FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

Evening Star, Issue 10187, 14 December 1896, Page 4

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

[By Call Boy.J

Mr Collett Dobson and Mr Alfred Boothman are with the Woods Dramatic Company now appearing in Auckland. During the absence in America of Miss Maggie Moore the Brough Comedy Company will be strengthened by Mr H. R. Roberts. Bland Holt is fairly coining money in Melbourne with 'One of the Best.'

Mr George Rignold has revived ' Henry V.,' the great play with which his name is largely'associated, at Sydney. The Pollard Company open in Wellington on Boxing Night with ' Rip.' Miss Maggie Moore left for San Francisco by the last outgoing steamer. She expects to be away about six months. ' Mrs Ponderbury's Past' is now being played by the Brough Comedy Company at the Melbourno Bijou. It is said that the New Zealand dates have been cancelled, but I have no actual knowledge of the fact. I hear that Joe St. Clair will pilot the Kyrle-Bellew Company through New Zealand, and that "Pete" Hughes will be in front. The tour begins at Auckland on Boxing Night. M. Jean Do Reske, the celebrated tenor, ha 3 been married to the Comtesse De MaillyNesle, nde De Goulaine. Tho marriage was celebrated in Paris.

Tho Pollard Company commence a farewell season at Wellington on Boxing Night; open on the West Coast on St. Patrick's Eve ; thence to Auckland for Easter, and are due at Adelaide on May 22 Tempting offers for Indian and Cape tours have been made, but are not likely to be accepted. Owing to their success in Australia the Chinatown Company have abandoued their projected trip to New Zealand, and will sail to San Francisco from Sydney. When the drawing powers of' The Sign of the Cross ' are exhausted Mr Wikon Barrett will appear in his second religious play, entitled 'The Daughters of Babylon.' All the rights—English, American, and Australian—in this play have been sold outright to the Greet Syndicate ; so that Mr Barrett will appear in it in the comparatively simple character of actor-manager. ' The Sign of the Cross' continues its march of triumph, aud from all the companies which are now " on the road " in the English provinces Mr Barrett is drawing a net income of £3OO a week.

There has long been a prevailing impression, which has gathered force with the repetition of the statement, that Mr F. R. Benson, the Shakespearian actor, was a son, or at least a nephew, of the late Archbishop of Canterbury. This is, however, only mother of those plausible tales that get started by some knowing person, who puts one and one together and makes three by the process. Some lit tie benefit once accrued to Mr F. R. Benson from the delusion having spread beyond the Tweed, Having performed in Scotland on a fast day, he fell under the lash of a Free Kirk minuter, who commented on the grave sin of the manager who had opened his theatre on such a day, but observed that as the actor was the sou of the head of a sister church he had perhaps better not say anything further about it. What the rev. gentleman would have said had he known the truth must be left for the imagination to conjecture. Concerning the death of Miss Sadie M'Donald, of the Chinatown Company, the ' Argus' says :—" She had been staying at the Empire Hotel, Pitt street, Sydney, with Miss Geraldine M'Caun and Miss Nellie Butler, and she started with them for Her Majesty's Theatre on the eveuiug of Novembar 29 apparently in good health and spirits. It was the first night of ' A Milk White Flag,' in which she was to appear as Pony Luce, and she made no complaint either to Mr Julian Mitchell, who directed the production; or to any of her companions. After playing with her accustomed vivacity she returned to the hotel, and no uneasiness was felt about her until a quarter to five next morning, when she went into Miss M'Cann's bedroom with the words ' Geraldine, I'm awfully sick, aud have come right here to tell you.' She complained of violent paius in the head, an 1 added: 'I believe I'm going crazy, and I'd sooner die than do that.' Miss MCann at once hurried her to bed, and after a brief fit of delirium she became tranquil, and said she felt better. Mis 3 M'Caun then took the opportunity of slipping away to arouse Miss Butler, but in a few minutes the patient looked so muoh better that they began to think all would be well. In the meantime Dr Eichler had been sent for, and shortly after his arrival he directed Miss M'Cann to place the patient, who was breathing very gently, in a better pisition. Miss M'Cann accordingly placed her arm round her friend, aud, in her own words, 'Just after I did so the dear child passed away.' The fatal illness was directly caused by strain to the back whilst turning 'Catherine wheels' on the stage of the Princess's Melbourne, some six weeks ago, during the run of 'A Milk White Fag.' This accident injured her spine, and necessitated a rest of three weeks. The actress was attended to iu Melbourne by l)r O'Hara, who warned her against indulging in violent exercise. When Hoyt's comedians were at Ballarat, Miss M'Donald resumed her place in the cast, but whilst dancing she was seized with extreme weakness, and was only able to finish her part with the aid of restoratives administered by a medical man. When the company opened at Sydney on i.heir return season with ' A Trip to Chinatown,' Miss M'Donald was feeling well, and no one who saw her piquant impersonation of Flirt could have imagined that she was already stricken with a fatal ailment. To the last she herself had no suspicion of the truth. Miss M'Donald was a native of Brooklyn, where her parents and broth re and sisters are living. She was twentythree years of age. Miss M'Donald's death will not interfere with the company's engagement. Her place in the cast has been filled by Miss Nellie Butler, who acted the part during Miss M'Donald's illness, and Miss Butler's place taken by Miss Kate Trayer, who was brought from America as emergency."