THEATRICAL HEREDITY

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1683, 1 June 1904, Page 4

THEATRICAL HEREDITY

The arrival of a new striking personVj»lity on the British stage is always an T,'event of peculiar interest. It is heiglitened wheii the debutante happens to • come of a family which fens already piade a, -splendid mark -in dramatic history. Miss Viola fee’s rendering of thei nart . of-7'Vicila in “Twelfth Night” m Edmhurktir: recently was'a very remarkable performance. She played with distinct tion and individuality, and it may safely be predicted that she will' introduce us • to new ideals of Shakespeare’s /heroines. Barely has a debut been witnessed so full of promise. _ , , ’ _ • . , It is said that Mr Tree had no great / desire for his daughter to follow the profession he has adorned with his own genius and resource, and that Miss Viola ' Tree.‘herself has never been among the great army of the “stage-struck ; but .•- heredity has had its way. Tall, graceful, and gifted with a handsome intellectual face rnd an appealing v voice. Miss Tree has all the natural gifts for a successful stage career. She has re- ' markable intelligence, and her clever dancing, for which she has a great amateur reputation, has given her a delightful ease of movement, which is none too common among English actresses. The same thing Happened with Harry Irving. He have been a barrister, v but the delights of the law, even as in- /- terpreted by the humorous Mr Mostyn v Pigott, who was .his coach, were not enough & P reveni: his forsaking the Temple for the green-room. As I have said, it is curious how the Capacity for great acting runs in families. The Kembles of one generation are 1 succeeded by the Terrys of the next; Charles Kean follows Edmund Kean, as afterwards H. B. Irving carries on the traditions of Sir Henry Irving. x Miss Ellen Terry Is The daughter and granddaughter of players. Three of her sisters—-Kate, Marion, and Florence—have won great stage reputations, as have her brother, Fred Terty, and her nieces, Beatrice Terry, Minnie Terry, and Marion - Tqrry-Lewis.. . • Mrs Kendal, who made her t first appearance at the mature age of four, was also born in a stage family. | Her brother was T. W. Robertson, tiie dramatist, and kf her sister,-Mrs Hunter, was an admirable * actress* . Mrs Kendal’s daughter, Dorothy Grimston, is.acting dn “The Arm of tlie Law”., at the Garrick, and her son, Dorrington Grimston,-was -recently in the cast of "Letty’’ at- fhe Duke of York’s. Mr John Hare’s genius for the play- > ing of “old men” characters is rivalled by that of his son, Gilbert Hare. Miss Winifred Etmery is the daughter the famous 'S'am Emmery, and Mr Ben. Webster and Miss Lizzie Webster are deu .-<scendants of the even more famous Ben. * Webster. Miss Nina Boucicault, whose fame will always be associated with ‘‘Little ;Mary/’ and her brothers Dion and Aubrey, are the children of the great Eion Boucicault, author of many Irish dramas; and himself an actor; while Mr H. B. Warner and Miss Grace Warner are the son and daughter of Charles Warner, the famous impersonator of Coupeau in “Drink.” .• Mr Huntley Wright and- his brother Wand sisters, Fred ? Haidee, and Marie, in--7 inherit their' thespian talents. Mr George ; S-rassmith got his facility for his piano entertainments from his father, George 7 1 Grosßmith. and was himself known in his youth as George Grossmitli,, jun. His elder son is nowadays one of the leading lights at the Gaiety, and his younger son Laurencetisrplaying in “Love Birds” at ' the Savoy,'•while, his brother Weedon is adding to his long list of successes in ' '‘The Duke of Killicrankie” at tlia Cri--7 tenon. v - Poor William Terris, most dashing of romantic heroes, was the father of Miss L. Ellaine Terriss. the daintiest ing°enue - of. the English stage; and tli list of similar relations cc«ld'be indefinitely added C to.—Sidney Dark in the London '“Daily . / Express.’' ' ■'•7,*- '