THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 300, 12 September 1908, Page 12

THE THEATRE.

"The world's a theatre, the eirth a stage."— Hoywood. i BT Syividb. Honry Kolkar, Aotor. The career of Sir. Henry Kolkcr, loading man with Margaret Anglin, from its beginning has boon 0110 so full of interest that it is not surprising to find Margaret Anglin's leading man a most engaging talker as well as a keen student, not only of the stage, but of all social and economic questions of the day. His parents, German on the father's and French on the mother's side, were living in Berlin when he was bora, but thoy shortly afterwards emigrated to America, and their boy grew up in Milwaukee: There, after refusing to bo a lawyer, and chafing under the conventionalities of commerce, Mr. Kolkcr made his entree on the stage as a junior member of a Gorman company play-ing-there. Ho changed ever, to tho Englishspeaking stage next year; and after a season in Milwaukee went on a Shakespearian tour with Robert Downing, followjng that with another under James O'Neil, in whose company ho first met aud acted with Margaret Anglin, then tho leading lady of the organisation. Margaret Mather, another star, then received him, and after his engagement with her Mr. Kolker became a inember of a stock company playing a new piece every week, for the most part absorbing that fine all-round capacity for filling any part, the stock system invariably affords. New York was nest on the list, and Mr. Kolker made his mark there in support of Mary Manneriijc, Ada Rchan (America's greatest Shakespearian actress), and_ Amelia Bingham. Then followed a long period with Madame Kalisch, an extraordinarily clever Polish actress. Her company played in Yiddish, and her pieces included Maurice' Maeterlinck's "Molina Vanna," 2ola's "Terese Raquin"—or rather tho dramatisation of that novel,. "The Krcutzer Sonata," a study—at the same timo powerful and brutal—of life in tho Jewish quarter of New' York' City, 'and Percy Mackaj'e's "Sappho, and Plaon." Just before leaving New York, Mr. Kolker.was for thirty-six weeks playing the lead -in "The Three of TJs," one of the plays recently acquired by J. C. Williamson, of which lie speaks very highly. Meynoll and Cunn's Attractions. The Moynell and Gutin management revive "Tho Fatal, Wedding" this afternoon at the Opera House, and play tho succeeding four nights. Tho cast is an entirely now ono, and interest will centro in the. performance of littlo Queenie. Williams, who will play the character of tho Littlo Mother. This little lady, as Meg in "Tho Little. Bread Winner," was tho success of tho play. Messrs. Meynoll and Gunn will present on Thursday night next at the. Opera Houso, for the first time-in Australasia, J. A. Campbell's (author of "Tho Littlo Bread Winner") latest English success, "Tho Old Folks at Home." The company will be an augmented one, including four new members who arrived by the last boat from Melbourne. Tho story, is said to be of the natural, homely, domestic typo, with many telling and cleverlycontrived situations in it? development. A feature in tho third act, out on a'cotton plantation in Virginia, will be. a special children's act of the "TJnclo Tom's Cabin" , typo. Several negro melodies and coon songs and dances will be introduced by tho clover children of tho Tin Can Band. On tho .conclusion of tlioir Wellington season tho, Moynell and Gunn Company play Palmerston North, Wangamii, and New Plymouth ■en route to Auckland, whero they open on Wednesday, September' 30. ' ■ ' "Mrs. Wlggs : of the Cabbage Patch." Of this play, tho "Sydney Daily Telegraph" said:—"The pie?e is a study, in character, and almost that alone. Its success dopeiids not upon exciting situations or romantic colour, but solely upon its faithfullyrdfawni-pic-, turo of life in that curious corner .'j of- w th§earth styled tho 'Cabbage Pateh,' near,•.Louisvillo, in Kentuoky. Thero is Mrs Wiggs, . with her genial sense of humour, her : big heart, her shrewd common-sense, arid h'or unvarying determination to look upon-, tho bright sido of everything. And_ there is that remarkable group of ber friends—the misanthropical Miss Hazy, tho bibulous Mr. Stubbins, and acidulated Mrs. Eichorn. The characteristics of this extraordinary trio aro so strange that the doubt expressed at tho production of tho pieco in London as to their fidelity to life may bo easily understood; but it was then pointed out in roply by Mrs. Madgo Carr Cook, who. played the rolo of Mrs. Wiggs-in London, that they aro actual types from the 'Patch,' a circumstanco which merely proves how grotesque human naturo can be. "Wha,t could be droller, for example, than tho oourtship of Miss Hazy and tho good-for-nothing Stubbins? He is very lanky, untidy, arid drunken,. with a philosophy in his drawling, which is not without its humour; Miss Hazy, on tho other hand, is a shrinking little oddity, with big, sliarp, eyes, a piping, querulous voice, arid an air of profound melancholy. She is terrified into tho marriage, which is really tho outcome of Mrs. Wiggs's matchmaking aspirations—illdeed, she herself says, amidst a roar of laughter from the audience, when hor timorous venture into matrimony proves a failure, 'I ought not to havo married him! I never would havo done it if Mrs. Wiggs hadn't soolod mo on.' Tho cause of the failure is that she cannot cook, the unfortunate Stubbins having been dolefully misled in this respect during tho week of tho courtship by tho designing Mrs. Wiggs, who, having made some of her oxcollent pies, sent them to him as from Miss Hazy." Shaw In Australia. The local Shavians, and there aro moro in Wellington than anyone would suspect, are interested in a rumour which says that Julius Knight and Co. are to appear in sorrio of Shaw's plays next year, and they are all asking eagerly—"Which of them?" Taking tho clever English actor as tho core of the Bernard Shaw apple, I should say that tho plays most suitable for production would be "Arms and tho Man" and "The Man of Destiny." That conclusion is based on tho special fitness of Mr. Knight to play the Swiss soldier in the first-named play, and' his aptitude for the rolo of General Bonaparte in tho latter. Tho blunt, businesslike, matter-of-fact characteristics of the chocolate cream' soldier in "Arms and tho Man" would suit Mr. Knight to a fine degree, whilst tho other parts could be well cast with the company as at present constituted. Tho plays mentioned aro both included in tho "Plays Pleasant"'series, which also embraces "Candida" and "You Never Can Tell." Hie former of these is barred owing to the practically insuperable difficulty that exists in finding an exponont for the poet, a youth of eighteen summers, of a highly-strung, intensely-poetical temperament, with the insight of a seer into things not included in the .mental equipment of tho mundano, and a spoken logic barbed at all points. The part is impossible, as Richard Mansfield found .when ho endeavoured to play it. Otherwise tho play is playable, and psychologically fascinating. "You Never Can Tell" is a domestic farce of great brilliance, racy, with quaint characters whom 110 ono but Shaw could conceive. It could only be played with any liopo of success by a picked company of clever people. An indifferent lot would bo apt to make tho play ridiculous. "Widowers' Houses" of the "Plays Unpleasant" would bo quito possiblo, but "Mrs. Warren's Profession" must always be ruled out. Other "possibles" are "Man and Superman," and "Captain Brassbound's Conversion," with which Miss Ellen Terry toured tho English provinces a few months ago. It is extremely doubtful whether a Shaw repertoire would succeed financially in a country that rushes wildly to soo "Tho Faco at the Window" and "Tho Worst Woman in London," but it is not at all likely that a ropcrtoiro tour will eventuate. Rather will wo seo a Shavian play sandwiched in botween "A Royal Divorce" and "Tho Lady of Lyons" ill order that tho treasury shall not bo altogether disorganised by an incursion into the sphere of eccentric artistry according to tho gospel of George Bernard Shaw. It would bo all tho more pleasing if Margaret Anglin could bo induced to give us a taste of the philosophor of tho twentyt .fifth' century.

Shaw's Revenge.. Bernard Shaw has given me a characteristic interview relative to his new play, "Getting Married," which was produced at tho Haymarket Theatre on May 12, says tho London correspondent of the New York "Times." "This play," said he, "is my revenge on tho critics for their gross ingratitude, arrant philistinism, shameless and intellectual laziness, low tastes, puerile romanticism, stupendous ignorance, susceptibility to cheap sentiment, insensibility to honour, virtue, intellectual honesty, and everything that constitutes strength and dignity in human character." Overwhelmed by this cyclonic outburst, tho interviewer had barely the courage to inquire tho exact naturo of tho rovenge to bo wrought by tho new play. "It is very simple," said Mr. Shaw. "You remomber the production of 'The Dream of Don Juan in Hell' at tho Court Theatre? You remember the howl of tortured rago with which it was received by tho Press? Yet that lasted only 110 minutes. Well, this timo tho 110 minutes will be stretched out to 150 minutes. "There will bo nothing but talk, talk, talk —Shaw talk —and tho characters will seem to the wretched critics to bo simply a row of Shaws, all arguing with one another on totally uninteresting subjects. The Shaw in tho Bishop's apron will argue with the Shaw in the General's uniform; the Shaw in the alderman's gown will argue with the Shaw dressed as a beadle; the Shaw dressed as a bridegroom will bo married to a Shaw in petticoats. The whole thing will bo a hideous and indescriblo eternity, of brain-racking dulness.. Yet the critics will have to sit it out. "I am hot a vindictive man, but thcro is such a thing as pootic justice, and next Tuesday it will assume its sternest retributive form." "Am I to understand that in order to revenge yourself on the critics, you have deliberately mitten a bad play?" asked the interviewer, with a pitiful lack of humour. "Good heavens, no! There is nothing that they would like better," thundered Mr. Shaw. "I have deliberately written a good play. That is tho way to make the. critics suffer." In the course of further illuminating talk Mr. Shaw stated that his now play had no plot—h,e was a dramatic poet, not a plotmonger; his play was an argument lasting nearly three hours, and carried on with unflagging cerebration by twelve people and a beadle —all honourable, decent, nice people. Notes. "Butterflies," tho musical play written by Mr. W. J. Locke, tho novelist, in which Miss Ada Reeve is starring at tho Apollo Theatre, London, celebrated its hundredth .performance on July 29, when it was still going as strong as ever. Sir W. S. Gilbert, who wrote so humourously about " the burglar who goes aburgling," recently had his watch snatched .outsido the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. Ho was quite annoyed iibout it, and said nasty things' about the police force, whoso chief station was within fifty, yards of the spot whore tho offence was committed. It is cheering to learn that Gilbert landed tho snatch-thief a blow on the faco before tho latter got away. Mr. Edward Branscombe's "Scarlet Troubadours" opened their New Zealand tour in Dunedin last Saturday most auspiciously, their reception being of a most enthusiastic character. Tho "Otago Daily Times," referring to' their opening performance,' says:— "Theso eight cultured musicians form a com--pany of talented artists, whose superior as a combination has not before been heard in Dunodin, ' The performance was excellent and delightfully varied, and was tinged throughout by exquisito humour. There were solos and choruses', duets and quartettes, and encores were.insisted upon in nearly every hh stance." The National Opera Company, organised by Mr. Geo. Musgrovo, has made a successful opening in "Les Cloches de_ Cornoville," Planquette's tuneful opera comique, that has stood as popujar for 30 years.. The ca.st i was lis follow:—Serpolette',''Miss'Stelliv Gastelle; Genuine, tho, Marquis," Mr. .Wml Pembroke; Grehichcux,- Mr. Edward AYyirn; Baillie, Mr. G. H. Snazello; GasparcJ, Sir.. M'Naughton,. Duncan; Gobo, Mr. Alf.. Stephens. •