EXCELLENT WORK ON AMATEUR STAGE

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 133, 1 March 1929, Page 14

EXCELLENT WORK ON AMATEUR STAGE

THE WELLINGTON PLAYERS Miss Elizabeth Elake is again to be complimented on the excellent quality of her work as a producer in dramatic art in Wellington. Her little company of students, imown as the Wellington Players, presented under her direction in the I.W.U.A. Hull last evening Anton Tcliekov’s .Russian comedy, "The Bear,” an amusing comedy sketch, "A Love Passage” toy W. W. Jacobs aud P. E. Hubbard), and a series of vignettes from Shakespeare’s "Merchant of Venice. Lirapings and a few items of furniture provided the setting for excellently costumed players, who spoke their lines, gestured and strutted their brief hour with a finish and disciplined ease that bore appropriate testimony to the thoroughness that Miss Blake had put into her work as producer. In the Russian comedy Miss Blake appeared in the role of Madame Popova, a land-owning widow who had adopted a "state of mind” over her bereavement, and secluded herself within the walls of her abode in life-long mourning tor the departed—a pathetic figure. on the surface, but something of a minx at heart. To her comes one Gregory btepanoviteh Smirnov (Mr. L. J. Maule), a raging bear of a man, demanding pay“«it of an account owed to him by the late M. Popova. He storms and fumes but instead of overawing the little widow, raises the tigress m her. . She produces two ridiculously small pistols and announces that she will cheerful y li"ht a duel with him and put a hole in his thick head. Thereupon he fallslove with her, wooes her in cave-man fashion, and the curtain falls on her surrender S ““'"J and the costuming, especially oft he wo men, most effective. Miss Beryl Mile and Miss Barbara Robison shared the honours of the role of Portia with equal credit, the former showing a softer womanliness in the sentimental scenes, which made a subtle contrast to the imperious note struck by the latter. Miss Earle was also entrusted with the role of the young judge in the famous trial scene, and here developed an appropriate atmosphere of legal masculinity. Mr. John Bown doubled the parts of Antonio and Lorenzo, but failed a little to abandon himself to the occasion. Mr. J K. Herd’s Bassanio was also a little stilted. Mr T. W. Tymons showed much more stage spirit as Gratiano. In the character of Nerissa (Agnes Page), we had a very pleasing study, though a more stately and gracious personality than Shakespeare s sprightly original. Miss Ailsa Newton, in her double role as Clerk of the Court and Lancelot Gibbo, the clown, was excellent. A very fine achievement w r as Mr. Maule’s Shylock. Mr. Maule is a born actor, and his work as the scheming Jew was an excellent piece of character work. Miss Alison Kirkcaldie made a very sweet little Jessica. In the Jacobs comedy, Miss Blake was the skipper’s daughter, a defiant little wench, depicted as if to the station born. Captain Alsen gave Mr. Maule scope for some breezy character work, Mr. Tymons caught the right spirit of his role as steward, while Mr. Herd made a much more effective mate of a ship that as the love-sick Bassanio. During an interval between the plays Miss Beryl Earle recited some short poems—“ The Tale of a Boy,” “The Little Black Cat,” Goldsmith’s “The Mad Dog,” and the amusing “Little Orphan Annie.” Miss Earle struck a nursery governess note with excellent effect, was satisfyingly articulate, and -was heartily applauded. Folk dances by Max Bruch, Jensen’s “Chanson populaire,” and an old English hornpipe by Moffatt,, were played by the Misses Kennedy (violin and piano) at intervals during the programme, which is .to be repeated this evening.