ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 81, 7 April 1913, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS

THE PARISH PRIEST. A new and pleasing departure was taken iy the Allen Doone Dramatic Company on Saturday evening, at the Opera House, when Daniel Hart's clean, i unaffected, little drama, "The Parish Priest," was staged. The piece, as introduced by the Allen Doone Company, in a tale of simple, sincere people in a quiet little American town, far froni the turmoil of large cities : it is suggestive of quiet country lanes, of spring orchards, in short, a dainty pastoral. The motif of the play is a touching and faithful one. Father Whalen, a Targehearted,., broad-minded, and wholly delightful old pastor, has the welfare of his flock very much at heart. He is genuinely distressed when Dr. Walsh, a protegee of his own, who is in love with pretty Helen Durkin, his niece and ward, becomes engaged to Agnes Cassidy, daughter of the village physician, a young lady with a pretty tern per of her own. Helen is not in love with Dr. Walsh, but frank Dougherty, a young lawyer, to whom she was previously engaged.. She is jealous, however,, and in a fit of toique breaks* her engagement. Father Whalen insists on Dr. Walsh himself breaking to Helen the news of his engagement to Agnes Cassidy, which he most reluctantly does. He reaches deep waterß,' for his own brother, a simple-hearted fellow, devoted to Helen, angrily refused to have any more to do with him, and he is torn between two ways. Father Whalen, however, like a true general marshals his forces, and refuses to believe all is lost. He has"; he thinks, found a way to disperse the clouds. After the betrothal supper at Dr. Cassidy's house, he invites the whole party to his house to supper, and by a series of simple stratagems" the troubled waters are made quiet, and the various lovers become reconciled. Throughout the play the quiet humour of Father Whalen and thai " quaint and cheerful person, I Michael Sullivan, the. old servant, was ( responsible for hearty "laughter. Mr. Allan Doone gave an ' admirable ' and convincing study of the old priest. Another good charaetw study was that given by Mr, Tom Buckley of .Michael Sullivan, the quaint old Irish, servant. I Miss Edna Keeley made a bright Helen ! Durkin; and Miss Ethel Ba'shford was well cast as Agnes Cassidy. Tho other roles were . suitably cast. The play is prettily mounted. i "The Parish Priest' r will be repeated this evening. PROFESSIONAL ORCHESTRA. Heavy and boisterous weather notwithstanding, the ' Wellington' Professional Orchestra drew a, large audience at Hjs Majesty's Theatre.. The" orchestra, filayed through an .excellent programme in admirable style.' The opening item was Mendelssohn's -march, "Cornelius," and this was followed by "Liebestraum" (Yon Blon) and ''Graceful Danced from "Henry VIII." (Sullivan). Perhaps the item most appre ciated was Schubert's cKarming gymphony,. "The Unfinished."- ' Other very enjoyable numbers were the overture to "MignonV (Thomas),.'and the introduction to "Lohengrin," Act 111. (Wagner.) , ° HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. "The Fire Cop," by'the-Selig Compa/iy, heads the bill to be- shown at His Majesty's Theatre for the first time this evening. The drama is full of sensational incidents, including a. rescue by a from a, burning building. ''Fancy Shimming' 1 represents an exhibition by lady , swimmers >,< and "The Wives of .Jamestown" is a Kakm. .historical production. Otftec pictures .-aVe.. "Fooling , Their . Wives?',} "Literature and Lo.ve," "Curious' Companions) ''.and "Southampton." jOn., Thursday, .and Friday .next the 1 - ftarfaletaent Will, by request, show^ag&in the' pictures the 2 Panama Ga-nal. "*' '••""■ .\' , THE NEW. THEATRE. : A not programme*, was .submitted to* day at The New Theatre Continuous 7 Pictures, which brought forward .k~ lengthy dramagraph "The Last Obstacle." •The principals are Lieutenant Barter, his comrade Lieutenant Felch, and Harriet, a young lady who is- Wooed by both men. Hartet, when in difficulties, forges Fetch's name to a bill. 'Feloh, to save his friend from disgrace, honours the bill, ttarriet is undecided as to which of the two she loves • best, but in order to settle the difficulty promises to wed the winner of a horse-race between the two young In order to give' one anether equal chances the men decide to change Eorsea Hartei drugs his horse kefore giving it to Felch. ' The animal falls heavily at the last hurdle, and Felch is severely injured. . Halter becomes Harriet's husband, but his vili lainy is exposed. Harter degenerates U 1 a drunkard and dies. r Felch recovers, I and marries Harriet. The remaining numbers include "Leapold and the Leopard," "Redwing and the Paleface, "■ "Mission of a Bullet," Budget,'* and others. SHORTT'S CONTINOUS THEATRE. | A new programme of moving pictures I is being screened at Shortt's Continuous Picture Theatre to-day. The principal photo-play iV"The Money-lender." This is the story of a usurer, Goffman, who schemes to get the wealth which Gaston ' de Soinbreuli, a young gambler, is cxi pectitig to inherit. Goffman gets GaaI ton into his clutches by the help of an unscrupulous lady/ who persuades the young man to obtain .on credit, and then i pawn, a valuable pearl necklace. GasI ton is disinherited, and Goffman turns h,is attention to the girl to whom the wealth has been bequeathed. Re manages to have the girl's lover arrested on suspicion of theft ; but later the w.hole plot is discovered, and the innocent mart released. "Where Destiny Guides" is a love story, with scenes set in the Western'mountains. Two very fine comedies are ''Proposal Under Difficulties"" and "Three Girls and a- Man." "London Traffic" and "Australian ,-G.azette" are, other films which are well worth ingTHE EMPRESS THEATRE. '"The Firefighter's Love," a dramatic story of a fireman's love romance; is the attraction of 'to-day's new programme at the Empress Theatre continuous pit* turea. The story is enhanced by the introduction of actual scenes at a fire; in an American city. The pfot.cQncerns particularly a fireman, Dan M/Cormick, who is engaged to Violet Dale, but the young lady reconsiders her^ choice, and selects instead Steve Lantry,"a mem- > ber of the Fire Brigade to which M'Cormick belongs. This causes much illfeeling between the two^ men. The alarm is given, and the brigade attends a blaze. When the superintendent calls the men out to avoid the falling walla, Dan M'Corfnick fails to respond. Steve rushes to his rescue, but the building is represented as collapsing, and both are entrapped. Eventually the men are extricated, and a happy ending results. "A Father's Lesson" is a typical Western drama. "The Sheriff's Luck" is characteristic, and well enacted. There • is much to interest everyone in "Pathe'a Australian Gazette." A.B. comedies, such as "An Up-to-date Lochinvar," are popular.