STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 263, 5 November 1932, Page 2 (Supplement)

STAGE JOTTINGS.

Mr.-Basil Dean is shortly producing a new play by Miss Dodia Smith, author of "Autumn Crocus."

"The Dark Hours," a play by Don Marquis, which deals with the last episodes in the life of Christ, js scheduled for staging in New York this month. The Actors' Equity Association has granted its producer a five weeks' rehearsal period instead of the usual four because of the need for tactful treatment of the material.

An ambitious effort has been decided for the Little Theatre Society's, last production of the year, which will be presented early next month, in Patrick Hamilton's three-act drama, "Rope. While the author confesses having set out to write a "thriller," it is generally conceded that he has written a thriller of a very extraordinary and interesting 'type. He is one of the very few authors who have succeeded in dealing effectively with the psychology underlying appaiently motiveless murder. "Rope was finst presented by the Repertory I layei s at the Strand Theatre, in London, early in 1929, when it was written, and has since been performed by several repertory societies in England and t.ie colonies with marked success. The production will be in the handj of Mi. iE. McCallum.

Margaret Rawlings, tlie talented young English actress, is continuing her successful tour" of New Zealand in the unusual play, "The Barretts of Wimpole Street?' and "Happy and Glorious," which is also something new in stage productions. Under the aegis of J. C. Williamson, Ltd., the company has appeared in the majority of the districts included in the itinerary, and the members will soon be saying farewell to these shores. On Thursday, Masterton was played, Hastings last night (Fnday), Wanganui to-night (Saturday), Hawera, Monday, November 7; New Plymouth, Tuesday, November 8; Palmerston North, Wednesday, November 9; Hamilton, Friday, November 11; the Auckland season opening on Saturday, November 12. The company is an exceptionally strong one, and, headed by one of the most accomplished actreases_ who has ever visited New Zealand, has highly pleased Dominion theatre-goer^.

The Vaudeville Theatre opened in London with "Continuous Vaudeville" on September 29. The managers of the enterprise, Messrs. Geoffrey Hope and Vivian Palmer, have some interesting ideas on the subject of how a weekly change in the "variety act" part of the programme can be blended with a permanent revue Company, and a revue that will only change every month or six weeks. There will be au attempt to cater for all tastes, even the advanced: there is talk of including a ballet inspired by the jiow fashionable Winterhalter rather than one fforn the overworked eighteenth century. Mr. Reginald Arkell is writing some of the sketches.

New Zealand theatre-goers are waiting with pleasurable anticipation for the coming of the famous English actress Sybil Thorndike and her specially chosen company, who will make their first appearance in the Dominion early in the New Year. Dame Sybil Thorndike's All-English Company, has achieved remarkable success in Australia. In the big capitals the theatres at which they have been appearing have been crowded with delighted and enthusiastic audiences, who have" seen one of England's best and most popular actresses in "Saint Joan," "The Medea" of Euripides, "Captain Brassbound's Conversion," "Ghosts" and "Macbeth," the last-men-tioned being a-.particularly impressive production. After Sydney the company went to Brisbane, where another series of triumphs was recorded. The Melbourne season was so successful that the Firm, in compliance with innumerable requests, arranged for a return season of this great dramatic personage. Details of the New Zealand itinerary are-now being drawn up.

Ernest Truex, star of "Whistling in the Dark," the comedy at the Erlanger Theatre, New Yorl:, has been one of the busiest of American actors. He has appeared in 11 successive plays in a period of a little over live years without interruption except for a single week's vacation between the closing of the "Third Little Show" and the start of rehearsals for "Whistling in the D&rk." When Truex was playing in New in "The Fall Guy" he : received an offer to go to London in the piece, and went. On Piccadilly the diminutive comedian became a favourite overnight, and when the run was over the London managers refused to let him return to the United States. The play in which he scored his first London success was followed by "The First Year," "The Five O'clock Girl," "Many Waters," "Good Mosning, Bill,' and "Out Goes She," His success was among the greatest ever achieved by American actors in London. Not only did ho play the typical American parte to which he is naturally suited, but in "Good Morning, Bill," by P. G. Wodehousc, he performed the unheard of trick, for an American, of appearing in an English drawing room comedy with a proper English accent.

"Miracle at Verdun," with its 13 scenes and 100 characters, opened at the Embassy Theatre, Swiss Cottage, London, last month. It is not, in the senie of "Journey's End," a "war play." There are no war scenes in it. But it deals with the consequences of war on the post-war world. Mr. Somerset Maugham's forthcoming play is also said to deal with these consequences, though probably from a widely different standpoint. Mr. Maugham, incidentally, in common with several other authors, must be suffering from a certain curious deviation jn post-war economics the refusal of countries to semi mcJttey, including money from royalties, outside their frontiers. Mr. Maugham's plays always have successes in Berlin, and royalties in the form of rentenmarks await Mr. Maugham there. But he can presumably only utilise them by buying such things as German works of art or motor cars—or by going to Berlin in person to bust them. Mr. Aldous Huxley's novels enjoy wide circulations in their Russian translations. But Mr. Huxley's royalties await him—in roubles and ia Moscow. " - ~. v *

HE STOOD A LOT. Percival had heard the call of the open spaces and had thrown up an easy ft to set sail for the wild west. Arrived in the country of he-men, he found, him self comfortable quarters on a farm, and prepared to enjoy the simple life. Percival's first task was given htm a day or two later. He was assigned to one end or a crosscut-saw, the other _ end being m charge of an old and experienced lumberman. At the end of an hour the veteran stopped sawing and looked at his exhausted partner. "Sonny," he said, I don tmind you ridin°- on this saw, but if ite all the same to you, I wish you'd quit scrapin your feet along the ground.

LIMITED. ' Wife: Will you love me if I grow fat? Husband: No, I promised for better or worse —not through thick and Uim!

ROUGH ON DAD. The baby was being displayed to admiring "Jailers. . "Dear me," exclaimed one visitor, wno seemed to find it difficult to know what to say, "how much he looks like hid father." , A „ "Oh, that's only the hot weather, replied the young mother, crossly. "As a rule he's quite cheerful-looking."

WHY THEY DISMISSED HIM. Brown: What has become of your new barber? Proprietor: Well, although he was a splendid shaver and haircutter, we had to let him go; he didn't understand the business properly. Brown: What did he do? Proprietor: He forgot to say to a. bald-headed customer that his hair needed trimming to-day.

GRANNIE IS. Mummie was listening to little Dennis saying his prayers, while grannie sat knitting. Towards the end of his prayers mummy was surprised to hear her little son raise his voice and positively roar: "And please can I have a motor car for my birthday?" "But, darling," she protested, "God isn't deaf!" "No!" answered the little chap serenely, "but grannie is!"

THE NEXT MOVE. He was a novice at the game of golf. He teed his ball and taking a vicious swing, sliced to such ail extent that the ball struck a tree and came back. The player caught it as it was bounding back. "What shall I do now?" he asked his opponent. "Tee it up, hit it again, and then put your hands in your pockets," was the reply. >• . >

INGENIOUS. The chemist had left his counter in charge of a youthful assistant. The young man, being of a highly ingenious turn of- mind, 1 it was not without some inward trepidation that the chemist learned - upon his return that the assistant had been confronted in the interval with the case of a man who failed to get the better of an argument with a steam roller. "What on earth did you do?" gasped the chemist. "Gave him nerve tonic," was the reply. "Nerve tonic? Why that, in the name of goodness?" "Run down and depressed," was the reply.

PLAIN ENOUGH. Little Betty was reading a letter replying to her mother's application for boardingliouse accommodation at the seaside. Presently ehe looked up. "Mum," ehe said, "\vliy do boaTdinghouse keepers object to children?" "I'm sure I don't know, dear," replied mother, "and I'm much too busy now to worry about it. Go and see what baby is crying about. . Tell Gerald to stop shooting peas at people in the street. Make Dick stop quarrelling with Peggy. Tell Johnny if ho doesn't stop blowing that trumpet I shall take it away from him."

"What did you give baby for his first birthday ?"' "We opened his money-box and bought the little darling a lovely electric' iron." >

Sunday School Teacher: What do w« mean by the quick and the dead? Small Boy: Them as gets out of the way of motor cars is quick, and them as don't is dead.

The superintendent of the Sunday school was bubbling over with enthusiasm at the regular attendance of his pupils. "Dear children," he announced, "now to-day, out of the whole school, only one of us is absent—little Elsie. Let us sincerely hope that she is ill!"

"Above all," said the mistress to th« new maid, "I want obedience and truthfulness." "Yes, madam," replied tho girl. "And if anybody callv when you are in, nnd you say you are out, which shall come first—obedience or truthfulness?" r

Trade was very bad, and when & woman entered the shop the grocer hastened to serve her.

"A pennyworth of soap, please," said the woman.

"Certainly," replied the grocer. < *T suppose you'll be washing the canary, tliis afternoon?"

'John had a new chum, and he yra.a telling his mother about him. "Is he as tall as you?" asked his mother. . ' ■ "Well, he is at one end," replied John. "Goodness!" said his mother, "what do you mean?" "Well," said John, "his head only comes to my shoulders, but his feet reach as far down as mine." A tramp was arrested and taken to the police station. "Come on," said tha station sergeant, "strip yourself for & bath." The tramp gazed at him unbelievingly, "What!" he exclaimed. "Me go into water?" I "Of course!" snapped the officer. "How long is it since you last had a bath?" "Well," replied the tramp, with a puzzled frown, "I was never arrested before." A woman left a store laden with parcels she had collected during a busy morning's shopping. She called a taxi and placed the parcels 011 the seats, counting them as she did so. "That makes ten," she said with satisfaction, "and George has lost the bet made with me that I should not arrive home with the whole of the goods I had bought." Then she counted the lot again, and a look of doubt came into her face. "There still seems to be something missing," she said, and then, after a pause, she gasped, "I know what it is—if# baby!"