PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 3265, 23 October 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

BY " LOEGNETTE" IN "N.Z. MAIL.” COMING EVENTS. 1L claimed Land, October 30—The Flying JurtiaUH Oner* llimea, November 3 to IC -laultonStanley Cmneciy U i. (Meaara vVlllmmaun and tMaagrovc) , Opart llnit-e. November IT to December 10 Bland IL.lt ll|.tn ILih-. li xi"g Night—Poliaid’a Opera Ci>. in ” Oj n Ojn. ” 'ilralra B yd. Basing Night—Uoda.m’a f0r..1 lay I’alty Dpi.. Il.mai-, .lam.ary 13 to Fobm try C Bracy’a Opera Onmpuny

An entertainment of a highly novel and attractive character i» that which ia to bo given by the Flying Jordans Company, who make their first appearance on Get. 30, in a large marquee, which is to ho erected on the reclaimed land. Mr J. J. Cameron, well-known as an agent, has been in town for soma days preparing for the season, which promises to bo a great success. The Flying Jordans arrived in Australia some months ago from America, and have been highly successful in the large centres of population on the other side, their performances winning high praise from such papers as the Sydney Mommy Jln-ald, Melbourne Aye and Aryus, whoso commendation is to be valued for it is not accorded as a rule to any but really first-class shows. The chief feature of the entertainment is the splendid aerobatic and trapeze work, the aerial flight of the Jordan family having created quite a sensation in Sydney and Melbourne, being of an exceptionally novel and daring character. A star in the company is Miss Yirginio Aragon, the “ Queen of the Invisible Wire." This lady who has given performance, at the Cirque dTXiver, Paris, and at Berlin, Vienna, Homo and other Continental capitals is reported to bo as beautiful as she is clover and her wire walking is the best thing in its lino that has been seen in Australasia. Apart front the trapeze Bights of the Jordans and- Miss Aragon’s wire-walking, there arc a number of acrobatic hems, and a pleasing change in the programme is afforded by variety items contributed by James Howard and Eva St. Clair, the Stanfields, Miss Clements, the Hadjis, grotesques, and by other performers. The company carry their own hand, and if all accounts are true, their entertainment ought to prove highly attractive. The Auckland and Napier seasons have been very successful.

11 A lovely story and a true one," told in the vivacious Emily Soldene’s London letter to the Sydney Evening News; —In South American hotels the chamber-maids are men, and think nothing of bolting into one’s room, sans ceremonie. A young married English lady remonstrated with tho boarded youth who attended her several times, with no effect. At last she said: “Juan, bo good enough to understand that I will not allow you to open the door of rny room without knocking. If you do it again I shall certainly report you to the management. Why, I might be bathing when you burst in so unexpectedly 1" “No danger of that, Sonora," responded Juan with a beaming smile, and in his best broken English ; before I come in, lalways look sue through the kejho'c first.’

Sarah Bernhardt explains, says The Spirit of the Times (N.Y.), that she is going to play Hamlet next season, because tho Prince of Wales came to her dressingroom and said, “ You should play Hamlet.” Earnest efforts are now being made to induce tho Czar, the firm friend of France, to say to her, “Ycu shall not play Hamlet,"

Odds and ends:—Miss Lily Dampier has had a benefit in Sydney.—Tho-Amy Sherwin Concert Company have been doing well in Sydney.—Barton McGucken, tho Irish tenor, for years with the Carl Rosa Opera Company, has “ caught on" very well. —The pianist of the Sherwin Company is a Pole named Szczopanowski. The Bulletin cordially hopes he is feeling well, and not suffering through getting the “ Z.“ embedded in his system. —“ East Lynne " has cropped up for a short season at Sydney Opera House.—When the year 4000 is reached I venture to prophesy there will bo theatregoers still to bo found who take a lively delight in this tearful old-timer. Bristol's Equcscurrioulum is touring the New South Wales country towns.—The Ada Juneen Dramatic Coy. is in Tasmania.—Maggie Moore, who has been doing well on a country tour, opens at Melbourne Royal this week.—The McAdoo Black Minstrel Company now in South Africa are reported to be coming to Australia. McAdoo was once with the Fisk Jubilee Singers.—Good old Lachlan McGowan is touring the South Australian provinces with a company of his own. Mr Harry Rickards will run the Biograph (the latest and magnified version of the “ Kino.”) in Melbourne during Cup week. —Janet Achurch is touring the English provinces with “A Doll’s House" and other plays by Ibsen—Alfred Dampier who goes to London shortly takes two new Australian plays with him, which ho will try to place on the Big Smoke. —There are rumours afloat that Tho Firm will produce “ Djin Djin ’’ and “ Matsa," their two splendid spectacles at a London theatre ere long.—Charles Warner has been playing his old port of Coupoau in “ Drink ” at the Britannia Theatre, London.—Miss Grace Warner who was out here with her father is playing Gervaise.

Mr J. St. Clair, advance agent for the Paulton-Stanley Company, has arrived in Auckland to make for the forthcoming appearance of his principals.

The Sydney Morning Herald announces that Mr Walter E. Baker, the leading man of the Bland 'Holt Dramatic Company, has recently purchased two dramas by Mr Bernard Espinasse, the'Australian dramatist. The titles of these pieces are “.The Sins of the Fathers" and “The Day of Beckoning."

The “ sandgropers," the euphonious title held by the native Westralians, are not enthusiastic theatre-goers, says the Hawldel. If it were not for the “ t’othersiders," a name other Australians are known by, the Golden West would ho anything but auriferous for the profesh.

On the same subject—Westralia as a field for theatrical enterprise—the Perth correspondent of the Referee writes: — Facts worth noticing by Eastern management. There are only two show towns in Westralia for any decent Size company. Perth (good for three weeks) to ,big business and Frocmantle (good for six nights) to better business than Perth. The fields that is Coolgardio and Kalgoorlio, are

distinctly 11 lias boons." You get big prices, and they are ideal towns for successful one man shows and similar combinations of not more than six members. Any combination with more people and a heavy pay-sheet will drop money heavily, no matter how great the attraction. The cost of travelling and living is heavy, and the population too small to keep up firm business after tbe first rush is over.

Wanganui amateurs have produced Pinero's ” Dandy Dick " with great success.

One of tiio things which strike a European as peculiar in Japan ia the custom of the performers in a play making their exits and entrances from the front of tire house, through the audience.

Bland Holt’s travelling company numbers GO people, the largest organisation at present in the colonies.

Miss Cissio Eottus has found it necessary to write to the papers denying that she is Mr Hall Caine’s authority for the music-hall scones in his new novel “ The Christian.” Well, if she were connected with the work one would think that Miss Loftus or any other twinkling star of the halls would be proud. Because the girl Glory, though she flutters behind the footlights, remains as good as gold fit, in fact, to be invited to that unhappy enthusiast, John Storm, upon his deathbed. However, the very denial may be of professional value to Miss Loftus, because perhaps people won’t believe it; and, at any rate, they will talk about it.

Flora Graupner and Florence Young are in London, but have not yet appeared in the colonics.

A proof of the popularity of “ The Sign of the Cross " in England is provided in the fact that 25,000 prints of Mr Wilson Barrett and Miss Maud Jefferies in a certain scene have been disposed of.

The pulpit bigot, says The Stays, wo all know; the journalistic bigot is a rarer bird. In the Exeter Evening Fust some extraordinary comments were made on August 25 on “ The Sign of the Cross " at the Public Hall, Exmouth. Hero are one or two excerpts:—The subject of last night’s play is repulsive, as is also the make-up of one of the characters, who strives to look like pictures of One I will not name. . . . With regret and shame I have to chronicle the bless ings heaped upon Exmouth last night by several visitors. One lady went to the Public Hall, minded to see the blasphemous play, entitled “ The Sign of the Cross.” She did not approve of°dobasing the emblem of salvation by holding it up as an incentive to the playhouse. But she was disposed to give the show a show Patrons of the dramatic performance trouble mo with complaints. They state that none of the attendants know anything. One man said he was but a temporary hireling; another was a servant of the travelling mummers ; a third knew nothing and oared less. As Colonel J , M.P.H., said to me, “ a lot of these hounds want drafting, and the whole kennel overhauling.”

“ Saharot," billed as “ Tho Famous Australian Dancer,” has made a great stir in America and England, but no one in Australia seems to be able to identify her. A correspondent to the Sydney Referee gives it as his opinion that she is Marion Ainsworth (“Ginger” onetime popular ballerina at the Tivoli, who married George H. Wood, the “somewhat indifferent comedian.” Now, Saharet is described as being beautiful, but it surely could not be said that “ Ginger ” was a beauty. A London paper states that Ike Rose—whoever he may be—is tho husband of tho clever Saharet.

Brisbane papers speak in high terms of praise of the Paulton-Stanley Company, of whose repertoire I have already given particulars in this column.

Blond Holt is doing tremendous business down south. His company numbers over sixty people, so that he requires good houses to moke his plays pay.

Few who have seen the genial Bland are aware that ho was at one time a property boy in his father’s theatre in London. As a clown in a panto., he is said to have been inimitable.

Alma Stanley, the lady star of the Paulton-Stanley company, is “ divinely tall,” her statuesque figure showing to special advantage in “ Niobe." In “ The Friend from India" Miss Stanley is said to wear jewels valued at over -C3OOO.

Golf is now one of the chief recreations among actors at home and elsewhere. ■Walter Bentley is an ardent devotee of the ancient game here in Brisbane.

George Anson, the well-known comedian, has been engaged to return to America for a leading comedy part in “ La Poupoe."

The Bulletin is responsible for the statement that Alma Stanley did not “create"the part of Niobe in London, but played it for the first time at tho Melb. Princess recently. Tho Paulton brothers had Alma Stanley in view when they wrote “ Niobe," but that lady’s engagements prevented her playing the folo. Miss Evelyn Lamb, who is coming to Australia, under engagement to Harry Rickards, was the “ creator" of Niobe.

At Middletown, Connecticut, in the first week in August, during the parade of the Forcpaugh Circus, a little child toddled in front of the elephants, and the horrified spectators expected to see it crushed to death. But one of the intelligent animals calmly raised the child with its trunk and placed it on the side-walk in safety. That elephant, says a New York exchange, ought to have a gold medal and be fed on gilded peanuts.

Gardening, Bacon said, is still “the purest of human pleasures; it is the greatest refreshment to the spirit of man, without which buildings and palaces are but gross handiworks."