ENTERTAINMENTS AND MEETINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11564, 30 January 1901, Page 7

ENTERTAINMENTS AND MEETINGS.

THE CRANE-POWER SEASON. The second performance of "A Royal Divorce," by the Crane-Power ' Dramatic Company, drew a record house at the Opera V House last night, many people being turned ; - ; away. The play was again a brilliant suocess, and its progress was marked with repeated signs of appreciation from the audi- , ence. '■■•- This evening the company will produce, for • the first time in Auckland, "The Only Way," a dramatisation of Dickens' " Tale of Two Cities," by Freeman Wells, which in other ■ cities has been accepted as a fine example of romantic drama. It is a touch- . ing story, with plenty of dramatic possibilities, but the defect in the eyes of the emotional playgoer is that the glorification of the hero involves his sacrifice/ Dickens did some of his finest character drawing in this tale, and the wayward, brilliant, drunken i young advocate, Sydney Carton, provides a part which completely captures the sym- j pathies of the audience. We see him on the ! guillotine, surrounded by a howling mob, j his pathetio figure thrown into relief against j a lurid sky. There are several scenes which require good stage management and good acting to carry them off. One is the trial before the revolutionary tribunal, with its incendiary audience, upon the feelings of which Carton plays so cleverly. Here what might become ludicrous confusion is so well handled as to provide a highly dramatic scone, with the shouting revolutionaries, the temporary success of the advocate, and tho final sinister triumph of tho vengeful leader, Defarge, who had sworn to exterminate the Ermondi family, for tho sins of their father towards his kin. Then there is a singularly touching scone, showing the conciergeire, without which is the busy guillo- | tine. Within we see the prospective victims, | each making ii a point or honour to treat ! bis doom with unconcern, as the officials call ■ one"after the other to death. There is a j very strong scene, in which one of the j doomed nobles recognises Carton's substitu- j tion of himself for Ermondi, and finally there is the pathetic tableau of the guillotine. Mr. Tyrone Power plays the part of Sydney Carton, Miss Edith Crane ..will ap- i pear as the beautiful heroine, Lucy Manette, and Mr. Cecil Ward as tho relentless Defarge. . ' : '. ■ '.' . • —"c- : - CITY HALL. I There was a well-attended and successful j performance at the City Hall last evening, j ft will be seen by advertisement elsewhere that there will be no performance at tho City Hall on Saturday next, owing to it being the j day of the interment of tho late iQueen, arid of universal mourning. FULLER'S BIJOU COMPANY. Fuller's Bijou Company again drew a good audience at the Agricultural Hall last night, and gave a very amusing l , entertainment. Miss Lottie Lome was well received in her j charactei songs, Miss Lena Young also mak- j ing a great hit. Mr. Aubrey Douglas,' Mr. { Will Watkins, Miss Trixie' LoMar, and Mr. j John Fuller, were each encored for their re- ! spective items. The other artistes were also I very successful. To-night Mr. Geo. Wil- 1 liamson, end-man and comedian, makes his f first appearance at, this popular place. of I amusement. ' . . ■ . ■ . 1 ANCIENT ORDER OF FORESTERS.— § COURT VICTORIA, No. 6699, A.D. § The fortnightly meeting of tho above J court was held on Monday evening in the | .Foresters' Hall, Devonport. Brother W. § Swinnerton, C.R., was in the chair. There j was a large attendance of members. After | the usual routine of business was transacted, i P.C.R. Brother Anscombe, of Court City of | Auckland, in a few chosen words, made ai presentation of a silver-mounted walking- § stick, suitably engraved, to P.C.R. Brothers W. Ramsey, in recognition of his past services § a? secretary of tho court. Brother Ans- | ocmbe also presented a P.C.R. certificate and j neck ribbon to the -retiring C.R., Brother E. J. Osborne. Brothers Ramsey and Osborne J suitably replied. The Dispensation and Re-[ specfc Board of the court was draped in black j out of respect to our late beloved Queen, j and it was decided, on the motion of P.C.R. Brother Ramsey, "That owing to the death j of our late Queen, the usual harmony be dis- j pensed with, and' that this court stands ad- j journed. Tho C.R. then closed the. court. ] COURT PRIDE OF ONEHUNGA. At the ordinary meeting of Court Pride of Onehunga, A.0.F., held .last night, the annual balance-sheet was submitted. Dur- ] ing the year the sum of £175 J3s 4d was paid to members on the sick list. Tho total in- j'. come showed an increase of £48 16s v 4d over J the previous year. The total worth of the { •society's funds at the end of the year were * £1178. The number of members was 152. ! It was resolved to celebrate the 26th anni- ',■, versary of the court on Easter Monday next ' with a plain and fancy ciress ball, and a committee was appointed to carry out ;,he i arrangements for the same. ... Tho following i newly-elected officers were installed by : Brother W. Tapp, senior trustee: —C.R., I < Brother C. Skinner; S.C.R., Brother M. ! Dempsey; secretary, Brother'J. J. Russell: i treasurer, Brother W. Kelsall; S.W., Brother i George Naylor; J.W., Brothei J. A. Filmer; 5.8., Brother J. R. Jeffery; J. 8., Brother £. Murdock: surgeon, Dr. W. ,G. Scott. j