AMUSEMENTS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13364, 4 March 1909, Page 7

AMUSEMENTS.

"THE THIEF." Tito romarknblo nlvrut the play of "The Tbicf ,, p]-od;:cod last nipiit at iho TlK'-itro Royal by iho \Yi!li«roson Dramatic Company for tlrr> first time hero* was its singular naturalness, consi-d-riing tho intense charu-ct-cr —almost too powerful if oivc may putit th-i.i4—of t!io pint , :'. Xothinr; iT-oro tragic, even in the most oramaticilly strong play, ooukl' I>>> concf.iw<l thnn the second act. Coining after tho lovp and pretty displays <if a {ft , ft ion whir>h nro t]'.i> Jradinji nuint-s of tno !*ir.<-fc aof, *i:p ».-r»cond with itr, horror or revelation, its painful a'-a.i-r-inont of tho victim oi" a )o>v of «iie-:-> con::>s J.ihi* tlic

villi lava jtrc.una of thf plpasitre-iovinfj; city of Porr.p" l !!. Yet tli-ort 1 is notir able even in this the naturalr.ess which, as lias been £nid. is tht> main f rat tiro of "Tho Thiff " "What occurs is what wonl<l ccc;t iindsr a similar &bito of distressing circumstance in rral life. The powerfully t'.Tainatio s.it".iat:<ins are not by any means itnprcba'l?—as is so frequently the in dramas where the possibilities ore oxacjrTrstrd to innkf* a seiisaticnal scene—but hnppcn exactly r>s oac Monk! imajxiEe tiuy -.vo'.'.ld dr> "flic pley, too. is vvoiidorfnlly veil tonjrtrncKvl. Take as an ilhistration of this the jrrf>at srono at the end of the- 2<rt, where, overcome by zh+> fact tjvjt it. is <ii;e to her fr< adoratior. for him his irife sins.. ii<o Jiiisband is to forpivo her. Carriva to it-s cor.flusion, t'nis •wo;ik! sjx)il the play, and ti:t? third' att would bo merely an anticlimax. But the playwright, with infinite art, v...<s thf ntl-pow' rful lever of jealousy of Henri to complete the story of tli<j piooe. and <kxt so n:aTrel!ously ar-

tistically. As an exposition of t.ho med'.-rn :-.rt of play-writin,s. nothing more f>:<cinatins or powerfully intfM&s tfiioagLout ha.-i ever been prvxhjcod hi-re. A.s to its interpretation, it was

:::■, a wh'jlo T.'orihy of its charoct'.-r. M>=.s O:a Huinrfhreys cs Mario d<v vi-'.opod a dranir-rtic power which one had lrardJy pireu h<-r cr*<iit for posin such *i ir.ark.?d dogrex?. Tlio cJiaracter in t/he stoond act is one cai-

iinj; for tho display not alone of giv.it ui.iiuatic pov.or ana inu-iisity c.i uctliig, but ai-D ti.oat <itsrriniiii'itlOJl JUIU cKliij IV*l IVn KllOUJitll SUOiILI Ui'UilkluU , illtO CXU^VI'Ui.Iv.U. iuii v. as vi:ic Oi u:v ilicsi i>jiii:-* in .via ilui..i-<hrt-y's Kciiuy at, llUi po4 UK! ol UlO JKi i\Jl ...itliC<". iUu» iiornv t>l .ujfio ii&i. vie i-uve v. iiicji i.iio iiiii sOuj,ji id rvtaiit ul &nr;i a ic.;riul cn-uuii' oi houoar siiiijl iron; iuij was Uioy _>iij.s \>i«.h la.u.mj; io...iiy a» u> i-icu to 1110 oWi-liyjl o; 1..0 bnU.u.hS U.<Mii:*.-ivos.. H't, t;.is \wu> mo lUM-, ar,a ai.ipiV nii.imiig as i«.f :iii: . t ... .."il.oii 'i'u -i.j T.ie <lvillUlKii> rthlCll U ii!C_-l t'AjiiiHLi ji.viii> luaKt-i upon liiv lustriouio ability 01 nay ©no lnii.'iji t-it. j>ui i, Miss ilun.piiit,) iievvi' ;;;• ovi-i-:uum. iiiCiu v nutK-i-jon; lliioUijiiout a reserve iorti- am; iwt only s,o uut a spijret-.auon 01 i:u cUaracui- wmcU iii.ulo ncr i>^r:ui maiue ouo oi blraun.; artistic abiiiiy. in 111 c UfciiU-r style o( Hit.- nist act t-iiuii-ii as 11 \.e;v liKe :i juv-ii.jiCo to Uiu uojitfsiic w.iU-.i 1...«.-. a. Jii-a uui..i:j:iv \» ;ui tqiuuly suwessiul. in tkiu uiot net sjie i>ii,Ui,..>. otic uiv.i-1. wiiat is in joamy the iioy liovo 01 uio pia.v, the uo>ji aJSvji love — aimo&i amounting u> iiiGlati-y--\vuieh ilant has ior ncr hutb.iiu., iincl wJuch leads her Vo commit t.n- cKsnicabi.' triiiiL-. Xakcu Uircugr.ouc .\h-,> iiimiphriy o iiitorprctaiioii 01 tin- i>urt wa» out w hi< li ccliipaiod fai'i.iirauiy witli any .->; tlio gii-ai. drai"uat!f MiicfSscs) u-L' nave ria> charact-or of the iniiband is 0110 \vhi(ii < ai;s lor very varied treatment. It is a pari "1 p!;a&e.s. Ihoro ivas {irst tho l<jviiii; luisbanU v. ho «.;:nny rejipiutatos liio ailocciv>:i luvjtjhtxl Ui-on li: 111. tli.uij'i like iiuu.y in tht: worui, talciny; tiie y;<iod the gods provide , with «;ni>ni!at careless <Mj..::iiiiuity. Thou in £tarttiiiK foiitrasit was tiio sudden uwakeniiin from tho pleasant dream, to iind tin- wile not o:iiy a oomcvocti thiol I<:;t, as lie thinks, V.inri'.thiul. U>th tiii.'.so were most powcriully and delineated- !>y Mr Kolkt-r. In tho jj;ront second act he was especially -\ ciiuovfully oftoctivo. Tho i>!;iut to which reference l;as bL>?n nuido of tlio awaken nig -oil the Hunk ol rcconcilia- :\ r ir. — the dt'iwn <•;" joohnisy was cpi-einlly unoly brought out. Tlie dumb ili'spair whifli overtakes the husband at finding ifo det»:i a tragedy oveiivhelniing him ivas admirably depicted by Mr Koikor, and tTie net was played by him ivith great intensity and mnunilieent reserve force. "NVhcro lie somewhat feli s-r.ort of the iiigh standanl oi" his performance in this portion of tlie [>l:iy was in tiie third act. lie was too insouciant and matter of fact, in his seem? Avith M. and Madamo l.aS'irdos after tho confession by lii.3 Mr Kolker hardly scorned to infuse enouLTh of reTnorse at Tiie deep wrong winch his ivile has inflicted on his oldi fiiend.s ainl in this respect to s;iir.o device his impersonation fell off somewhat. In such a situation a man would naturally feel—though perfectly innocent himself—deep and poignant 1 egret, and this was jtist ivhat .»>lr Kolkt-r hardly made etr«n£ enough. In all other respects his performance Tvns a remarkably artistic and strongly dramatic one. Miss Alma made a good deal or the part of Isabel, playing it- throughout with much success. Mr Dion Tithcradgo was excellent as Henri, the wiid mad lovo of tTio youth for the wifs oi his fatlicr's friend ocing very arlisticolly depicted. The scene with Marie in the first act was exeollEMitly dotio. Mr Hazlett was rather stiff and stilted as tho father, and there was little or no light and shade in Iris interpretation, though the part nfiords -.rreat opportunities, particularly in the scenes where ho learns of the "supposed crimo of his son. ~S\ 1 Sidney Stirling: did what little he had to <Lo"ns M. Zanihnrd very well indeed The piece was splendidly mounted, the setting of tiie second net being especially good. It may bo noted that very bad taste -vras displayed by some of tho audience launching in the most intense scenes of the play, conduct most disconcerting to those on th« stafje, an<l which it is hoped will not bf> repeated. To-n'.ght end to-rhorrc-.v night the piece will again be played, and on Saturday evening "Tho Silver Kins." with Humphrey as Neilie Denver and Kolker as Wilfrcj Denver, will be staged.

COLOSSEUM. There was a very large attendance a< the Colosseum last evening, when the excellent programme inausurated last Thursday was successfully repeated Tonicrht an entirely new programme will be presented, and the films will in-clude:--"The, Slate Industry," "Newspaper Beauty Competition," "Fisherman's Sweetheart," "Palmero and Its Surroundings," and "A Lightning Toui of Pans," "Rip's Inheritance," "Mnjoi Richardson's Police Bloodhounds," "Modern Metallurgy." and "Edlucating Blind Children." The usual matinee will be given on Saturday. WAINONI PARK. To-night the great, annual fire fet« of Wainoni Park will be held. -Th« programme includes many novelties, r.r.d conclude with the finest fireworks display of the year. Special fireworks trams will leave tho Square at 7.15, 7.40. and 8.10 p.m. During tho afternwn an interesting programme oi amusements will be given, nnd tht V>'c",-t Mellon school picnic will be hek" ai i'ht> narlv. ' THE CHERNIAVSKIS. On Monday evening next a short searon will bo inaugurated at Hi. , Majesty's Theatre by tho thr;>£ wonderfui , ilussian instrumentalists. Tho first iirogrammo will i:>cluJe:— Trio (F. E. Bache). ViolLncellf Concerto (Saint-Sat-ns'), Piano Solos— (a) "Xociurnc" (.Chopin), (b) "Valsi Caprice" (Mnufehan Barnett), Violir Concerto (Ernst), Trios—(a! ■ "Ko Xidrei." (b) Otrnian Danco (Schubert) alto vocal numbers by Madame Mari« Hootcn (c-oistralto) and Mr Perciva Driver (baritono.). Mr R. H. Horn< will act as accompanist to the voca numbers. The success achieved by tin Cljcrniavskis in their former seasoi should result in large gatherings o! music lovers during their short stay Tne ylan <:f reserved seats is now opei at the Dresden.