ENTERTAINMENTS AND MEETINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11855, 6 January 1902, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS AND MEETINGS.

THE BROUGH COMEDY COMPANY. Another large audience witnessed the Sna performance by the Broughs of " Lady Huntworth's Experiment"' at- the Opera House on Saturday night. ' To-night Mr.' Brough will introduce to New Zealand Henry A. Jones' powerful play, " Mrs. Dane's Defence. Writing of its first production in Melbourne a contemporary said: —"Conventional molality is placcd on its trial in the-latest-play of Mr. Henry Arthur .Jones. Most of .the shams of society are. hit hard. After seeing the drama as it was produced by the Broug.) Company, it is easy to understand and to endorse all that, has been said by English critics about the strength and emotional force, the intensity and artistic finish of t.us remarkable work. The author of -Mrs. Dane's Defence' descends into the arena fully resolved to do battle with any and every antagonist,' more particularly wii") those giants of society growth whom the comedian proper is 'willing to let alone. , Jt is not only- the unfortunately-situated heroine who is placed on her defence. Hrrjudges and accusers are also arraigned, though in ; their case there seems to he no adequate punishment. The dramatist fuliv recognises the inequality. With keen insight and extraordinarily sympathetic utterance, he depicts a woman who may have been more sinned against than sinning, but wno, at. any rate, has taken a- step that must have far-reaching consequences._ For such a woman there is no possibility of atonement. All she can do is to avoid being found out. It does not matter that the man who accuses her may have had a hundred similar escapades to his discredit that the younger man whom she loves may have sinned again and again; that the whole army of feminine scoffcrs may have lacked nothing but the temptation to -do as she has done. _ Mrs. Dane can plead no excuse. Here is the j psychical and ethical problem'' which the dramatist touches tenderly. As a piece of dramatic literature ' Airs. Dane's Defence has the great merit of riveting the attention of the pudienee from the outset." With tonight's performance the company enters upon the last 11 nights of the Auckland season. In order that Mr. Brough may accede to the request of a number of people here for• the reproduction of some of the old favourites, he has decided to play Dane" for three nights only, and: " The Tyranny of Tears, and "Sweet and Twenty" for two nights each. Both the latter would, in his opinion, run as long as anything in the company's repertoire, but the only way he can meet the desires of his patrons is by curtailing their run. "The 'Tyranny of Tears" is a four-act comedy by Haddon Chambers, and was first produced by Charles Wyndham at the Criterion Theatre, London. In Mr. Wyndham's opinion, it is the best work of the Australian dramatist, .and ho publicly announced that the receipts from its performance' were larger than from any other play produced under his management in 25 years' experience. It may therefore he gathered that it is a very fine play. The success of it in Australia under Mr. Brough was very encouraging, running four weeks each at the Theatre Royal,: Sydney, and the Princess', Melbourne, It is claimed for it that it is one of the most delightful plays Mr. Brough over bought for the Australian stage. Sweet and Twenty" is a comedy by Basil Hood. It was done at the Vaudeville Theatre, : London, 19 months ago, and is still running. In Australia it proved quite to the taste of playgoers. The programme for the last five nights of the present sea-son will be as follows:—Tuesday and Wednesday, January 14 and 15, "The ; Liars;" Thursday, January, 16, "The Amazons;" Friday, January 17 (on which night Mr. and Mrs. Brough make their farewell), "Sowing the Wind. Seats may be booked for six nights ahead at Wildman's. -

DIX'S GAIETY COMPANY. Patrons find plenty to amuse and interest them at the Gaiety entertainment in the City Hall, where the all-round cleverness and versatility of the performers afford obvious pleasure to largo audiences nightly. _At present thero are several new and bright features in the bill, which a crowded audience on Saturday night greeted with repeated demonstrations of approval, and the numerous performers had no reason to complain of - the heartiness of their reception, encore demands being frequent, throughout the evening. The principal honours were carried off by Professor Kiilderson, Miss Olive Lenton, and Messrs. Pone and Sayles, Murphy and Maok, and Mr. Richard Shepherd. Iveilderson's facial impersonations are decidedly good, but his vocal imitations may fairly be described as marvellous. That piquant little song and dance artiste, Miss Lenton, received unstinted applause for her prettily-rendered contributions and remarkably neat dancing. The fragile Pope and Sayles again hummed along in the hey-dey of their popularity, laughter attending nearly every word of their comical patter and original business, ' which proved how thoroughly their efforts were appreciated. _ Not the least pleasurable item on Saturday night's programme was tho sketch performed by Messrs. Murphy and Mack. Neater and more finished work could not bo desired. The Lenton trio achieved their usual success with their hat-spinning tricks. Their exhibition; though exceptionally good, is as an entertainment rather tiring some part of the [ time. Mr. Shepherd delighted his hearers with '" The Star of Bethlehem," and Miss May Lewis and Messrs. Alf. Holland and Fred. Noris got through their respective work with more or less success. Additional interest will bo-attached to to-night's programme at the City Hall, when three London artists will make their first appearance ill New Zealand, viz., Mr. Frank Leon, who, besides being a comedian of some note, is billed as the champion dancer of the world Miss Lizzie Kirk, a comedienne and serio, from the London halls; and Mr. Edgar. Granville, who is protean artist and monologue entertainer, also from the principal London theatres."

THEOSOPHY. Last evening in the Theosophical Society's Hall Mr. F. M. Parr lectured on " Practical Theosophy." The present (said Mr. Parr) was distinctly a practical age, everything being judged by its practicability; and one very general complaint made against theosophy by the practical man was that it was too much in the clouds, dealing as it did with obscure subjects beyond the compre- ■ hension of the majority. The lecturer then went on to deal with the sphere of the man of theories as compared with that of the .practical man, stating that the former was as necessary and practical in his own sphere .as the latter, there being needs in the hu-• man soul, above and beyond, and more important to real happiness than merely physical needs. Discussion followed. There were the usual reading and musical items. i AUCKLAND DISCUSSION SOCIETY. A well-attended meeting of the Auckland Discussion Society was held in the Ran furly Tea Rooms last evening, when the subject, " The Gospel of Content," came up for discussion. The opener, Mr. Atkinson, pointed out that discontent was essentially the percursor of advancement, that invention was not the outcome of a contented mind, and consequently any reform in the social, industrial, political, or. theological world, was through discontent.

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