THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 282, 22 August 1908, Page 12

THE THEATRE.

"The world's a theatre, the earth a Btage."— lioywood. By Stlvibb. "The Little Bread Winnar." The attraction to follow "Humpty Dumpty" at the Opera Houso will bo "The Littlo Broad Winner," a play involving that child interest of which play-goers aro becoming a littlo tired. In this oaso, however, tlio child actress, Miss Qucen'to Williams, is said to ho supernaturally clever, and if that is the caso it may to a cortain oxtont relievo tho ache caused by tho "Hal hal, curso you I" clement in tho average melodrama. We aro told (by the management) that in this play "rays of sunshine gliut through tho deep dells of villainy of the plot, and there is a surfeit of genuine bright comedy to relieve the emotional passages." The cast includes such well-known mummers as Geo. P. Carey, C. R. vStandford, Mis Beatrice Holloway (Charles's daughter), Miss Ida Gresham. The Wellington season commenccs on Sept-ember 2 at 8 p.m.

An Epicure on tho Epigram. "J.D.," in the "Bulletin" says: —"Tho Truth" doesn't contain a single epigram. I would like to seek out the man Fitch, and wring his hand in an ecstasy of gratitude. I am sick of epigrams. Thoy began to weary me slightly about ten years ago. I am a gregarious soul who yearns to bo in accord with his fellow man, and hearing various liars of my acquaintance protest Btoutly that they loved this form of parley, I struggled against my growing hatred of it. In vain. With each new comedy I saw I loathed tho epigram and its badly-trained stable companion, tho paradox, moro aiid more. I took to frequonting (a) melodramnß, (b) musichalls, (c) prizo fights. I shall never forgot the night 1 heard tho villain in "The Horfible Wedding," who was being urged tearfully by an elderly moralist from Mangel-Wurzelshiro to mako an honest woman of his most recent victim, reply, cynically flicking tho ash from his cigarette: Marriago is tho last insult one oners to a woman one respects." Amid tho storm of hoots that followed I loft. Tho thing has crept insidiously into the musichall of lato years. "I cannot afford to talco in washing"; "I get drunk on gin for tho sako of tho Higher Morality," etc.. etc. Such painful quips issue nightly from tho rednosed, zebra-striped outrages at every variety show. "Larry" Foley ground out a batch very little brighter than the above at tho recent reception to Bill Squires; and the first tliiiig Noalrßrusso Burns said to tho Sydnoy "Telograph" interviewer was that "he had never hurt a man in his life." Tho succcss of Fitch's epigramless play encourages mo. I think this form of humour is doomed.

A Parisian Success. "La Sacrifice" is the title of a play recently produced at tho Theatre Ailtoine, Paris, ■which is likely to bo translated into English for' early production 1 in London and New York. Following is an outlino of tho plot:— M. Baudricourt lias threo tho/ "sacrifice" of tho title being the last liorn, Jcannine, whoso r 'birth had not beon desired by her parents. Suznnne, tho sccond girl, is her parents' favourite, and when the banker Roizol proposes a match between his son and Suzanno the Bnudricourts, believing that Roizol is ablo to givo his son tho £80,000 talked of, not only consent to tho marriage, 'but promise tho wliolo of the sum they had reserved as marriage portions for the threo girls. vFeanniuo, meanwhile, forms an attachment for her father's foreman. Dorvillo, but ns 110 attention _is paid to licr when slio broaches tho subject to her father, who, for tho timo being, has only ono ; idea in his head, slio gives herself to Dorville. Ultimately Dorvillo renders tho family the service of Exposing the true oharacter of the banker, who, far from boing rich, is in dire straits for money. Tho marriago is broken off. Baudricourt then offers Dorvillo tho £12,000 he originally destined for_ each girl, but lie .and Joannino profoi , their liberty, and so th.oy elect to go their own road. \

" The Flag Lieutenant." "The Flag Lieutenant" (by Major Drury and Loo. Travers), has boon secured by Mr. J. C. Williamson for tho_ Julius Knight Company, and is therefore interesting as something on our theatrical horizon. Tho Flag Lieutenant is a certain Richard Lascelles, who laughs, jokes, and takes life easily,-but despite Iris happy-go-lucky mothoda ho lias a good name in tho service, _ and a fortune which unexpectedly makes him independent of tho promotion that is sure to come. His good luck extends to his love-making, and he has quite won the heart of,the charming Lady Hermione Wynne, notwithstanding the failure of her frequent appeals that he should look at things less like a jolly schoolboy. His chief chum is Major Thesiger, who is poor, and finds life slow for want of the chanco for which ho has long waited in vain —a chance that would bring him distinction and enable him to declaro his attachment for the wealthy Mrs. Cameron—whom at present lie regards as beyond him. At length the chance comes, tlioro is trouble in Kandia, and the Major is ordered oil in haste with an advanced party in relief. He would liko to go alone, but Lascelles, by diplomatically playing upon the Admiral, gets permission to go also. Tho little British. garrison is closo besot, and it is a caso of further relief or annihilation. Thesiger thinks of a plan to got to tho telegraph post in the disguise of a native. But lie has no sooner donned tho dress of the dead rebel than ho is himself struck by a bullet and rendered insensible. In such condition ho remains, despite tho ministrations of tho active surgeon Crutchley, and Lascelles resolves to make the attempt at communication in Thesiger's place; This he succeeds in carrying out,' but when ho conies back, appreciating the disappointment of the man who wants to get on while for. himself ho does not care, as lie will resign on his marriage, concocts a plot with the doctor to give his friend the credit. The substitution is rendered easy because Thesiger's wound has taken away his me-' inory for recent happenings, and when ho is told that it was ho who carried tho message which brought the Fleet .to the rescuo, lie" accepts unquestioning both glory and reiVard. Lascelles, however, who during his absence was wanted—as the only translator among tho defendors—to receive tho report of a spy, and who in his wonted giddy wise has. explained his temporary disappearance by tho first words occurring—"asleep in an embrasure" —is overwhelmed with charges of cowardice and other evil things. He intended to leave tho service, but not to leave it in disgrace; oven (this, however, ho is prepared to undergo rather than tell tho truth._ His friends will always keep their faith in him, and his enemies may say their worst—ho_ is not going to upset dear old Thesiger in his triumph—who onco did him a turn that he can never forget—whatever harm to himself may happen. There -are other considerations which do not seem to come in, either with Lascelles or with the authors. We lose sight hero of the surgeon s interests, who lias agreed to tho plot out of pure friendship, and whom frank confession would have ruined, and 110 one eeems to think of the wrong done in making Thesiger a colonel and C.M.G. on totally falso pretences. Surely good fellowship scarcely justifies this doublo wrong to other competitors in tho race for distinction and thoso who aro supposed to deal out rewards, actually won. I am afraid that just hero the plot is a little weak, if looked at too closely. But tho public does not look too closely, accepts what is given it unquestioning; for right or wrong tho characters concerned arc good fellows, and tho play is a pleasant piccc. Well, Lascelles persists in his attitude of silence though somo of his frionds waver in their allegiance. Not his devoted fiancee Hermione, howover, or the gonial widow Cameron, who almost offers herself to Thesiger. It is chiefly Mrs. Cameron who puts things right. In an interviow with tho telegraphist, who has recognisodi the voice of tho Flag Lieutenant as that of tho person who shouted tho message to tho station which ho could not approach, she discovers tho truth. Lascelles, when confronted with tho witness, still holds out for Thesiger's sake, but through tlio cabin skylight tlie admiral himself has overheard;

the discussion. The Court of Inquiry which ho was about to hold is countermanded, and ho solves the situation by a compromise. 11l short, in the presence of his crew and visitors ho proclaims that from sure information Lieutenant Lnscelles has acted with the greatest bravery in Kandia, and that satisfies everyone, Thesiger continuing to wear his borrowed plumes without any idea of having been tricked into them. Pincro Characterised. Mr. Otis Skinner, the talented American actor, in tho course of an interview, said that tho first tiino ho took his stago charactor from real life was during a rehearsal of Pinero's "The x Magistrato" several years ago. "Wo wore rehearsing in Philadelphia, previously to opening at Daly's, and Pinero had comc over to rohoarso the piece. It was a rainy, gloomy, depressing day, and after having searched high and low in New York and Philadelphia for someone in real life who would fit tile character of Captain Vale, my part in tho play, without success, I felt anything but cheerful: Pinero was standing out in the blackness of tho theatre, and wo 011 tho stage could hardly see him. Finally, in tho midst of a'passago, Pinero called out in his high, piping voice, for us to como further down stage. As I came nearer tho footlights I saw Pinoro's form moro clearly outlined in the blackness of the auditorium and cried out "My gracious, thero's my.Captain Vale!" "Throughout tho remainder of tho rehearsal I gave Pinero for the part of Captain Vale, speaking throughout in Pinoro's high voice,—and when tho rehearsal was over Pinero fell on my nock and congratulated mo on my performance, l'ho play had a long run, and all through I. stuck to Pinero and his high voice." Notes. To do work well the artist must spend his life in incessant work, and deny himself everything for that purpose. It is a lesson wo" actors and actresses cannot learn too early, for tho bright and glorious heyday of our success must always be brief at best.— Miss Ellen Terry, in "M.A.P."

Mr. Geo. Duller is the manager of "The Littlo Breadwinner" Company that follows the pantomime season at the Opera House, opening on September 2. The Meynell and Gunn byndicato is mixed up with Mr. Allan Hamilton in tho management. Mr. Buller was last hero with-tho "Prince Chap."

Mr. Clyde Meynell,. who is now in England, has scoured _ two new plays for his. firm—"Tho Hypocrites," Mr. Henry Arthur Jones's drama, which, by reason of a big situation m tho third act aroused great enthusiasm in New York last year j and "Lucky Durham," the last play written by tho lato Mr. Wilson Barrett. "Tho Hypocrites," lirst produced ill Now York, did not reach London until lator, in August last. Mr. Leslie Faber is said to liavo played ono of his best parts aB the curate (Rev. Edgar Linncll), in which ho appeared in Now York, and afterwards in London. "Lucky" Durham is a millionaire, who appears in London society from America, and at the end conies into possession of tho ancestral homo and lands of his father, Lord Mountfallen, a spendthrift and impecunious English peer. Mr. Meynell will engage a company in London for theso plays.