ENTERTAINMENTS AND MEETINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11871, 24 January 1902, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS AND MEETINGS.

7■:'.':'*■■■ /'■ "•"''■ : -"*> '■ .■"'•-*■■•.■'.' V■ ; ;/.:■;■■.'•.:-■-.■;■.■"■■' TILS HAWTREY COMEDY COMPANY. " A MESSAGE FROM MARS." Theeb is a weird fascination , about Richard Ganthony's play, "A Message from, Mars," wbioh; was : presented to Auckland playgoers at the Opera House last night by the Haw-" ; trey Comedy Company for the first time' weird fascination which the onlooker cannot get away from. ■ It is a very, curious play V a : play constructed on " a new principle entirely. .?> In a sense :it is : a purpose-play, its ■ purpose being ito ;show.:the■: unedifymgf side of human selfishness, and to paint the opposite '; qualities :of charity, ~of thoughtfulness,.'. and generosity, in such definite. colours, that: those who witness it shall ; learn, and, if. perchance, the selfish habit shall be found to exist in them, shall exterminate it. _. In: this : respect •.■■," A i Message from: Mars" is in the nature of ;an '■." illustrated sermon." There ; is mora to be said in its favour, however, for, it has many delightful features, its humour: ; being' -y piquant and ■ wholesome, 'and ; its pathos very real, s Again the wsirdness of; it, the clever blending of the ghostly with the real/must inevitably appeal ito playgoers from their very strangeness. Indeed, the ; mysticism of the,first two acts with its con-' comitant :of U magical effects—the ; electric shocks distributed ad lib. by the messenger from Mars, the mechanical changes 'which: effect the disappearance of the exterior wall of the house in Act H., and the first appearance of the man of Mara, and his final exit in a flash of flame— so novel a flavour to the piece that therein lies a great part of its fascination. ■ The construction of the play is to a certain extent admirable, especially in the weaving in of the dream, which overtakes the central , character. All is done most naturally," but; if there is a fault it lies in the last act, when —converted by his dream—utterly cured of his besetting selfishness, Horace Parker outdoes himself in generosity. -;V The conversion of the man seems a little unreal by the too vivid contrast thus effected. Beyond this—, possibly this may not.be deemed a fault •and beyond a ; tendency in the first act to draw out the threads of the introductory scene unnecessarily far, there is little to be desired in- construction, and in any case the play as a whole is so interesting, so original, quaint, and {. elevating, that: it rank: amongst: those which have ■."- success" writ large upon them. Its reception last night was most cordial, curtain calls .following each act, the second' act producing quit© an enthusiastic double call. . * _ - , The theme of " A Message from Mars is easily told. ' Horace Parker is pictured as the most selfish man, on earth. ')'.■■ The opening scenes i give ■"' him fine opportunities of allowing his failing. He is left . alone by his fiancee after refusing to keen his promise to take her to a' dance.; His - interest becomes absorbed in the reading of an article upon the planet Mars. " After dismisring a; tramp, who comes begging,: with no better,; solace than "a plentiful supply of whisky,: Horace falls asleep'. - The article he has been reading induces a strange dream. There appears to him 1 a messenger from Mars, who tells him that he has been baiaished from that favoured planet for.the sin of vanity, and is doomed to remain .on earth until ho shall have -cured. Horace of his selfishness. The .latter it cynical, but the* mystic messenger soon shows him his power by putting forth a dynamic force, which sets the furniture rocking, and twists poo*' Horace into queer shapes. , Tha messenger then makes Horace, accompany him into the sight, and endeavours to change his selfish nature by showing him what Ids friends really think of him, by forcing him to do charitable acts to the needy, and by > other strong inducements. They all fail, and the humour of the situations is cleverly made to hide the more serious aspect for a time. • Horace retains . his nature. Finally " Marey, old chap," as Horace familiarly terms his persecutor—or good angel, though he does not know it—turns him into a penniless' beggar, conjures his ruin, and forces him to foel what uncharitablsness means to its recipient. That conquers him, and he does his first kind act. His mission performed, the messenger then departs as he came — a sheet of fire. ;_ In the last act Horace is discovered awaking from his dream."' A* it dawns upon him that his troubles of the night are chimerical, he is greatly relieved, and in the ensuing halfhour does all the good he can for others, even going to the length of giving shelter to the homSess under his own roof. The change in his nature brings its own reward, and he is happily rcatorod'to the love 'of his fiancee and the esteem'of his friends. *<

The whole bnrden of the pieceor almost all of falls, of course, upon Horace Parker. He is seldom off tho stage. In the portrayal of tho character Mr. Herbert Ross is a' distinct success. His method is quaintly original and he carries off r the characterisation with decided cleverness. : A Throughout ho is droll and yet natural, and when necessary imparts a very forcible meaning to his role. It is indeed a character-study, wonderfully devoid of blemish, and considering its arduous nature and the losson that is in it, Mr. Ross may be said to have achieved wonders. The audience alternately laugh at and applaud him. In bestowing praise upon him but bare justice is done. Mr. O. P. Heggie, as tho mysterious and g-bi'istly messenger who comes to save Horace Parker from himself, reveals a studied care for the exigencies of the rolo. : His enunoiation and its weird tone partake : of mysticism in themselves, and: altogether ho makes a most impressive part of it. It falls to the two actors mentioned to discourse a good deal in a philosophical vein, some of their , lines being decidedly clover, and both act admirably up to each other. Blr. W. F. Haewtrey plays a tramp, and gives us a typo which can scarcely be distinguished from the real. Tho unkompt, neglected being of the husky voice, the besotted countenance, the drunken, maudlin stupidity, and withal the human craving; for the daughter ha has sought for . yearsall ; are portrayed with intense fidelity to life. The character in Mr. Hawtrey's able hands is indeed a very real study. Miss Winifred Austin plays with delightful pathos as Minnie Tomplar, Horace's fiancee., a»d quickly wins her audience's esteem. Miss : Nelly Mortyno, as i Horace's" Aunt Martha, plays well, ; as also ■ does Mr. O. P. Hammond as Arthur Dicey. There are innumerable minor roles, most of them being introduced in the second act, and they are for the most part capably filled. . The mechanical effects by Mr. J. Hardy and his assistant. Mr. Fred Cohen, are the best seen in Auckland for many a day. So quickly are the various effects worked that they are magical in their illusion, and materially assist in making the, requisite impression. A quartette sings acceptably behind tho - scenes in the second act. .' The stage management is also good and some of its results most praiseworthy. Amongst items worthy of notice is the simulated rushing by of'the firo engines in the last two acts. The. scenery is fairly good, the second set surpassing that used in the first and hist acts. " A Message' from Mars" has, to all appearance, entered upon a successful career. ' It will be- repeated tonight and until further notice. :

DIX'S GAIETY COMPANY.

Miss Lizzie Kirk, Mr.: Edgar Granville.,' and Mr. Frank Leon made 'their, last appearance at the City Hall las b night and received a good send-off. Madame : Dante's clever illusionary dance creations, Messrs. Pope and Sayles with their .'. contagious } humour,' the Coleman Sisters, Miss Olive Lonton, Miss Ida Olarkson, and the other members of _ the company are all enthusiastically received nightly. On Tuesday next will appear for the first 'time -at the City Hall, Sivroni and Selvini, English sketch artists, dancers;'- and acrobats. On Wednesday Mr. Dan Lcmont's performing dogs will appear. ~ ,* T