IN SEARCH OF PLAYS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 774, 24 March 1910, Page 3

IN SEARCH OF PLAYS.

MR. ASHTON IN AMERICA. A SEASON OF FAILURES. THE CRAZE FOR GRAND OPERA. One of Mr. J. C. Williamson's most trusted managers is Mr. Harold Ashton, who arrived here yesterday from -Sydney in charge of tho "Peter Pan" Company, which is to commence a season at tho Opera House on Saturday evening. Mr. Ashton has just returned from a six months' tour in America, whither ho went in. search of tho hest money could buy in tho way of theatrical attractions which in his experienced judgment would please the playgoers of these parts. Yesterday he was sought out by a Dominion represoatative,. with reference to matters theatrical in the United States, from which market, it is possible/ New Zealand will depend for her theatre "goods" more and more as the years go by. A "Carte Blanche" Tour. . "I left Sydney in May last for Vancouver,' with absolute 'carte blanche' to buy what I liked in tho way of plays, and to see all that was to bo seen. I was.there six months, and must nivo seen about two hunderd shows in all. As a matter of fact, there were, only three nights, barring Sundays, that 1 did not attend some theatre or othar, and I was never at a loss for a matineo to fill in my afternoons. It was a whirl of shows—comedy, drama, farce, musical plays—all tho time,- until I - became blase to such a degree that I, almost began to loso faith in my judgment, which takes a good deal of destroying. A case in point was a farcical comedy entitled 'Seven Days,' which I saw in New York. Tho papers raved over it as the legitimate successor to 'Charlie s Aunt,' the bos offico was besieged— and I went. The people all round mo roared with laughter, but • I couldn't •get a smile out of.it, and told cue New York representative, Mr. Jordan, as much. On seeing the play ho -vas inclined to agree with me. But still it was a big laughing success, which shows that, as Bernard Shaw say.s, 'You never can tell.' "

"Salvation Nell." '■ "One of the . strougest and most appealing' plays I saw and bought was 'Salvation Nell,' which I saw being played in San Francisco by Mrs. Fisko. It-"is a story of New York slum life— 'right down in the mire. But it has a tremendous moral uplift that shakes the audience to pieces. Nell Saunders is a scrub woman in a New York divo: She is leaving the bar ono night .7hert a rough attempts to kiss her. Jim Platts, a bar loafer, hits him hard, and he dies. The polico. enter, and Jim is arrested. Tho bar-keeper, sure that Nell has caused all the trouble, pays her off.; She is about' to leave, when a woman tempts her to quit scrubbing and go homo with her. She is about to yield;-when a bright, breezy, Salvation: Army lass steps in, takes the situation in at a glance, and makes an earnestappeal, and as tho curtain falls Nell falls into her arms sobbing. . Eiglit years elapse—Jim's eight years' iiaivl for manslaughter. He seeks out Nell; who.is an Army worker. . She loves him still, and pleads with him to reform — for the sake of their child. Ho de- ' clares that he, will after the big diamond ..robbery ho is to bo concerned ■in that'night. As he breaks away.after, a passionate scene, she clutches tho jchild.hystprically, and cries out--'Pray, 'pray for the'soul of your daddy, as jou : never prayed before I'V. The. last act takes, place in tho. tenement quarter.. ,The Army is .there,, full brass band and; all, and.there is a street meeting, at which Nell-delivers a great speech in giving her testimony. Jim, who has been skulking round, listens, becomes enthralled, and finally sinks to his knees —a repentant sinner. Something, he knew not what, had prevented hm participating; in the robbery, and Lad >rought him to the meeting, and to Nell's arms'again. •. "I bought tho play," said Mr. Ashton. "You .cannot imagino its effect' on an audience. One 'Frisco paper said that 'the: audience looked like -the Sacramento in flood.' Mrs. Fiske ,bas been playing 'Salvation Nell' for a couple of years with enormous success.: It;s a great 'ad.' for tho Army, too. "The Third Degree." i "Another play which made a strong impression on me and one which JL secured was .'The Third Degree,' a virile- -impeachment of the polico methods'of extorting confessions and evidence from prisoners. I shall never forget Eddinger as the weak, vacoillating prisoner charged with murder—his meak, troubled face, as he said—'l never did it—no, I never did it!' Tho light is full on his perspiring face and all, round him' are the police endeavouring to i hammer a confession out of him. At lasVa .burly sergeant snaps- out: 'You shot him with this! , and produces a revolver. The glint of light on the barrel hypnotises the tired prisoner, who gazes in a dazed manner at the barrel as ho says, 'I shot him with that!' At which tho police sigh with satisfaction. Their work is done. The third degree exists more or less in every country —in America it has been condemned by press and public alike. The Colour Sanss, "A very clever and beautiful play I saw was 'The Harvest Moon.' • It was a play.in which a Frenchman believes that much can be achieved by the use of coloured, lights, believing in the subtle influence colours have on the emotions. The idea was worked out in a pretty, little romantic play, in which it becomes his sole ambition to bring about a reconciliation, between a partec pair. Ho experiments in lights, and finally stumbles on-the truth —moonlight is what is wanted. And so he leads tho two to tho window in a stream of beautiful moonlight, and leaves them quietly. Tho imagination supplies, the rest. Georgo Nash, who was in Austrial with Wililam Collier, was delightful as tho old French savant." Few Successes Last Season. "On tho whole, however, the season! was ono of failures. I don't suppose that there were more than half a dozen box office successes last season in New York. What wero these?—"l'ho Dollar Princess,' 'Tho Third Degreo,' the Belasco comedy 'Is Matrimony a Failure?' 'Arson© Lupin,' and 'The Chocolate Soldier,' a delightful musical comedy with music by Oscar Strauss and dialogue by Bernard Shaw. Of course you know it is an adaptation of 'Arms and tho ■ Man.' When writing the comedy Shaw was asked how it was getting on. 'Oh, remarkably well,' said Shaw, 'only that I want to write nil tho music and Strauss almost insists on writing the libretto.' • . "By the by, 'Arms and tho Man' will be included in the repertoire of the Knight-Grey Company, who will bo hero this coining winter. Other ; successes-worth noting are 'Strife,' a [ great labour play by John Galsworthy, I 'Billy,' a screaming farcical comedy based on tho irresponsibility of false teeth, and ''Tho Easiest Way,' tho straightcst and strongest of the frankest school of drama in America. It is a play I would not like to see any 1 manager take up out here; in my ' opinion a type of. play that should not '. be written. It was only one of many '■ ploys thai... enjp£ a certain .pdpulaiiiiVj,

but I fancy the public aro just as satiated with them. as they are of tbo 'graft' play.

Mad on Grand Opera. "Thoy aro mad on graiid opera in Now York, and there is no opera season in tho world liko the New York season. They pay tho money and they got the goods. There aro two great opera houses—tho Metropolitan, which seats from 4000 to 4oUO people at prices ranging from £5 to ss. in the top gallery, and the Manhattan, which seats 3000, and charges similar prices. When I was there Caruso was the bright particular star at one house, and Tetrazzini at tho other. The craze for grand opera is spreading through' the States. Chicago has built two lino opera houses and Philadelphia and Boston were following suit. It's coming along to New Zealand, too. Mr. Williamson's Grand Opera Company will ho seen in New Zealand, before Melbourne. After the Sydney season a short season will be played in Brisbane^ —then New Zealand." "Peter Pan." .. Mr. Ashton is strongly of the opinion that the New Zealand public will like 'Peter Pan." It is a most delightful play—neither drama, comedy, nor pantomime —it is in a class by itself, a beautiful idealisation of the glorious innocence and imagery of youth. Of this play/ J. M. Barrio said: "Actors in a fairy play should feel that it is written by a child in deadly earnest, and that they aro children playing it in the same- spirit. It is. imbued with the beautiful Barrio sentiment,. and its brilliant and subtle dialogue makes it good to listen to," . Mr. Thomas Kingston will renew his. acquaintance with Wellington audiences as "Captain Hook," the terrible pirate, and Miss Lizette Parkes should make .• an ideal "Peter Pan." The supporting company is ■tv real good one."