DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL

Free Lance, Volume XVI, Issue 867, 16 February 1917, Page 12

DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL

By Footlight.

"Damaged Goods." nnHIS much-discussed play, adapted ■ -*- v from the French of M. Brieux (member of. the French Academy), started its' season in the Grand Opera House on Monday night. There, was a thin dress circle, but the other parts of the house were well filled. . # • *-.;'■' '*"'.. * ' ■ One or two points of departure from established usage were in evidence. There was no orchestra and very little scenery, and before the curtain went up Mr. Herbert Leigh came but from the wings to ..announce that the management (J. C. Williamson, Ltd.), wished to take no one by surprise. The play dealt with the disease of syphilis m its relation to marriage. But there would be no scenes of impure suggestion, and not one obscene word would be used ha the text. *•.-"#. «» a . This promise was faithfully kept. It is a moot point whether the stage is the proper place from which to rouse the public to a iense of its danger from that fell disease, syphilis. Ignorance, of course, is a stupid policy, and the young of both sexes should be made wise when they reach the age of puberty. But the necessary knowledge is best imparted by teachers of their own sex in the privacy of the classroom. However, if the stage were to be used it must be confessed that the manner in which the lesson is enforced in "Damaged Goods" affords no ground for the objection that it is. done for the purpose of satisfying a prurient curiosity. ■ * . '■•- a .'»■.. acts of this didactic drama are really three medical "talks" on. the subject of syphilis, and for that reason the Doctor is the commanding personality of the play. The first act is a dialogue between the Doctor and a young man (Geo. Dupont), who is making a rich marriage,, but has contracted syphilis in some Tow" amour. The Doctor forbids him to marry in less than three or four years, and paints ,the consequences to wife and" progeny if he disobeys. Dupont is strongly emotional

and wants to marry at the end- of six months at latest. -.'-'-■ ~-• '••■ *■-'■■ * o .!- In the second act it is seen that the Doctor's .wise advice has not been followed. A ■ little daughter has come - to the married pair. It is sickly, and a- wetrnurse has been engaged. Syphilitic symptoms appear in its mouth, and the Doctor intervenes in the interests of the wet nurse, a healthy young French peasant, married, and with children of her own. The Doctor again talks —this, time to the wrong-headed father and his mother. There is a passionate outburst on this woman's part against the injury that may be done her grandchild by withdrawing the wet nurse. But the wet nurse overhears the "talk," and ends . the situation by loudly declining to run the risk of "■catching a filthy disease, which the master has caught from "some woman of the street." This revelation falls upon the ears of the unsuspecting wife: * ' * * # In the third act the Doctor talks with the indignant- father-in-law (a member of the French Parliament), who wants a summary divorce, or, failing that, threatens to shoot his son-in-law on sight. The Doctor gets in some very incisive ' home-thrusts, showing that the difference between father-in-law and son-in-law is that the former had been lucky and the latter had been hit. Various other characters, among them a street-walker, are introduced to show the folly of "I don't know," and the terrible ravages of syphilis. The curtain, falls when the lesson is ended and the. M.P. is convinced that the State and Society have failed do their duty. Mr. Stephen E. Scanlon plays the Doctor to the life. It is a very onerous part, but it is carried through without the faintest approach to staginess. Another strong character part true to life in all its derails is that of the French peasant woman, who acts as wet nurse (Misa Gertrude BoswelD. She is stolid and flares up at the end with great heat and fume. Mr. Sidney Stirling presents a finished portrait of the man of affairs, who is deeply stirred by the shame heaped upon his daughter. The repulsive part of a common : prostitute is sustained with histrionic talent by Miss Josephine Rae; Miss Gwen Burroughs is very effective as Madame Dupont, and Mr, J. B. Atholwood (who is always good) infuses strong natural feeling into the small part of the father, whose son has . been led astray and tainted with the dread disease. # ■ • » . e His Majesty's. Vaudeville is in great demand along at His Majesty's. Big houses. are the regular thing. This but goes to show that were there are pretty and shapely girls, bright music, and general goodhearted fun all mixed up together, there the crowds do love to congregate. Mirth and music go hand in hand.

Give theni to the public, and crowd wHI, roll up in their thousands every time. .-'-"' * : ..'"■*■' '• *' . * Miss Violet Trevenyon is the star performer on this week's bill. - Violet possesses "a melodious contralto voice, which she uses" to good effect jo* "haunting music-hall, ditties.'_ She sings to the crowd, looks deniure.' and pretty, and there - lies the secret of her sue-" cess. Elmars—two adults and a very juvenile youngster—are acrobats - a cut above the ordinary. The male performer also gives a Sandow-like display' of his undoubted strength and. muscular development. There are several other performers appearing of average -merit. In the second half"the Bert Le Blanc Company while the moments away very entertainingly'with much toru-foolery, interspersed with song and dance. Bert Le Blanc, as a Hebrew burlesque comedian, is irresistible. His partner? Jake Morris, is too laborious in his efforts to amuse to be really funny. Marcel and Fallon dance very gracefully. In fact, the lady is the daintiest "little sprite" who has tripped a measure hereabouts for quite a.while. The New York vocal quartette'and the beautiful Carlton Chase and other sundries complete a good show. #".»■' ■■»■' ■» - Dear "Footlight,"—We are working down towards you as fast ;as the country towns and the strike will permit, and all going well we shall be with you at the Grand Opera House on March 3rd. By "all going well," I mean with regard to the strike, for we have been getting royal receptions all along the line, which goes to prove that "What Happened to Jones" and "Why Smith Left Home" still retain their drawing powers. Or is it because the genial George Willoughby is .making a welcome reappearance ? Surely he— G.W.—should style himself George Jones Willoughby, alias Smith. We have some old favourites. Edna Seaton, June Adell, Muriel Dale, Frank Brookes, Harry Halley, and David Jefr ferson are all with us, and Chas. Knight is at the helm. The Company is in Palmerston to-~ night. We play Dannevirke (Show nights), Hastings, Napier, Gisborne, and then we "looks towards yer," and I am sure we shall all be pleased to renew old acquaintances.—Yours etc., J. L. Cathro, Touring Manager. • # . • - ■■■'-« » Prior to leaving for America, Robert Greig and Beatrice Holloway:. are' to head a comedy company which is to visit New 'Zealand under the manage- • ment of J. C. Williamson, Ltd., The . repertoire will comprise "Seven Keys to Baldpate," "Broadway Jones," and "The Travelling Salesman,'.' in which Mr. Greig and Miss Holloway will play the parts taken respectively by Fred Niblo and Enid Bennett in Australia. The tour will open at Wellington on Easter Saturday night.

THE MYSTERIOUS LUCKENB.ACHS; Why a Preferential Insurance Rate? - TTT has been solemnly declared by the- -**- New Zealand agents for the Luekenbach steamers, which now trade here - so regularly, that the owners, a NewYork firm, are not Germans. -We donot question the sincerity of this declaration, but- certain facts, which have been brought to light by the "''New .Zealand Herald," seem .to point to ~ some mysterious connections between „ these German-named steamers and theGerman Government. The Auckland paper reprints a cable sent to Auckland firms by a Mr. Rummell. the Sydney agent for a New York firm now styling itself Smith, Kirkpatrick, and Co.. but which." before the war, traded under the name or style of "Crosamann and Sielcken, names obviously of Teutonic origin. Mr. Rummell states .that he has received a cable from his. "principals" as follows: "War risks, Luckenbach, * per. cent.; British 2 to 5 per cent. Shipping Luckenbaeh unless otherwise instructed." It would be interacting to know how it is that the war risk on a German-named steamer should be so much less than that charg- -. ed on British shipping. « . «■ * * It- is true that the Luckenbachs are on the American register,, and that as neutrals they are less likely to destruction by Hun submarines tnan Britishowned vessels. But the German naval . warfare has, so far, taken no notice of the nationality of a vessel so long as tha.t vessel was going to a British port. To-day even less attention is being paid by the Huns to the particular flag a vessel, bound to any Allies' port, may be sailing-under. How then comes it that Smith, Kirkpatrick, and . Co.—" „ alias Crosamann and Sielcken!—can secure so low a rate as 4 per cent, on their goods ? It certainly looks as if the "tip" has been given to the German submarines that the Luckenbachs are ,not to be interfered with. If so, then despite all denials, there is very reasonable ground for the suspicion that Hun .money is invested in these boats. Will the Acting-Minister of Marine inquire into this matter without delag?

In "Melbourne the otherday Allan Wilkie and his •/''Shakespearian'., com-, ■ -vpany gave a souvenir night, at which . the programme consisted of the most r popular scenes from their most popular, performances, interspersed with. Shakes- " . pearian songs. The theatre was packed and Mr. Wilkie and his company were "applauded to the echo., '••--: ' '-'• »'. ■ . '":'■'. '* '. "• *-' "*- .-• During he/ farewell tour of America, the curtain to which must be about' rung down how, Sarah Bernhardt hon--oured the old French city of Detroit by making the. first .appearance of her -career in ah English-speaking role as ': Madeline in "The False Model,". a : ■ -comedy in one act written by "a gay •French officer at the-front." Although -a woman of many gifts beyond- the pale_ - -of drama; Mme-Bei-nhardt never. ferTT 7 \ that she could master , English .well enough, to appear in it on the stage, : and this attempt would not have been f-made save that the role calls for broken /English, as her part is' that of/ the . wife /.of an English artist. ["While only a part of her delivery was _..j/ifl English, the impression made on the Laudience was so delightful that Mme. will, no doubt, repeat the : ;role. While she halted momentarily on •several occasions, so moving were some ' iof • the that her hearers were 'Tapt in admiration. Now and then. she v Tvbuldz hesitate over 'a word or phrase • !and"would pause groping.for it. Usually it came to her like a flash, and she ' would race oh with-redoubled energy. '■It was perhaps the most touching thing '"'': Sarah Bernhardt has ever. done. '.-■■"■;/""... .;-..-.'*/:; # "~- «*v > -'..;.-', .'.-■' Eduard Strauss, "whom the cables briefly mentioned a few weeks back had -died, was in his 82nd year. He was the ■: ; last of the Vienna "Waltz Kings'? who i-uled the dancing for more:than -a century. To the/ later musical celebrity, Richard Strauss, son of a'. Munich horn player, they were, in ho way re- -- lated. The elder Johahn Strauss, of -; "Vienna; with his three sons,. Johann, -Josef,, and Eduard, not "only led Europe's social dancing, 'but they composed among them something -like a thousand pieces of .music, many of which were familiar by name and tune in every quarter of the globe. Eduard, in 1870, became conductor of the Court : balls in/Petrograd. He toured Europe with -his oi'chestra. ■■„ He played violin :and conducted simultaneously, beating . . -time by rising slightly on one foot.. He was credited with more than 200 pieces of original dance music. . '*' ."' * ;'■'*■ *■■ Edna May, the original Salvation. Army lassie in /'The Belle of New York/' recently had to part company 'with • that seemingly supei-fluous part of one's anatomy known as the appendix. At latest, Edna, who.is no longer a play-actress but a married lady re- : iiired into private life, was recovering fast from tne necessary operation. •

Graham Moffatt, the author of "Buhty Pulls the Strings-/' has recently completed, another Scotch play dealing with life in. Glesga. If it's as entertaining as" "Bunty" it will be very welcome. "Peter, Pan" celebrated its twelfth. birthday on the stage at. London this last Christmas. Passing strange ■- -that the original of the boy who wouldn't grow .up -was Nina Boucicault, a" well- - known English actress, who lias now established a special reputation for dear old lady parts. "Peter Pan" is revived every' Christmas as in England. A Christmas ' revival in New Zealand should" spell immediate success, for a . fresh generation has come on since it was last played here.-.-Muriel Starr,' when the last American mail left, was to make her debut on the New. York stage in "Gamblers All.'.' This was to be the- first :p' "("/action of the drama in America,'-an?l ? iss Starr, was to play the role cre.-.trd by Madge Titheradge in London in 1915. Miss Starr was being billed as "a young actress recently returned from appearing in American successes in Australia.?' The play was to be produced'■" at the Maxine Elliott Theatre, and.the proceeds' from/the first -performance were to be-devoted out of compliment , to Miss Maxine Eliott to'_a hospital-for British wounded, of which Lady Forbes Robertson,, her sister, is president: : _ ,-/' ■* '■'".' : /' ■* -• .'■■■* - : * .'' By the way, it is interesting to note /- that ""Gamblers AH" is from the\pen of Mrs./Martindale, the daughter of Sir Charles Young, whose play, "Jim : the Penman," was one of the. successes of another generation.