THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 229, 20 June 1908, Page 12

THE THEATRE.

By Sylvius.

"The world's a theatre, tho earth a stage."—Heywood. Tho Success of the Vaudeville. In an article on "Why the Vaudeville Prospers," Mr. Percy Mackaye, in "Tho Columbia University Quarterly," says: — "An analysis of tho nature of vaudeville and its elfeet upon the masses will, I think, reveal at least these four olementG vitiating to the American nativo capacity for a true drama of democracy: "First, its intermittent appeal, whereby the variety show is destructive of all sustained concentration on the part of its audionce, numbing its senso of logical coherenco, esthetic unity, and the constructive harmonies of dramatic action. . . . • "Secondly, its necessary appead to average taste and minimum critical faculty. . . Now, average taste, of course, is bad tasto, and sinco bad taste in factu is moro dependable than good taste in policy of vaudeville 1 uccomos the progressive cultivation in the public of average or bad taste, and the gradual paralysis of the people's critical faculty. . "Thirdly, its psoudo-morality: With'knowing regard for tno prejudices of conventional ethics, the' wares of its variety are advertised as aliko innocent for sucklings and sinners ; whereas, in actual performance, the equivocal hint and tho nameless innuendo, by consciously avoiding a legal indecency, are doubly corrupt by their hypocrisy. "Fourthly, its dementednoss . . Tho unmeaning haste, tho exaggerated feat of skill, tho baseless mirth, tho ovor-taxed fatigue, aro ovidences.not of spontaneous and wholesome revelry, but of neurasthonia. "All these vitiating elements of vaudevillo aro, of course, glossed and in part atoned by ffequent exhibits of sound powers, flashes, of consummate wit, splendid inventions of science, brief revelations of genius, yet as a substitute for a .native drama of democracy its results are pcrilouß to our generation. For its results are thesethat it substitutes forgetfulness of civic life for consciousness of civic lifo: individual entertainment for communal self-expression; sensuous callousness for sensuous enkindlomout; and popular 'monkey-tricks' for the supremo fine art of humanity." ■ Miss iVladse M'lntosh. The Sydney " Town and Country Journal," in the courso of a full page interview with Miss Madge M'lntosh recently, paid this charming actress some graceful compliments. " Miss M'lntosh," it said, " is certainly a valuable addition to tho Australian stage, and tho excellent tuition she received at the beginning of her career has borne good fruit. A slender, willowy figure, a beautifully poised head, crowned with a wealth of auburn hair, waving artistically off tho broad expansive forehead; large, expressive, red-brown eyes, are tho physical advantages with which Naturo has ondowed her. Her enunciation is perfect—the combinations of Isabel Glyn and Herman Vezin, as teachers, is an unique oxperionce—while her grace of movement and natural manner complete a personality, charming on the stago and in privato lifo. ■ Miss M'lntosh,. who dressos elegantly, evidently studies'tasto and harmony." The Auckland season of the Madge M'lntosli-Harcourt Beatty Company closes on June 27, tho company appearing at Gisborue on July 1, 2,' and 3, Hastings July 7, Danncvirko July 8, Palmerston July 9 and IU, Masterton July 11, Christchurch July 1C to 25, and Wellington July 27 to August 13. In each centre the opening production will bo " Her Love Against the World." Miss Madge M'lntosh admits, that it is not easy for a girl to got an opening in a stage career, oven if she has ability. "If a girl is vory gdod-looking," says Miss M'lntosh,'" a managel- will give her a fow words to spealc. You must have a letter of introduction to a manager. You cannot see him without one, but that is all its value. If you don't impress tho manager, thero it ends. I know I found it very hard to got a show; well, I was with Bon Greet for six months; hut about five years later I joined him as leading lady,. I made good advancement. I.went on tho stago in 1392, and it was in 1597 that I got the second engagement, uijon which occasion I remained four years playing Shakespearean parts." Miss Madgo M'lntosh was tho original •Mrs. Warren in Georgo Bernard Shaw's play, " Mrs.. Warren's Profession," produced by tho' Stage Society in 1 London.. She toured with Olga Nethersole in America, and was in partnership with both C. V. Francs and Lumsden Haro, the latter of whom had just returned from his Australian engagements, fiumsden Hare is now in America wiilli Ethel Barrymoro. "My ;last engagement," ■she says, " wa3 with H. B. Irving, but before tliat I played the Empress Josephine in ' Tho Great Conspiracy,' a Napoleonic piece, under the management of James Frohman, at tho Duke of York's. Sir John Haro played Napoleon."

Margaret Anglin and Co. Owing to tho dense ignorance of the American stage in this part of the world —an ignorance not nearly so'apparent where the | English stago is concerned (owing chiefly to ; tho flood of English " illustrateds " and the aggressive post-card)—few people will liavo yec grasped tho theatrical importance of tho ' visit to Australasia of Miss'iVlargarct Anglin, ono of tho 1 most talentod and charming actresses of the higher American stago. Miss Anglin, 1 should say,-was on.tho same piano in America as Miss Irene Vanbrugh or, hotter still, Mrs. Patrick Campbell is in England, and being only 32 years of age, with great beauty allied to profound talent, she may bo said to bo at tho apex of her histrionic power. Miss Anglin is really a British subject, having been born at Ottawa, Canada, on April 3, 1876. -For a short period sho was a student at the Empire Dramatic School in New York, an institution connected with the Empire Theatre. At the very first performance in Vliich she took part sho caught tho oyd of Mr. Charles Frohman, who offered hor Madeleine West in " Shenandoah," then about to go on tour, and it was in that part sho raado' her first appearance in 1894 at the Academy of Music, Now York.' She next played a season with James O'Neill, tlion played- with Mr. E. H. 'Sot-horn, and in 189S appeared as Itoxnno in " Cyrano do Borgerac," to tho Cyrano of the late Richard Mansfield.' Other plays sho has appeared in successfully are—"Tho Musketeers" (1899), "Citizen Pierre" (1899), " Tho Only Way " (1899), " Brother Officers" " The Bugle Call," "Mrs. Dare's Defence." 'Diplomacy," "Tho Wilderness," "The Devil's Disciple," 1 " Camillo,'' "Tho Afteriniatli," "The Marriage of Kitty," "FrouFrou," " Tho Second Mrs. Tanquoray," and most recently achieved a big success (with Henry Millar) in " Tho Great Divide," which''ran through the 1906-7 seasons at Now York. Miss Anglin will bo given -a support equal to her position. The leading man will bo William Kolker, an American actor of high repute, who has been winning golden opinion during the last year or two. Of Mr. Geo. Titheridge I need say nothing—he was a star who was never starred in Australasia. That excellent actress, Miss Susie. Vauehan will also bo in tho caste, and others will be equally as well chosen. The only disquieting feature about the Anglin advent in Aust'TjJ'a is that it is doubtful whether there will be timo to play New Zealand at all.

Walter Baker on Alfred Dampior. Mr. Walter Baker writes in tlie Sydney "Bulletin": "Just a word or two rs our old friend, Alfred Dampior, pood actor, Rood father, and likewise good citizen. Perhaps I was bettor acquainted with tho deceased actor than many of the scribblers who havo been lately deluging 'Poverty. Point' with reminiscencos. Let me say at once, in reply to one of them, that Alfred Dampier was incapable of any language that the most fastidious could take exception to. Those who say othorwiso are —well, thoy didn't know him. It has been stated in a few papers over here (in Melbourne) that ho was a 'good loading man.' Bather a poor compliment when you look round carefully and see tho 'leading men' you arc getting now; and the critics (?) are using the same adulatory adjectives about the second-raters who are torturing tho public at the.present time as they did about an artist, scholar, and gentleman. Ono paper in particular stated that hh would ha romemberocl chioilv for his porfonuance of Captain' Starlight in 'Rob-

bery Under Arms'; also his Dagobert in 'All for Gold'! Nothing said of his Hamlet, played by him longer and moro successfully than by any other actor that ever appeared in Australia. What other tragedian has over had the public of Sydney waiting outside his theatre oating their tea, with the hopo of getting a decent seat? A 'good leading. man,' forsooth I' I tell you he was an artist. Oh, that we had a few moro like him! His Macbeth was equally good and scholarly; then there wore Shylock, Mercutio, and Ejchard (from the text), and a host of other classical work. Just imagine working for nearly forty years to instruct and elevate the youth of Australia (which he (lid), and as a reward for it all, to read that bo is romembered by his performances of Captain Starlight in 'Robborv Under Arms'! In conclusion, may I suggest that, as the friends of the late Robert Brough have shown their appreciation of an artist by erecting a fountain to his memory, it would bo a just and a graceful recognition of one who did so much for Australian actors and the genoral public if something similar wore done to perpetuate the memory of so scholarly an artist who, if ho was not an Australian by birth, was one in his heart of hearts—tragedian Alfred Dampior." Notes. It is probable that tho Julius KnightOla Humphrey Company may play a snort return season through New Zoaland, in which case the management may revivo "Messieur Beaucairo," and perhaps another play. Messrs Knight and Co. have made thorn* solves popular in those parts. A good deal of surpriso wss oxpressed when the Williamson management took off "Peter Pan" aftor only four weeks' run. The business, I am given to understand, was not up to expectations during the first threo weeks, owing to a misconception on the part of the Melbourne public as to the character of tho play Mr. Barrio had given them. "Humpty Dumpty" been withdrawn shortly boforo, • and it was suspected that the public had got it into their heads that "Peter Pftu" was an entertainment of tho pantomimo order,_ a supposition which has some foundation in certain scenes, but certainly not to those who studied the language, noted the valuo of tho skilfully-drawn characters, and became the delights of the exquisite fantastical beauty of Mr. Barrie's charming work. •The decision was made to tako the picco off just at that moment when the business was beginning to reflect tho worth of the play, which wound up to packed houses. Sinco .Melbourne "Peter Pail" delighted enormous houses in Brisbane, and is now being played in Adelaido to big business..

"Behemoth," from London: The four best players on tho London stago are Australians —Alice Crawford, Mario Lohr, Oscar Asche, and Cyril Koightley. Thoir promotion is blocked and their fame delayed by a group of elderly mimes who should stop at homo o' nights and give younger peoplo a .chance, Charles Wyndham (66), Georgo Alexander (62), Beorbohm Tree (611. John Haro (65), Mary Mooro (64), and Fanny Brough (59) wander about the London theatres in a most exasperating manner, and aro as much beloved and applauded by theatre-goers as thoy were fifty yoars ago. Tho aforesaid quartette of Australians must arrive at the top within at least twenty-five years. But the worship of tho elderly and the exhausted, whether of poets, politicians, soldiers, or actors, by the English is a vigorous cult and will die hard.— "Bulletin." , Bcerbohm Tree, probably the most liberal of>London theatre managers, has had to follow tho backward load of his rivals, and revert to the bad old system of charging for programmes, which was partly wiped out from ten to twenty years ago. The enormously increased cost of running theatres is tho excuse generally given for the extra demand. Treo says that his patrons, "either in ostentation or by habit," tipped the pro-gramme-distributor anyway! Tho difl'orenco to a manager between charge'and no charge is estimated by London "lteferee" at "many <lraridreds of pounds in a year."