AN EMINENT ACTOR

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7024, 12 January 1910, Page 6

AN EMINENT ACTOR

DAFFODILS AND FLAYS. THE MODERN TASTE. "People-seem surprised when I tell them that I am not a daflodilarian from choice,” remarked Mr G. S. Titheradgc yesterday, taking his mind back many years, when his beautiful collection of daffodils near Melbourne was a centre of attraction. "The chaffodils wont nearly twelve years ago—my family, principally of girls, made mo sell the farm when we went to England. It nearly broke my heart to give it up—but it had to go. 1 spent about .£ISOO on the daffodils, and when wo fold up they were distributed amongst many people in Australia. Their cu ivation was really forced upon mo by a nurseryman who had a place about thirty miles from Melbourne. He said it was hopeless for him to try and popularise tho daffodil; he bogged me to take it up, and before I knew where I "as n had arranged for me to lecture on it at tho Austral Salon,, a club composed of literary people, principally ladies. Countess Hopetoun presided. I was thoroughly indignant; 1 knew nothing about the subject then. Of course. X got on all right. I had to buy a collection, and bad in self-defence to study the question, because I was continually being asked what to do in ‘such-and-such a case.’ However, in four years I had mastered all tho literature on the subject. And now,” added the eminent actor, 1 am starting my fifth place. It is on the top of a ridge down South Head, Sydney, and the highest part of the ndgo is swept by every wind under the heavents. I don’t know wlietliex 111 oe abi© to grow anything there, but I’m going to try, at any rate. AUSTRALASIAN FLORA. "I am devoting about half an acre lo developing tho indigenous flora, of which I have many varieties already. I havo been a frequent visitor to the botanical gardens in Dunedin, Christchurch, and Wellington, with a view to familiarising myself with your indigenous plant life. I am, however, bound to. say that the most representative collection of indiffenous New Zealand flora is to be seen in tho Melbourne gardens. I haven t seen anything to equal it m the gardens hero. In Melbourne these plants are doing magnificently. I saw the kowhai in bloom there early in October. But the one that takes my fancy is the tpohutukawa, with its massive red blooms. I do not think there is so much. at> tention devoted to the native flora in New Zealand as there ought to be, espe daily in the matter of classification, if these pardons are to have an educational value. The native plants # are really worth, preserving, and I think they are .most interesting. I go every day through, the Wellington gardens.” A POPULAR PLAY. It is interesting to recall, in. view ol the revival of "The Silver King,” with. Mr Titheradge as Wilfred Denver, that it was payed as far back as 1885 in New Zealand. F. C. Appleton was the Wilfred Denver, Georg© Leiteh played Daniel Jaikes, and Maggie Knight appeared as Nellie Denver. H. R. Jewett, Robert Vernon, and Harry Douglas were in tho cast. The latter afterwards toured New Zealand with Macmahon and Loitch’s company as Denver, though h© perhaps made a better Cripps. It was in 1887 that Mr Williamson sent to this colony, the strongest dramatic company that ever played hew. Mr Titheradge’s connection with that company—he was .over twenty years younger then —is pleasantly recollected by old theatregoers. LOOKING BACKWARDS. "I first appeared in ‘The Silver King* in New Zealand last year,” said Mr Titheradge, "and I retired gracefully for more than six months as a consequence. I was not well at the time. I saw ita' first production in America, at the Wob lack Theatre in. New York. 1 was stay* Ing in the same place as Wilson Bar* rett’s stage manager, Cathoart, and h© said to J?ie, Tt’s a good piece; you ought to get it/ Well, I wrote to Henry Herman—l created the part in th© first piece ho ever wrote in England—and ho 'cabled back that it was sold to Harry Jackson, so I didn’t bother any more about it. The reason of its success? I 'think it may be attributed to the strong element of human nature in it, which one doesn’t get nowadays. The best evidence of its popularity is that it has been going in the English provinces ever since. A good many people have made .fortunes out of it. I met Walter Bentley In America, and I am not sure whether' ho was not erne of the first actors on the load wi£h it at "that time. I little thought then that I would be playing !n 'The Silver King’ in 1910. Funny ,4-hing, before I got my strength thoroughly 'back the firm wanted me to do it in Adelaide, but I didn’t tljink it wise to risk it, so, strange enough, Bentley •just arrived in the country and h© took it up. Hoskins, Leake, Phil Day. Arthuri Redwood, Harry Taylor, and Edmund Marshall played in. the original cast in Australia, with Annie Mayer, Jeannie Watt Tanner, and Mrs Marcus Clarke. The three latter are still affTongst us.” TREND OF THE DRAMA. Discussing the trend of the drama in London, Mr Titheradge believes that the critics have largely helped to kill _ tho drama by their searching criticism. "They haven’t allowed a man any dramatic license at all. They have insisted’ so rigidly an th© observance of th© pro-l babdlities, and their analysis has not been correct, because they hare said: 'This is not what would have happened; he or she would not have done this/ reasoning on what would happen in th© play, and not in human.life. It is thei improbable that happens. You don’t! want to make a play of every-’ day events. It would not be interesting. It is th© apparently improbable that 1 draws and makes a play- Then you must remember that the Home critics are themselves mostly dramatic authors. They have written _ plays that are models of perfection, with all the observances of probabilities—and they don’t draw. Well, that, X think, is on© of th© chief reasons why so few plays really draw in London. There are _ hundreds of them produced every year in London, yet look how few hold the boards. The critic's have been so terribly down, on anything that they call ‘theatrical.’_ Plays have become commonplace; nothing happens; nobody exhibits any emotion —they say in effect it is bad form showing ©motion The consequence is that many plays ax© so deadly dull. What people want is a little of the ‘old.’ "As to the present Australian dramatic taste? I say it -with bated breath, but I think the taste has somewhat deteriorated. There is such a difference between th© people who really appreciate highclass plays and the great body of th© public. Of course, a manager doesn’t keep his theatre open for philanthropy, does he? Take the case of tho original Brough and Boucicault Company, which existed ton years. You have heard people talk about them. Well, that was altogether a failure, because the class of plays they produced didn't appeal to the general public. Those who appreciated them were not in sufficient numbers to make them pay. Managers, of course, always havo that before them, and if they want to make money they must cater for everybody, and eo they cater for the bulk. They won’t pay five shillings when they can get Bland Holt better at three shillings. Australasia is a most difficult country to cater for, because there is’ such a vast difference in taste between th© few and the many.”