"ZIRA."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 404, 13 January 1909, Page 8

"ZIRA."

"WILLIAMSON'S. DRAMATIC COMPANY. '■ "Zira," a play in four acts. Cast!:— ■ : %?J-£?i do *i Cl *™i?S-.. Mr. Henry Kolker. '. ; . bir Frederick Knowles, P.R.C.S. " " ■ .',,„, Mr. Geo. S. Titheradge. , Captain Arnold Sylvester I - , <: M,vr. Fieldl , n l. •••;••••• Mr.Dion Titheradge. .Major-General Graham, Mr. J. .W. Hazlitt. Hester Trent........... Mi ss O l a ' Humphrey. v ™ V T : ( Af 'awards called;"Zira." ) • vThe Lady Constance Clavering, . ■■■■■■ -nr-Yi • "' . ■'■"'"' • ; Miss Susie Vaughan. '■, :■■ Ruth Wriding 1........... Miss Alma Vaughan. : f. l fwH E l a ?- " Zira >" staged in Wellington tor the .first.time under this- name, it is not .displeasing by any means to recognise. an old friend, one that was thought to be dead long, long ago, but evidently had only lapsed into condition while the wheels of the theatrical world jwhirred on, arid :in good time picked up the cogs,' which brought-ifc back toy.the.public favour. ■ To'banish any suspicion .of .mystery., as/to identity of the play, it should be -stated here that •' 'Zira" is a , resuscitation of Wilkie. Collihs's' highlysuccessful novel of a" quarter; of a centurv ■ a ? 9, , ;: entitled -■' "The New/. "Magdalen, f " winch has yy appeared: in v.many stage guises,.-its .'.sufficiently .interesting X and plausible story possessing all the elements of. i J, good, leveryday,drama. -Itiis-.true '.that i.tne namfs of the characters' are changed and the Kxiahty ;of the opening' scene has' been altered from'the -snow-covered trenches 'in the; Crimea to the veMt. of South' Africa, hut in; air else the essentials ■of the- story are re-tained,-and last evening's performance evidenced that, m capable hands, there is still matter in the novelist's work: that grips against;the loosening .hand, of time.. : Mercy, Memck. of the ; Crimea ■ becomes Zira,/ of '«.° felf. hospitalwn South Africa, ancFwe thank-the. dramatist for leaving the central ■figure so like:-the '.dear, original. Good stones are like good wine—they mellow with age—arid; though new schools of fiction may rise., aria-: wane, the stories' , beloved in bur youth remain with us always, and the principal' characters. remain at the back of the memory—cherished illusions ■ that ; we would n°*;nart .with'if/we coul.d.' - The story-of ./.Ira ,vis'so old- that it is -almost;new. len years hence some one will declare that it ls'.qmte new—and he will lib very nearly correct./ ; It concerns• the-daughter of .a scalla- ' was,-who,;: ; abus ; ed''and -neglected by' her father,. Mark-Trent,:.finds sanctuary with a certain Captain -Eversleigh (then stationed., at.Gapotown), with.whom sho lives until sho discovers that-he-is married.' She, carries her shame'to the tented veldt,- and isW°iI ;;WO TO-i J a - 3 " k '■'■nurse;-' "'hen' a lady,' Miss Ruth:. Wilding, who :is being passed through.::; the-,: lines on: her. way to Cape-' twon, <appears on .the ■ scene. Zira civilana-,obliging,land the lady ■is grateful —until she learns; the nurse is Hester Trent, whose name -had become a by-word • at' Capetown.; ,At,,th^is- 'stage: &■ spluttering '.fire is- ■ w ■'■ clo f, by - ? n , the " ■'■ veldt, Miss gilding-., takes ;, shelter .in a ' -shed '.which;. :■:. a;' shell.. tears .': its smoke has cleared • is discovered: hors : de and.Zira,;bolievin'g;her'dead, recognises. the incident-as- an .opportunity "to commence life' anew.in : the.porson\of Miss Wilding-(who'is leaving; for .England tof reside with relativeswho;hare;neyer,seen her): ; Her scheme-is entirely .successful. -She beonthei'. one of Lady:; Constance ..Clav.erine's, (Miss > Wilding's a ™t) .household, and reformed put of- her oW; self•;• (who':was.never.'. very .wrong).' She takes a.feyerish' interest.in ihe slum mission work otthe Eev. Gordon Clavefing,' a'strorie man who believes .that;. Christianity has its' basis-in.oleanlinossi; decent'food and. lodgirigs' ..(mnofi ,tp; the horror of his outspoken aunt and' his bishop);-;aMd has unconsciously, made a-deep 'on , , Miss Wilding's' weak haridsomo;• cousin: Capfairi: Arnold Sylvester He-proposes'an.di-is refused,' arid "so"is'the strong'-missionary.'-: , lh-the mpantijn'e s ;-' ; tlie eminent surgeon;. SiriFreaerick'Knowles!'' his ,returnedrcfromv- bringing 1 -with mm--a';t>atient ,: whoso peculiar -case.tas ''interSfM';4™ P; :'" Of; ''course'; the•' patient is' Miss Wilding,- life.-he'; ; has skilfully .saved but;.;whbse:,mem6ry v .had:gone:i-;-He'calls-on Parson , tells Wm of -the' caße, : and how-once on. hearing: his name'she-caught atVitfand>;repeated.it over and over.'-.-lt'is the. dawn'of memory. who'she , is and- where she ishould - be 1 becomes clear, but ■she:finds:another/in-her-place, and when she claims her- rights-.is believed, even; by her friend, and -physician,, to." 'bev ' mentally A-.-de-rangea.,: A climax .is.'reached when : ''Miss Wildinß meets .Zira.;.' The ;girl has grown so used to-..her imposture:that she faints, at the, sight ,of one she considered dead; ■ This is. the.forerunner ofc.a serious When able to get up.she:again meets Miss Wilding, who.has called.on-.Lady;Gonstance-once-more only to be-dismissed as mad. ,:,.Zira,-.:sickvand tired, ; is-too'weak: to outVany 'longer^;. her: imposture to.Miss.-Wilding,. explains the circumstances', and, begs for' a , little time jn .which x)V break;; the. '.matter, to. those who havey ; .beepme .-.near. .and,, dear to.;'.her.: Miss WMin'g- believing with; a good deal of .justification! that ;Zira is '.a. genuinely.! "bad 10t, , ' heapsysoorri and, insult .upon , her until the girl -,isvfired to .'revolt, and, , in a fiery speech,'.-defies;;Miss : Wilding- to ring ~• the bell and denounce her. Zira does so herself, and when.Miss ..Wilding, tella her' tale once more'.she.visydisbelieved, , anid is" shown the dojor, whereupon Zira■■' confesses all,' and is about to- leave the house an. outcast when the: missionary.'opens.:his arms':,to-her and -—'■tho'p.lay^nde.-.--' .;-\ .-. : . . ■;...*■■ •. .y ThoughyJiliss-.Ola, Humphrey does not- cut bo; deeply, -with? her .emotionalism -as • may be possible, her ; Zira J \s quite an admirable performance; that will-take..- rant .with the. best work'.sh.e has -done.' ■ She looked very sweet as:..tho.; nurse ;in the opening, act, and. the the Magdalen's reformation was conyincingly/Buggested' in .the. mission- office '.'scene'..-'.But it : is in the-meeting with' Miss ;Wilding j that-ithe' big, opportunity of: the actress occurs,;and- here Miss Humphrey made' a.very;stforig-appeal.-;,-'The patnos of.- her-tearful-appeal;; for;, just' a little time : was- in sharp contrast, to her biting diction, when held at.:bay, and .to say that she gained all the sympathy that it. is intended she should gain at' this point; is but.'the,'truth. Then followed i the re-action,,' the physical breakdown, ,'the; sobbing,'confession—her doornail managed , with; a - fine ■ artistic: disorimiriation. Mr.' Titheradge. gave a finished study of refined acting as Sir Frederick Knowles, and illuminedall -his 1 scenes with his perfect art. jThe Rev. "Gordon Clavering did not" afford I Mr. Heriry, Kolker much opportunity to display his■virile talent,!but he' admirably suggested '. the strong man fighting' against-class conservatism: in. jnatters ; spiritual. There was no better performance in the cast than that lof Mr. Cyril-Mackay as Captain Sylvester. t The gay and- dashing young sprig of nobility has ;a predeliotion-ior'brandy, which' he resorts..to: after every crisis' in. his life. His simulation of insobriety is distinctly good, and the; "make : up" bright or blotchy, always in the picture^,:; In ; the'Uove scene with Zira he-was quite- admirable, arid -the applause which followed his exit was':well merited. Mr. Sydney'.Stirling gate a clean-cut sketch of 'the "master,", Mark Trent, giving the character''that' distinction from the' English soldier's \ round him: that * suggested a long residence in,;and a vast knowledge of, Africa. A bettor ;Laj3y. Constance l than Miss. Susie Vaughan would be difficult'to imagine. She is sodelightfully emphatic, 'so distirigue, and. yetis such a idear,- kind, .'haughty old lady , that' makes the. part stand. out in bold silhouette. 'Miss.'Alma Vaughan made an effective, Ruth Wilding. .Minor: parts- were well [ played by Messrs. J.' Hazlitt and H. Overton;, "ZiraV will be played up to'and including Friday evening, . y •-.-■'