PRINCESS THEATRE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18455, 17 January 1922, Page 8

PRINCESS THEATRE

■ _ "Her Unborn Child,” by M’Kont Bames, was the title of the new piece presented at the Princess Theatre last evening f u u^er s Dramatic Players. .. The story of the play cannot x'oally be claimed to be, a sermon on birth-control in, the generally accepted sense of the term. .There is, certainly an attempt to introduce : this claim, but the, drama is actually based on the story of a girl who loves not wisely but-too well. The plot is well arranged, but its conclusion is Well hi sight at the end of - the third act, and the final act sees the i machinations of a selfish and purse-proud mother brought to naught, and her son throwing aside, the shackles which had 1 hitherto held him and insisting on doing the right thing by the girl, whom he, still [ loves with his whole heart, 'und - leading *her to the marriage altar. The plot, briefly, has to do' with the activities of “Miss” Livingstone, who rather illogically, as it i seems, seeks to adopt the role of a social , reformer. In her girlhood’s days the re--1 former had married one of her father’s servants, and_ then, for the sake of her’ social reputation, she had oast him aside, I The humble husband pines for his wife,, and quickly departs from this mundane" sphere. The. wife gives, birth to a' eon. whom'she, hoWover, disowns, although she : se ® s to his. education and finally adopts him. Her marriage 'is kept a secret. The son srows up, and fails in love with a girl, Felice Kennedy, but his desire iX marry her is checked by his ; “aunt,” the title assumed by his real mother. '' The mother . even' goes the length, of trying to enlist the services of a well-known city phvsician. Dr Remmingtori, to get the girl "out of ■ trouble—this is where the claim to birthoontrpT copies in—but her are scorned by the doctor, and eh© receives a • well-deserved rebuke for her temerity. The son overhears the conversation between “Miss” Livingstone and the doctor, discovers who is his mother, and breaks into i the room to say that he is/determined to 1 many Felice. The mother proves adamant I in "Tier objections, but the boy’s resolution. I is linn, and the curtain, falls with the • mother defeated in her intentions and the I two lovers in each other’s arms. At the > end of the play Mr Gorman says a few i words on the moral aspect endeavoured to ", 'be taught by the play—a rather unusuali | course to - adopt' on the dramatic stage, ■ ’ and one which appears hardly necessary. , i The story teaches itself, :as it were, and. i requires no such- 'elaboration. It is well. I acted throughout,' bolt at the end of the i third act the performers are jilst a little i inclined to overdo a tens© situation. ; As “Miss” Livingstone, Miss Nellie Ferguson gave a satisfying performance of the! , mother who'has herself, in her own eatimai tion, at least, erred against the social coni .yentions by-marrying her servant, and who i in- later life Endeavours to prevent her sop i marrying beneath hipi. Mr Gorman, as Dr , Remmington, has an, important part, and [ -carries it through well. /As is otily to be . expected, his fight is for the right as r 1 against the wrong, and he achieves a far' > greater • measure of-success in . such a pan . .than in that of a stage lover. Helen For- > gus, as Mrs Kennedy, the mother of Felifce,, i was responsible for, a particularly fine piece . ol_ motherly acting, and maintained her . Irish ibrogue well right through the piece. r Austin Milroy gave a manly interpretation r of the character of Ted ’Livingstone, the i, son, and Miss Leslie Adrienne presented, a t sound impersonation of the rather tliank- . less part of Felloe. The rest of the charac- } tors *were pll .capably filled. Special mention should, however; be made of- the natural j acting in a minor part of Claire Scherp, t the tomboy of_ the Kennedy family—it was an excellent impersonation. The staging, 1 was excellently arranged, and the incidental'