THEATRICAL GOSSIP.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4467, 21 September 1901, Page 1 (Supplement)

THEATRICAL GOSSIP.

M. Maurice Bernhardt, the son of the great actress, has evidently the ambition to make his mark as a dramatist. He has written a play for the Porte St. Martin entitled "Nini I'Assomme use," which, however, will not get pro duced, owing to arrangements already made, till midwinter; and he is now engaged, whilst spending a summer holiday with his mother at Belle-Isie, upon an adaptation of "Par le Fer et par le Feu." It will be interesting to see whether or no the son of the dis tinguished artist proves to have real dramatic talent.

(BY “LORGNETTE.”)

Seldom, if : ever, has- a finer performance been presented in any music ifall than that which is being given by Mr Gaiety Company this week at the Theatre Royal. The names of no fewer than five atars in the vaudeville world figured in the bill for the current week.

' Mr Harry Shine, a comedian of rare natural gifts and attainments, tops_ the list perhaps. Of the American artiste, Miss Irene Franklin, it may be said at once that she is unapproachable. She produces all her • effects without any apparent effort and some .of them are exquisite in : , their delicacy and beauty. . She possesses .those qualities of genius ,by which great actresses make their- names, and her approaching career on. the dramatic stage will' bo ■ followed with keen- interest. : : ■

Alma Gray is a dansense of undeniable talent; Whenever she appear* her distinctive style and winning personal, ity secure recognition. Of the De Wynne Brothers I have already written in terms of such profuse praise that my vocabulary is exhausted. They might well be called the Nonpareils in their line.

. Miss i Violet Elliott, the ■ contralto ballad singer, by the charm and magnetism of her personality'first commands our attention, and then excites our admiration by the rich quality and dramatic intensity: of her voice and stylo of vocalisation. i •

Mr Harry Shine/now. appearing at the Theatre' Royal, has an enviable reputation as a comedian. For the last eleven years he has been away from the Old Country. India , and the East appear to have cast their spell upon him, and he is an especial:favourite in AngloIndian scciety.in all parts of the Orient. Mr Shine is a born comedian, and excels as a raconteur.Me has travelled through the world with his eyes open, and his comments on men and places that he has met and visited, are full of humour and intelligence. Time , passes quickly with him for a companion. .He' seems to have met everybody worth meeting in India. ,

The. event of his life—his , marriage to the charming, singer, Miss Violet Elliott—was arranged and took place in Calcutta. Those who * have seen and, heard Miss Elliott, sing may well believe that Mr Shine has drawn'a prize in the matrimonial market* - . • • e a a

The Exchange Hall has been doing capital business lately._ The public is faithful to its old favourites, and Charles Hugo and Freddy Garnett come in for a larjje share of applause nightly.

Mias Myra Thompson’s reappearance at the Exchange Hall was 'hailed with delight by all admirers of a good ballad well sung. • • • a a

1 The Cosgrove Company ha# been- reappearing to good business dnring the week. “Sapho” has been drawing well. The pieoa - is well staged and full of thrilling situations.

Miss Celina Bebe, the handsome German girl who plays : the xylophone divinely, passed through Wellington last week. I also met Mr Alf. Lawton, r who has not been here for six years. Both these artists will visit ns soon. Mr Chas. Faning and Miss Gectgie Doroe are now en route:: for :Dnne£a.r They will be followed by Mr Ernest Fitts, Mr Austin Rudd, Mr Frannk Leon; Miss lassie Kirk, ana others.

« * • * • Air Fred Sinclair has returned from Australia, after playing cut there for nearly two years with such gratifying success that he intends to go back before long. He is at present buying a few pieces and looking out for likely artists.

The recent Lonnen matinee fbalised £453, while the subscription list, which is still open, amounted to £167. * w ;

Mr F. De LTsle, so long and favour ably known as a short story writer in the columns of the “New Zealand Mail” and the ‘‘New Zealand Times” supplement, ig producing a two act comedy drama from his own pen entitled “By Right of-Conquest.” at the Federal Theatre/ Wellington, on September 24th and 25th inst. Mr De LTsle is being assisted by a number of the leading amateurs of this city, some twenty parts having already been cast. The drama will be preceded on each night by a, curtain-raiser, also from the pen of Mr Do LTsle. Rehearsals are in active progress and the entertainment promises to be a most , successful one.- >•.• . * •

The powerful Russian play, “Nadjez da,” which was produced at the Princess’s Theatre, Melbourne, on September 7th by the Crane-Power Company, is on the lines of “Fedora.” It deals with Nihilism, and teaches the futility of personal vengeance. Miss Edith Crane (the original Trilby in Australia) takes a dual role, Countess Nadjesda and Nadine. She has splendid opportunities, as her whole life ig de dicated to reveqge the; murder of her father. It is a many sided part, and one in which an actress haa to run the whole gamut; of. emotion.' Mr Tyrone Power appears in the character part of Prince Serge Zabonroff. ••• • ■ e

Says the Charters Towers “Mining Standard” of August 17: —“Some days ago it became known that a social event at interest was to mark the visit of Messrs Wirth Brothers' Circus troupe to Charters Towers, in the form of a uniting of two members. of the two oldest and. most famous circus families in England and Australia. At St. Paul’s church this morning, at 11 o'clock,, a very pretty wedding wag celebrated between Mr John David Welby Cooke, son of Mr Hany Welby Cocke, of Enjdand, and of circus fame, and Misg Edith Wirth/ niece of ■ Messrs Wirth Bros. The Rev. Canon: Pike officiated at the ceremony, and the church waa nearly filled with . spectators.”:

e b; .' ■. v#‘v!r i .'A ■. ■; ♦'.‘•■■.llViV'i ■ La Loie Fuller, whose > dancing is now delighting London audiences at the. Criterion, was some years ago a chorus girl; with no prospects: of« speedy advancement. One night a present of Indian silk brought her fame and fqrtune. She was alone in the dressing-room—-one of a hundred girls in an obscure position—whbn she undid■; the parcel, and a* the shining fold* of the material, caught the light the idea of movements with gauzy materials in strong lights was borne. Since then Miss Fuller has thought of all kinds of imaginative dances through this simple means, and has no rival, in her particular line.

Referring! to the recent visit of the Duke of York to the South Australian capital. “M.A.P.” says: —“Adelaide can hardly ■be said to have an enthusiastic . welcome' to Mme. Sarah Bernhardt when . : the Diva visited this Australian stronghold of Dissent somo/ten years ago. ■ She was actually • refused as % guest at the leading hotel, because ■ the proprietor declined on principle. to grant aoconuno dation 19 ‘play actor*.’ ”

The. return of Mr Walter Bentley, once a popular member of Sir Henry Irving’s Company at the Lyceum, -from Australia/where he has been: for- many years, recalls the time (says the “Pelican”) when Scotland was shaken to its very foundations ■by the eldest .son-of Dr. Bbgg, the: famous Free Kirk preach • er, forsaking the ministry, for which he was intended,;and taking■,to the; stage. At that 1 time members of the Free Church were 'very severely opposed to anything connected' with - lOieatre.laud/ and' the idea of -the eldest son of one of their leading lights becoming an aetor produced a‘ very great and grave sensation ■in Edinburgh Society at the time. In these happily. enlightened day*, such treatment - aa was: accorded Walter Begg, or Bentley, as he called himself : when he . ' took to the hoards, not only by- many Scotch people, but bgr his own kith and kin, would be impossible. But it is a fact that for a period at least the young actor had a very rough time of: it indeed. ■ Most :of those who know Mr Bentley’s fine; acting. and hia history, think. it a great pity he 'ever ceased nia connection : with Sir Henry Irving, to whom he used -to play an admirable seoon'd. It was when he left the Lyceum and starred in the country on his own. account, that the late Mr Terriss : atenpod into his place. ■ « « i d «

Some people are never satisfied. This is a mild way of putting it. Wo should say lots. And of all the most dissatis fied specimens of humanity give ua your average playgoer. . .Having paid to witness; say, a musical play, he loses no time in'asserting in the most pronounced fashion' his desire to see that play not once, but several times, and' all for one payment.: He shrieks “henkaw” to every dance, every song, and every special piece of business,: and the ■ “henkaw’’ being granted.: he proceeds to :demend a third, aye; even; a: fourth, repetition of any item that particularly meets his pleasure. The climax of absurdity in this respect, however, was apparently reached (according to the “Peucan”) in a Northern town of England recently, when a comic singer was - called upon no less than eight times to repeat one of. hia songs: '.j'-Qf'eourßai'lM: did not go through the whole ditty': eight separate and distinct time*. ■ He just repeated one verse; ' And then bin delighted Tis teners wanted more. They hadn’t had enongb. The singer had. For the: future he intend*, it i* repotted, to in*ert in

his 'contract a clause to the effect that all-encores are to be paid for. “Then,” says he, “I shan’t mind giving encores up to closing time.” His managers may not bo so compliant.

».$ • t As an illustration of the vast number of unacted plays that are in emulation, a statement made to the “Daily Mail" by the gentleman that acts in the capac ity of play reader, to Mr Charles Hawtrey will have'a certain amount of vague interest for the general reader, and an almost tragic interest for the daily-increasing world of .unplayed dra matists. He says that he has within the past three years road 3000 plays submitted, to Mr Hawtrev. Out of the 3000 only three appealed to him as likely. They were “His Excellency the Governor,” “A Message from Mars.” and “The Man From Blankley’s.” The first was not considered suitable to Mr Hawtrey'a method, but it made a hit when produced at the Court. The success of the other two are well known-

A London paper says that Mr and Mrs F. Conway Tearle‘leave'early in December for : A ustralia. Mr Tenrle, a nephew of Mr Osmond Tearle, the tragedian, is under a twelve months’ engagement to Mr J. C- Williamson, andwill create the part cf Ben Enr. Mr Donald Macdonald, the entertaining war correspondent and' lecturer, having concluded his tour of the w’ond, will resume his old position on the eeli torial staff of the Melbourne “Argus” immediately. In the course of a brief ohat with the dramatic representative of the ■■■‘•Referee,’' Mr Macdonald stated that he-was more than satisfied with the result of'his lecturing tour, during wmbh he covered over 45,000 miles. It is probable that His impressions and ox - perienefip will ks publislied in beck form shortly. : I ■ « ' • ■■■;■ •

The new regulations adopted by the London County Council do not affect existing theatres. It is expressly stated that they apply to places “to bo_ hereafter constructed.’' :In future buildings the standing room accommodation will hare to bo considered in providing exits. The tenth clause, about which considerable discussion will 1 be raised, Tuns : —“ln- all • such premises two separate exits shall be i provided? from every tier or floor which accommodates not more than 500 persons, and where a tier or floor accommodates more than 600 persons an additional exit shall ho pro vidod for every 250, or part of 230, persons above 500. : Each of such exits shall less than 6ft. wide between the walls at any point, or between'the leaves of the doors when open. Two of the exits from each tier or floor shall deliver' into different thoroughfares or ways. In the case of a tier or floor not accommodating more than 300' persons tw© 4ft, exits will be required. If any tier or floor shall be divided into two or more parts exits as, s«t out above shall be , provided from each of , auen parts. In calculating the number of persons that - can .be accommodated m. any tier or part of a tier of such 'premises the standing space from which.a; view of the performance can be obtain-1 ed, as well as. the seated area, will be considered. Exits shall be arranged so as to afford a ready means of egress from all parts of each tier or floor, and shall lead directly into a thoroughfare or way. It shall be compulsory on the management of such premises.to allow the public to leave by all exit doors.