJifcic. M. Maeterlinck telegraphed to Mr. Herbert Trench as follows, on the occasion of the 20Oth performance of "The Blue Bird":—"Pray, my dear direotor, accept and be kind enough to transmit to its courageous interpreters my thanks and congratulations; and my hope to be present with them in the highest spirit on the three hundredth performance."

Happening to be in London last summer Deadhead saw tho new colour cinematograph at the Palace Theatre, and can well believe the- reports in the English Press that no pictcrrial record of the funeral procession of King Edward and the bringing of the body to Westminster Hall from Buckingham Palace can equal in completeness, beauty, or impressivenoss the wonderful series of colour cinematographs shown at the Palace Theatre. Tho pictures, says the "Telegraph," taken by the Urban-Smitii process known as Kinemacolor, form a complete pictorial account in entire colour of the recent historic events. Nothing is omitted. The early morning crowds in the streets, tho arrival of the soldiers to keep the route, tho coming of the empty gun-carriage, the arrival of those taking part in the procession, even the lato King's terrier Caesar are shown. Tho marching soldiers and the brilliant uniforms of the Sovereigns and officers upon tho background of the trees in the parks give some wonderful contrasts.

It mußt bo understood that these pictures arc taken in colour, not coloured after, and are entierly different from the hand coloured films we are accustomed to here. Chatting with Mr. Fuller over this wonderful development of "pictures," he said that ho doubted if coloured cinematographs would be commercial for some time. The process ra enormously costly—as photographers will know—having to be done by several colour screens; and the result, While soft and exact, would not, in comparison with their enormously enhanced cost, endanger the popularity of the brilliantly hand-painted 111 ms, now so popular.

A suggestion that cinematograph filnra of great historic events such as King Edward's funeral sihould be preserved in a national collection has met with wide support in London. Mr. J. Mclntosh, secretary of the Royal Photographic Society and editor of the " Photographic Journal, ,, expressed the opinion that •such a collection would prove very useful, as it would enable future generations to see over again in all the living details such epoch-making achievements as the first great flight, and historical events such as King George's Coronation pageant. There appears to be one or two difficulties in the way, such as, for instance, that of preserving the celluloid films. Photographs printed on platinum paper, which will practically last for ever, are, of course, very different.

" The idea of preserving cinematograph films of historical interest is not only admirable, but entirely practicable," said Mr. W. M. Borradaile, manager of the London Cinematograph Co. " The negatives could be properly sealed, and as only really important pictures need be kept, they would not occupy much room. The industry is only about twenty years old, and we cannot say definitely how long a film remains in good condition. But we are printing now from negatives almost a3 old as the industry, and they are perfectly satisfactory."

Apropos of the above, what became of the cinematograph films taken for the New Zealand Government on the occasion of the Duke of York's (the present King's) visit to Rotorua. The Salvation Army cinematograph operators were, as I well (and bitterly) remember, for 1 was interested in illustrated journalism at the time—granted special privilege, entirely blocking the Press photographers. Nothing was ever heard of the resultant pictures. Where are they now, or were they all failures ?.

If anyone arose and said thai the theatre was now recognised as a ho-me of Art, the remark would be so commonplace as to be scarcely worth chronicling. The fact is so generally accepted.— (J.C.W. Press-agent in Sydney "Star.") The earnest devotee of Art These days does not repair To picture galleiies, or start For same preat writer's lair. No! To a show lie takes a tart And nets uplifted there. Hemmed thickly round by Israel He gazes on the stage; Ho hears the injured maiden's yell, He sees the villain's race. It benefits his Koul as well As any printed page. Anon, ho pays out cash to view A. piece where jests and girls— Neither partlcniaily new— And sonjrs abound. He hnrls Applnuse from out his hard, stiff pew: His mind with Culture swirls. A "eostume-flrnrEa" gives him pause Betimes — one that Is decked With gundy clothes mul fractured laws, And v.'lth red jjoro bespecked. He only soes to it because It aids his Intellect. In general, It's safe to say The pnhllc doesn't part Its card-earned money up to-fiay To be nmused. Its heart Ana soul !U-o really with each, play, Because each play la Art. H. SINGEMOINE. In the "Bulletin." SSS 3DEACHEAJD,