DRAMATIC GOSSIP.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7779, 5 February 1891, Page 2

DRAMATIC GOSSIP.

By thb Maw m the Pn "F«non the Brletol" the Opera House, Wellington audiences have been large ami enM * tic " The Phonograph Eae bete! with Its usual good luck at Na\Z eet N the Harvey Brothers are showing »$ Opera House, Auckland. g afe *k A number of members of the fcha.t»» profession (say the Australasian) on January loth at the Melbourne *G» ** Cemetery to witness the unveiling »" monument which had been placed nw» «* grave of the late Mr J. L. rSIZZSP* who died in Melbourne fit S?S Among those who attended to show F" respect for their deceased friend f fellow-worker were Mr Qeorce A"-* 8 * Mr Alfred Dampier, Mr W. Elton Walton, Mr John Gourlay, Mr Q b£?' and many others. The monument hi'» the following inscription :~" EwctedhJ? few friends to the memory of John TV* rence Stephen Steele Wroxhall t* w * as John L. Hall, comedian r*» at Liverpool 24th August, lftfl• jsJ at Melbourne, 14th October? ]S Mr Aueon spoke with deeD faffs of the merits of the deciv.*cd actor whs' said waeone of tho greateit artists n, 4 had ever illuminated the colonial «f ** Far back in the 7I)V, three men JoW Hall, Fred Marshall, aud himself w 1 * banded together at th« Prince of wl\ **• Theatre, Melbourne, and of the fchr**ll alone was left. The memory of the twa*r had gone would live green in the heuS thousands, who would be grateful for tk harmless enjoyment they derinwt *2 e them. The late John L. flail waaiiS? husband, a f on d fatlier.a tulentedcomodlT* a genial companiou, and a symn&S l, affectionate friend. Mr Damoier 5* added a few words in appreciation of tv genial and lovable qualities of fchn * ceased. <* The Sunday Times of the 11th lin * says:—The funeral of Mr John J. Litd* late lessee of the Brisbane Gaiety Theatw* took place last week. The body lay v S of the ante-rooms of the theatre, where! large concourse of friend': of deceased hM gathered. The coffin was covered with wreathe and flowers, some the olft'S 1 persona from the other theatres andsoiai presented by friends. Shortly after H £ coffin was borne from the theatre to tta hearse by the stage hands employed at Uμ Gaiety. The procession, which coa&fetS of twenty-five carriages, passed «n Edward-street Into Qaeen-street on \h way to the Toowong Cemetery. "Vs.! Dead March" in " Saul" was playedvC effectively by the Gaiety band v tt» cortege passed through the streets. Agnes Huntington has made her maw up formula public in Boston, as followed "In the first place, I cover my face w|k cocoa butter to prevent the paint km entering tho pores of the skin. Ime tk German grease paints, but, mjjum because I studied palntiug while lewuM* to be a singer. I got better effects. I Man! my face a little all over, instead of le«lnl a ghastly whiteness about the nose mS lips, as so many do. I never use a Ilia that I do not carefully shade, and 1 study nature, and only emphasise its little. So many people paint the moulk red all over, making it|look large, bail think you only need a little touch of rottn in the centre of the lips. And the shado!s must not all be painted out if oae'af&sfjjs to be expressive and natural." In the Century for December, Signo* gal. vini discusses the old question, whetl® an actor when acting, ought actually to feel all that he really saya or does. - <Jn this point Slgnor Sal vini Is at issue Will M. Coquelin. " I believe,' , he says, ''yjii every great actor ought to be, k moved by the emotion he pourtrajs; tlw he must feel it in a greater or less degree-. and to just that degree will he move M hearts of the audiences—whenever lio plays the part, be it once or a thousand times." •

Galignani calls attention to the follow. ing amusing incident that occurred afc Essegg, in Austria. Iα a pUy, celled "Die Hochzelt yon Valein," the heroins ks to die, her death being brought aboafcby % villain who shoots her with a pistol. 'At the critical moment the wjeapoa raissn fire, but the actor was equal to the emer« gency, and declaimed at once, "Die. thf;i, the first victim of smokeless powderl" r It ia announced that Signer Verdiiiss nearly completed ; a new " opera comfej," set to a Shakespearian libretto written b Arrlgo Boito; and entitled M FalstaiF," tb plot presumably being based upon thsl si " The Merry Wive 3of Windsor." SfiiVspeare's " Falstaff" has already beeatks principal figure in Operas' written lj Peter Bitter in 17W,Sa]feri Jn 1793, B«U> in 1838, Nicolai In 1849, and Adolph Adm in 1850. Mary " Shaw, the famoue Eofllisa whistler, has left Loudoa for St, Petersburg under a special contract to t?Mstte to the Czar. " ■■■\' : "_ r "--" '" A dramatic author at Aiaa v Htt»fpr/, has written a play round Dr. Koch a otscovery. This should open up a new fieus for playwrights, and no doubt the time is not far distant when other diseases be* sides consumption will receive attelioa in this way. _„,'', «. It is said that Frank P. Slavin, Oβ pugilist, has declined W. A. Brady aoffes; of SOOdols. a week to-appear in "Aitit Dark." Slavin wants lOOOdola. a week, and a substantial guarantee. In consequence ot the UlnoM of Mfc s Nellie Farren and Mr Fred Leslie, the r vieib to America has been laaeaniK'if postponed. They, however. Intend w start for Australia in April nest, w»«| they will play " Buy. Bias," and "Awe f Arc." On their return from Australia Iα November, 1891, both favourites will oa seen at the Gaiety in a now burlesque. This will be the last burlesque scasoa tot "our Nelly," who will.LthenceforwA appear only in comedy. Mm ffarren fjj been singing and dancing at the OetttJ without a break since 186s, and she w« not a novice when the Gaiety wag as a theatre on the site of the unauccesam Strand Music HalL t«.isi r i A committee consisting of mffli theatrical and literary people has \mn formed in New York for the offering Mrs Agnes Bobartson BouctatfU a complimentary benefit In that city. *• is said that after her return to Bngie..<. Mrs Boucicault wiU re-appear■upon.we stage, and that moat probably the of her acquaintance with the pleWff public-will be made in a piece writlw J) Lγ youngest eon, Mr Aubrey. A sort ot theatrical mutiny baa bw*jJ out In the Court Theatre of .Vienna, i« new manager, Dr. Burckard.conalcg^Prussia, toSk it upou faimefclf to tort t« actors and actresses in a despotic faufe--111-suited to the eaey-golng ways o>. m Viennese. In consequence, one ot uj leading tragedians, Herr Robert. of the most popular actresses, MmW Gablllon and Hoherifeis, have «*'»°;" The frequenters of the Court Theatre*.* greatly excited over the affair. «»-' threaten* to dissolve one of the W» companies in Europe. . ■..„,, w »ii Mr Malcolm Watson, joint author w ; » Mrs Lancaster WaUia*! tfao play of « The Pharisee " has eegnljlfe synopsis of a new play to Mr.Cbfc*-,| Warner, who Is *o wett pleasedjriW* that he has commissioned Mr Watson Jβ complete the work. Mr Warner either produce it, at a theatre own management in London, »*,H*i , ' , ';j of his engagement in "A .jp"* U Money," or will take It,, with W« America and AustraUa. Tlie P»«» *'j four Acta, andi* by no means a. ooe-H; play, but contains four prowirß'TU «-«.- ---several minor but important cliartcrt-ft-A great many of tbeyottngactorawuoseen in "Ravenewood* are not 3iear& *»;* will shortly, however, have an to make themselves audible as wiu ;' visible, as Mr Irving hasklndJy conß-.--,, to their giving a performance o£ '• at the Lyceum. They have the parts among themselves, and talented manager la giving tbeiß » benefit of his advice and experlea* 3 their rehearsals, | an^ ~Madame Modjeska after a very ■&•% absence, is due In London in the the present year : when ehemtende "Measure for keasure," and Diana" to her rfyortotre. She iss" j actress if her bust acting days *•' oV n r is announced from Milan that Slgg Verdi has nearly completed a opera ton the subject of Shasspes* " Merry Wives of Windsor." «^ MUs Winifred Emery eaj-e the«»W B?/eree starts a series of papers «** j ♦• Stage as a Profession;' in the carg number of Woman, and we would all aspiraute for histrlonto (***& %& what Kmery has to say oo' ject, for thie young lady writesi near j welf as she acts, and ba», mor^f'f&4 than a superficial knowledge of the ar* adorns. Mhs Binary has a qe« B d resolute clap at the Dramatic Aewrt. -, " Do you know what to say when ywfc, ontheetagef " Youi put on y all at once, one over the other, 'Why do you bothertogo in the evening if you donjjg weji^