MYRA KEMBLE's SEASON.

Evening Post, Volume XLVI, Issue 130, 30 November 1893, Page 2

MYRA KEMBLE's SEASON.

'• THR PROFLTGA IK "—A GItEAT PLAY. The first production at the Opoia House of Pincro'a masterpiece, " 'Jllio Profligate," will make yesterday a reel-letter day in the annals of tho drama in Wellington, just as its first production in London markca a new era in tho history of the English drama. Some of thoso present last evening evidently did not quite know what to expect. With "The Magistrate" in their minds, they appeared to antioipate something approaching farcical comedy, and so these people wore a puzzled air during much of tho first act, as they waited to sco where the laugh came in. But gradually the drama being enacted on the boards enthralled them, eyes moistened, hands woro clapped in involuntary and spontaneous applause, and the intensity of the interest culminated when, as the curtain was finally descending, the pent-up feelings could no longer be restrained, and found vent in oheer after cheer and applause lasting many minutes. Then the people filed slowly out, telling each other that " It was a great porformance," "' Should have been put on first," "Should draw all Wellington," and bo forth. And it shonld undoubtedly " draw all Wellington" on this, the last night of its production, for "The Profligate" is an epooh-inaking play, and last night its chiof characters received a splendid interpretation at the hands of Miss Komble, Mr. Sass, Mr. Plimmer, and other members of .the company. The public were prepared for a great performance by Alias Kemble and Mr. Sass, of the parts of Leslie Brndenel and Dunstan Benshaw, but they wore not prepared for the manner in which tho Wellington native, Mr. Pliinmor, rose to the occasion, and played the part of Hugh Murray, a' young Scotch lawyer, whoso lofty ideals have proved superior to' the current cant of worldly cynicism and license. Pinoro, in conceiving this cplay, determined to expend upon it the whole strength ot his literary and dramatic genius, and to construct what would at once be a great work and a drama with a purpose, apart altogether from the conventional dramatic standards. Its dialogue is crisp and epigrammatic, full of depth and meaning. Its plot is admirably , worked out. There is not a commonplace lino in it, yet there is nothing stilted or unnatural. The central idea is that a man should not set up for himBolf a moral standard which he would exeorate in a woman, as opposed to tho more worldly standard put into Danstan Eenebaw'B mouth, when he refers to love as " a tune a man hums, and fails to recall a week after," and of Lord Bandar's, that " marriage is the tomb of the past as far as a. man is concerned." Pinero seeks to show, in the words of Murray, that " the pastjhas an ugly habit of breaking its tomb," and to hold up to reprobation the state of social turpitude which, in the words' of the betrayed Janet, makes it " only for women that the world lays down scandal as it lays down old wine— toripon." Dunstan Renabaw is a " man of the world," who, after a career of gallantry, marries a young and innocent girl fresh from a boarding school, all of whose ideals are thoso of absolute purity, and who believes her husband to be one of tho best and purest of men. iienshaw, who has enterod carelessly on his matrimonial adventure, bocomes so devoted to his wife, and so reverent of her ideals, that he "devolopes a haunting horror lest his past shonld over reach her knowledge. It does come to her knowledge, through the appearance on tho scene of a girl (Janot) whom ltonshaw had wronged. In the intensity of her horror and repulsion she casts him off. lionsliaw, a proy to the gnawing demon of his conscience and the disgust with whioh he now views his own past, hopeless of reconciliation, contemplates suicide, but has just determined to live out his life and the memories of his sins when his wife discovers him.and agrees to take him back that he may begin a now life from that day. In the drama as originally written, the suicide is consummated, the wife appearing just too lato, but at the request of Mr. John Hare, who first produced it, for the suicide wq.3 substituted tho happier onding, a course commended by such critics as Clement Scott and William Archor. As Leslie Brudenel, tho girl-wife, Miss Kemble gave her audience a performance reaching the very highost standard of dramatic exoellonco. It was a psychological study, complete in all its details, reaching 1 its climix in the great " ourfcain " to Act 3, in whioh tho wife discovers what her husband was, and the horror of it sears lief soul and turns her happiness into misery and her trusting affection into repulsion. As tho actress depicted the dawning consciousness of tho truth in her face and attitude, tho audienoe was spell - bound, and thunders of applause followed the close of the scene. Mr. Sass excelled himself as Dunntan Benshaw. With artistic skill be indicated every phase of tho moral evolution of the careless " profligate " of the first aot, whose worldly insoucia.net, Vi_ 'burnt ont in the crucible of his* wife F Kj>firifcy, and whose better nature is awakened until Jie realises to the full what Doad Sea fruit was that which he plucked with his fellows, and how there is a standard of'.oonduot higher than that of the conventional worldling. Especially fino was his acting in the great scene in which his wife disoovers all, and in the final soene of his contemplated self-destruction. Mr. Plimmer, as we have already said, was a surprisingly good Hugh Murray, his denunciation of Renshawm the first act coining as a .revelation, and earning instant recognition in spontaneous applause. Miss *Halkott waß an unaffected Janet, making her ipoints quietly and well. Miss Flora Anstead and Miss Gwynne, as the worldly mother and daughter, Mrs. and Miss Stonehay, marred their performance by not. being letter-per-fect. Mr. Scot ' JnglißV was natural and reliable as young AYilfred DrudeneL. Mr. Mario MajorQni^ia4ea.o»p"able,"oxqaisit«"and " man ofethe world '^as^Lard Dangarß. Mr" A. J. Ivimey;in tho minor., part of Mr. Cheal, tho old l»Wyer, played effectively, and afterwards his voice was utilised behind the scenes in singing artistioallytho incidental solo. Mr. Bereaford, in .the imall part of ft servant, gave a gopd^perforinanoe, and Miss Barron was a oapjtb'le^y domostio " as Pruoilla The piece is 'excellently mounted, the second scene (th&CWlla Colobiaho, W Spong),beingjartfoitfjiHV fins. ','The Profli-' jgato/* U' to%\-repei3|J *ctflthT£U.tinw to-night, and^one_wh<£hjM notieen it should 'misvdointf s6r= v v ' *v ' ■ ' r. • '