THE ST. MAUR COMPANY'S SEASON. " Jim the Penman."

Otago Witness, Issue 1901, 17 July 1890, Page 32

THE ST. MAUR COMPANY'S SEASON. " Jim the Penman."

The Saint Maur Dramatio Company, chose for their opening night in Dunedin, on the 9th inst. . the powerful comedy-drama " Jim the Penman," written by Sir Charles Young and produoed with a considerable measure of snecess not only in Great Britain, the United States, and the colonies, but also, in tramlated versions, in several Continental countries. The bouse, whioh was a large one, the lower portions being orowded, waa moat hearty in its reception of the performance. Those who know the play of "Jim the Penman"— and any person who has once seen the play must be so struok with its singular power as to retain a more or lest distinctly defined knowledge of It-oannot but recognise how necessary it ia, before it oan be aaid to be successfully produoed, that eaoh and every character should be well played. The characters hang tqgether, as it were, and depend bo muoh upon each other that the Imperfect rendering of any one would have a more than usually prejudicial effect upon the rendering of the whole : and the representation given by Mr Saint Maur'e Company waa an undoubtedly good one, and worthy of all the tokens of, approbation that were bestowed upon it. To narrate the plot of the play happily seems unnecessary, as the piece was so recently performed here, and then created so profound an Impression. Everywhere it has been produoed "Jim the Penman" has been acknowledged to be a wonderfully clever piece, and one constructed with a rare amount of skill. The more one contemplates Its powerfulness. the more one is. surprised thnt it was only by the actual importunity of Lady Monokton, who was Inoluded in the original cast, that Sir Charles Young was , induced to surrender it to the aotora for production. Before passing on to a neoessarilv brief reference fco the manner in which the various parts ia the drama were sustained, it should perhaps be aaid that the completeness with whioh the piece waa staged was most creditable to the management, the appointments being quite excellent Mr Saint Maur, whose first appearance this was in Dun 'din, was the James Ralston of the pieoo —the person who while occuping a high social position, possessed of great wealth, living in refinement and luxury, and bearing a respected name "in the oitv," whs at the head of a noted band of swindlers and forgers, his whole life being a gigantic lie and himself none other than the " mysterious, invisible entity" known at Scotland Yard as "Jim the Penman." In Mr Saint Maur the complex character of this man found a most able exponent, one who depicted with considerable skill, and with great judgment the many diverse phases of the forger's life. Much could be aaid in praise, and nothißg in dispraise, of Mr Saint Maur'e impersonation of the character. The difficult and delicate part of Baron Hartfeldt was, according to the programme, to be taken by Mr J. J. Kennedy, but upon the Baron making his entrance it wßsatonce pwoeived by mauy of the audience that his Imperfona'-.or wai none other Mr D. Christie Murray. The olroumetances under which the distinguished novelist— who, by the way, was heartily applauded on being recognised -oame to fulfil apart in tho drama, are detailed hereafter, and in this place it only remains to be "aid that, even when it is borne In mind that Mr Murray has a notable memory, his almost pefeot pourtrayal of the part was, considering that it was placed in his hands less than 24 houra' previously/a great achievement. It is not everything to have committed a part to memory— and Mr Murray had hie practiaally "by heart.—bu t, aa Mr Saint Maur subsequently said, the part was really and t.rnly "acted." Mr Murray, in short, in his deliberate utterance of his lines, in hi* gestures, in his " business " generally, so absorbed the oharacter that he was the character. Mr Gerald gave a very careful and praiseworthy representation of Louis Perolval, the former lover of Mrs Rate ton, from whom he was separated by forged letters, the .work of "Jim the Penman"; Mr Clifford waa distinctly successful as Captain Hedwood, the detective who by some remarkable means has the entree into society; Mr Greville was appropriately fussy and consequential as Mr Netherby. M.P. ; and Mr Duff and Mr Berkeley gave well conceived impersonations of Lord Drelincourt and Gporgo Ralston, respectively. Miss Florence Seymour, who will be recollected as having appeared In Dunedin last year as a member of an opera com pany, had the extremely difficult part of Mri Balston. She dressed the character handsomely and looked the obaraoter, but she did more and proved herself to be an actress' of great resource. She played with a quiet intensity aDd a dramatio power that won the approval of all who witnessed the performance, and in the latter scenes— upon and after the discovery of her husband's crime— was particularly good. Mica Eily Mayo gave a pleating representation of Agnes RaUton, and Miss Hetty Kennedy, Miss Lily Hill, Messrs Sugden Moore, and C. Hill capably sustained the remaining characters. After the third aot Mr Saint Maur announced to the audience that if they would keep their ceats at the .close of the performance he would narrate to them a

remarkable, and indeed extraordinary olrourastanoe. Upon the curtain falling at the conclusion of the piece Mr tiaint Maur, after narrating how in company with Mr Christie Murray he had mißsed his train at Ashburton, stated that on arrival at Oamaru or Timaru he received a telegram in these words, " Uulobs Kennedy with yon, no Baron." That meant that, unless Mr J. J. Kennedy, who was a member of the company, was with him there was uo one to play the part of Baron Hartfeldt. He was unable to ncoount for Mr Kennedy's not being there, us the ticket for his fare was taken, but, theclroumstanoes being tlicie, he saw nothing for it but to close the theatre, and lose the whole season. He showed the telegram to Mr Murray, and Mr Murray said, " What oan you do ?" He told him that there was only one thing— to olose the theatre. Mr Murray was silent for a minute or two, and then he said, " Could you get me to play the part ?" Ho said very quietly and simply, and giving him (Mr Saint Maur) a little Bqueezeof the hand, " I'll do my best." There was no manuscript of the part in the train ; they got here at 9 in the ovoning (Tuesday), and they eaoh had two important appointments to keep. , They botlt kept their appointments, and at a quarter past 11 Mr Murray and he ihut themselves in a sitting room at the hotel to study the part ; and all night Mr Murray aat at work as if he was a common actor and nothing more, instead of being an eminent novelist.— (Applause.) At a quarter past 3 Mr Murray had tome idea of the part ; that forenoon he had tt rather butter idea of it. and that evening they had seen him in the part. Now, he (Mr St. Maur) had baen for U3 yeftra on thu stage, and he ventured to think that Mr Murray had acted the part of Hartfeldt. What did thov think ? -(Applause, and loud and repeated OftlU for " Murray," who shortly appeared amid renewed and general oheerlrig). It only remained for him to say that Mr Murray, as a friend, would atiok loyally to him for the rest of the season ; wtu going to play hia own part in his own play of " Ohnma"— (applause) -and was going to Uke part in " The Candidate."— (Renewed applause.) He would uot say more than if they h»d lost an actor ia Mr Kennedy they had got In Mr Murray not merely an actor but a real friend. "Jim the Penman" was repeated to capital houses. "The Candidatb." A new piece was presented by the Saint Maur Dramatic Company at the Princess Theatre on Tuesday evening, " The Candidate " being substitute 1 for " Jim the Penman." " The Candidate," which is a threo-aot comedy of quite reoent date, written by Mr Justin Huntley M' Car thy, M.P., ia, ai it* name Implies, a political tatire, but it I* also a domeitlo drama, depioting the hpn»e troubles of a young nobleman, who has experienced 'the inoonvenienoe, while marrying into auothar family iv the peerage, of having to take over a raother-la-law along with hi* wife. The plot is, an interesting and cleverly evolved one, wit bout any undue straining after effect ia the working-up of striking "situations." The whole of the com'ody is enacted ia the drawing room of, a country home, owned by Lord Oldaore (Mr Harry St. Maur), who is (he scion of • long line of Conservative peers, and is credited with entertaining the most profound view* regarding the infallibility of jthe House of Lord* and the fallacy of Home Bute. As » matter of fact he does not bother his head muoh about politics, being more concerned in devising plans whereby he may secure occasional spell* of pleasure in London, and .escape the domination of his mother-in-law, l*dy Osterly (Mias Hetty Kennedy). This lady is an uncompromising Conservative, but she is alto a sort of Mrs Jellaby, and is a leading spirit in as enterprise for the protection of consumptive cannibals. The apottle of this latter charitable movement is a clerical impostor, the Bey. Barnab»s,Goodeve (Mr Christie Murray), who religiously echoes Lady Oiterly's sentiments, and has all his wants provided by that lady, by her daughter Lady Clarissa Oldacre (Miis Georgia Smithson) and a neighbour, Mrs Sophronia Martlett (Miss Florence Be'ymour). These people have so taken possession of Lord Oldaore's household as to make existence in it wearisome to him, and, to eioape from it for a time, he eagerly adopts the suggestion made by an old friend of his, VUUers Hazelfoot (Mr F. Clifford), that he should offer himself as a candidate ia the Conservative interest for Northampton, though .without the slightest expectation of success. Instead, however, of proceeding there to contest'the election he goes to London to' enjoy a round of gaieties, and packs off his private secretary, Alario Baffin (Mr F. Gerald), to personate mm and fco fight the election for .him. The latter holds ultra-Badical opinions, whioh he proclaims before the free and independent electors as being those of Oldaore. The latter gets buck home before bf» secretary, and an amusing scene occurs ia whioh he is put to his wits' ends to answer the 1 searching questions that are put to him from all quarters as to the result of the election, and the oonfusion ia increased when Baffin appears with the intelligence of Oldaore's triumphant return, but as a Hadical Meantime trouble was being brewed by Lady Osterly, who had intercepted a letter addressed to her toa-ia-law by aa adventuress with whom Baffin, while perionatiug his employer, had found time to become involved, and further complications are oaused by an arrangement whioh Oldaore had made, unknown to the others, to bring an aotreßS down from London to take part in some private theatricals. The domineering attitude of Lady Oaterly, backed up by the olergyman, at length drove Oldacre to extremities, — to plainly hint to her that she and Goodeve were not wanted, and to assert his own authority in hia own house. There are two other light comedy parts whioh, with a footman, complete the cast. One of these 1b that of Lady Osterly'e youngest daughter, Lady Dorothy (Miss Kily Mayo), who becomes engaged to Hazelfoot, and tho other is Mrs Martlett's husband, a henpeoked gentleman, who finds that the chief enjoyment of life is to be found in sleep. Ia the character of Lord Oldaore, Mr St. Maur played with a fine sense of humour, a, buoyancy, and a verve whioh made bia representation of the part a most successful one. The support that he received from the rest of the company was generally of a satisfactory nature. Mr Christie Murray's characterisation of the oleaginous Goodeve, whioh was somewhat on the lines of Mr Thornton's Bey. Mr Sparerib, so far aB the meek voice and submissive look went, ranks next in importance to Mr St. Maur's, while Mr Gerald's impersonation of the secretary was Well conceived and efficiently presented. Mr Berkeley was very amusing as Martlett with hia apparently unconscious yawn and his piteous appeals for peace; while Mr Clifford capably sustained the character with which he was entrusted. Miss Florence Seymour had not a large nor a severe part as Mrs Martlett, having not muoh to do beyond to dress well and to look commanding. Miss Hetty Kennedy acted as Lady Osterly, and if she failed to do it entire justloe it is not to her discredit, for the part is an exceedingly difficult one. Miss Smithson was a fairly satisfactory Clarissa, and Mlsb Mayo made as muoh aa oould be made of the character of Dorothy. The piece was admirably mounted, and was well received, the principal performers being called after each act.

Meßsrs F. Gerald and Stilling Duff, members of the St. Maur Dramatic Company, filed declarations of insolvency during the week. The principal creditors were the members of the company. No proofs of debt were put in, and there were no assets. The came of the insolvency was the threatened eieoutlon of a judgment summons obtained against the debtors in Auokland. Mr Gerald stated that his debts arose through the theatrical troupe, of whjch he and Mr Duff were managers, doing bad business throughout their tour in the colony. Their losses came to about £37 a week- They had no property, but hired the stage furniture at each town in which they played. Mr Gerald's debts were put down at £854 19s 6d and Mr Duff'i at £552 19s 6d, with no assets ia either case. The meetings were adjourned till next day. Mr St. Maur said he thought that' there ought to be a vigorous examination into the accounts of the bankrupts— not that he had any suspicion that they had done anything wrong, but as an old manager theacoounta seemed to him to have been very carelessly kept. It would therefore be to the benefit of the bankrupts if an examination were made into the accounts, so as to leave no doubt as to where the receipts went.

THE STAGE IN AUSTRALIA.

Notes by Scalfax. Melbourne, July 7. Wet, wet, and nothing but wet, That is how we are at present. It has rained all night, and all to-day. It only stopped for time to think when it should rain again, and then rained without any thinking about it, There is no eight hours system about out rain when it starts. It means to do a fair day's (and night's) wcrk for it, if it never gets thanked at all, and it never does. As one of the consequences % am cold and wet, and as mad as a chicken who has been singed alive. Whioh seems a fine state in which ts give an unbiased opinion about anything,

It may ooour to many of my readers (now that they are reminded of it) that a certain person once wrote a dramatic play (and this is not so frequent as you think) called " Romeo and Juliet." It has been performed by a few stars in these colonies, and very many bo- called Btars. I have myself, short as my experience has been, seen very many of them, and_ very few I care to remember ; but my worßt inflictions have been amateur Juliets, and they are as thick as mosquitoes in summer. Every young woman who thinks she is 14 when she really is 24 considers she has the right sentiment in her to act Juliet, and she very often does so. The main incidents of Shakespeare's story actually did occur at Verona, and the real hero was Bartolommeo della Soala, one of the ruling princes of the great Scaliger family, who died bo far baok as the year 1303. If ever you get as far as Verona, an easy trip from Milan nowadays, you oan easily find the Piazza dei Signori, and nearly opposite it the old Palazzo del Oonsiglio, usually called La Loggia, or the old Town Hall. On the right of this you strike the church of San Maria Antica, and with it the great tombs of the Soaligers, who held Verona under their thumbs pretty well from 1262 to 1389. It costs you 30 centemmi— and as much more as the guardian oan get out of you— to see it. The supposed tomb of Juliet is in a side street of the Via Cappuccini, the VicoJo Franoeschine, and a side garden in the former Franciscan Monastery. For the sum of about 25 centesimi (with variations) you are shown a rude saroopbagus of red Verona marble, and the attendant kindly leaven you alone to weep while he goes and hunts up other victims. Juliet's house, undoubted, is in the street of S, Sabastiapo (which was onoe named after the Oapeletti) and is now a tavern. It bears, or did a few years ago, over the entranoe to the court the sign of the hat, one of the particular emblems of the family. But this has nothing to' do with "Romeo and Juliet" at the Princess Theatre on Saturday, has it? I am inclined to wandsr on bye paths of the stage when I have an opportunity, and I know what lam speaking of. It is my giddy way. Put it 'down to the weather. The great Princess Theatre was fully filled on Saturday, and there can only ba three words for the mounting ot the play : it wa> superb. As a certain well known oritio here says, " though an old, old story, familiar to the men and women of , every age and dime " (what about the Hottentots, or Stanley's dwarfs ?), " the warmth of imagination of Shakespeare has invested it with perennial freshness ; and it is good that at intervals unromantia, people should have presented to them some suoh puetio fragment to enliven the great epic of human destiny and recall the languishing song of the nightingale, who in this commercial age is fast becoming a rara avis." This is good Bound writing, in a sentence of three feet to the mile ; and a " poetic fragment " that enlivens " the great epio of human destiny " and reoalls the song of the nightingale, ought to make us get up and threw things in a certain direotion, especially as nightingales are not so rare after all in this year of grace. The prologue, usually left out, was spoken by Mr Arthur Garner, but why he did so nobody knows, and the epilogue, also generally omitted, was returned to its plaoe, and astonished many of the audience, to whom it was a novelty. Mr Kyrle Bellew was a poetio Romeo, and looked prettier than ever he did before, whioh is saying a good deal. He acts the character »b if be really dots feel what ha is doing, and that is something new anyway. Mrs Brown -Potter was a beautiful pioture, but she was not Juliet— she was Mrs Brown Potter. You are to have this lady on your shores before long, and then you oan form your own opinion. Why is it that no woman oan really act Juliet until she is quite unable to look the part, Juliet, they say, was 14, but many a popular adtress of 40, with ail her taot and experience, makes an utter hash — instead of " mash " — of it, I have, I find, given more than it« proper spaoe to Saturday night's work, and must defer any further remarks to next week. The rest of the cast was well filled, and the performonoe as a whole pleased'tbe great audience. It is a long time since we have had an opportunity of seeing our only George Rignold, and it seemed like old times to many of us to have a' look in at the Opera House and see brother William in " Nowadays," a drama, or melodrama, attributed to Mr Wilson Barrett, of the Princess Theatre, London, a good manager who has developed into a fair dramatist. The drama is of the turf— turfy all through. There ia the usual impossible racehorse, and the still more impossible Derby raoe, the good jockeys and the bad ones, the virtuous (!) bookmakers and the otherwises, the good young man who gets wrongfully aooused of everything until the end of the play, and the bad man who does not get accused of anything until the end of the last aot, although the audience knows he ia a scoundrel all the time. There is too muoh " stable " about it for most people at this time of the year ; but it would do at Oup time. Mr William Rignold played Jack Saxton, a rough but good Yorkshireman, and we shall expect a good dflal from him yet. If he really will play Falstaff, as ia very likely, we shall have the finest man for that finest part we have ever seen here. Miss Roland Watts- Phillips was the heroine, and got her woes in bucketsful as usual. Miss Bessie Rignold, William's "darter," was "fair to middling," and the good jockeys and wicked bookmakers were well represented both in the front and baok of the footlights, Ido not expect much of a run for " Nowadays " j the "Flying Scud " has rather spoiled the way for it. Mr Frank Thornton dosed his season at the Alexandra on Friday, and has gone for parts beyond the seas, but he will come baok again. They alwaya do. On Saturday Mr Bland Holt opened his season with Messrs Pettit and Sims' drama "Master and Man." Aa it was only produced on Saturday, when I waa elsewhere, and I am writing this letter on Monday night, it may be easily imagined I can have had but very hasty glimpses of it. I shall in consequence reserve any lengthened notice until next week. I am told that it is really a fine drama, and the great scene, where a man ia to be thrown into a very fiery furnaoe, is just joj to the gallery. Mr Bland Holt, Mrs Bland Holt, Mr Lawrence, Mr Glover, and most of the great number of actora required are well spoken of, but I will wait till 1 Bee them to-morrow. That ia all, It ia generally considered, however, that the play ia juat the thing for the Alexandra, and will boom.

" The Plying Soiid " is still on deck at the Royal, and we now have the privilege of oomparing a very old racing drama with a fairly new one, and we hardly know which is— better.

The U. S. Minstrels are still at the Viotoria Hall, and being the only company of its kind in town it is doing the only business of its kind. This is deep, very deep. 11 She Stoops to Conquer " is really and decently—or decently and really, as you like itpopular at the Bijou, and it deserves all its popularity. There is not another company in the oolonies that could act it as well as Messrs Brough and Bouoicault'e, and the theatre is far and away the most suitable here for this class of play. The " busy Be ", are doing much to- keep the stage above the level of horsey drama and vicious melodrama, and I am glad

to see that the publio helps them to keep' their gas bills paid without the collector calling more than once.

The Cyolorama is still open. It will be open at the Crack of Doom, and will then open some more. The company that owns it now wants to ereot an Eiffel tower in a publio reserve near the oyclo's grounds, but there are many objections. Besides, the tower is to be only 500 ft high, and we want one of a real (not alleged) 1000 ft before we take any interest. If the company will eclipse the world by putting up one 2000 ft high we might get enthusiastic even if we caught chilblains. We do not intend to take a baok seat to any Frenoh exhibition, and don't you forget it. The British Art Mußeum at the Exhibition buildings has closed up, and now there is the usual row over the regular art union, which was conducted by several leading people here. One man writes to the papers that the number of prizes were reduoed (as they were) beoause so few tiokets were sold, but the full number of tiokets was put in the ballot box all the same. He also relates that it is a noticeable faot that the great majority of prises, SS per cent, in fact, fall to numbers of whiob only a few oonld really have^ been sold, if the statement of the committee is oorreot. There is a law in this country prohibiting lotteries of any kind, but it seems you can generally manage to hold them if you get influential people on the committee and oan work it with the Attorneygeneral.

The Aquarium is open as usual, but I have given up all hopes of that alligator. I am, however, in fond hopes of soon seeing a real live and large gymnotus electricus, or electrio eel. He will shook a good many people by bis friendliness of manner, and the careless way in whioh he oan waffj an electrio ourrent through a man's system in a manner that will make him think all the rivets have fallen out of his joints and that life is a bitter mockery after all— especially the life of that eel. lam going to borrow my friend's mother-in-law for a series of experiments. She says she is now too old to be shocked by anything of these days ; she knows all its vices arid virtues. His wife h»B objeoted to experiment with the inf Ant and the alligator, and as the alligator has not yet arrived I have to fall in with her views. Mr friend urges the substitution of the infant's grandmother, but I am afraid Queensland don't run alligators who would tackle a grandparent. They draw the line at anvils and other less case-hardened artioles.

We have a dog show on now, and it has an added glory becausejour youthful Governor has entered some dogs. Does anybody feel inclined to bet he will not get a prize? I am opening up a small book on the aubjeot. There are also a good many shows of a good many varieties roaming about, but they are of no interest to*readers bo far away. They are not even to people here. Our amateurs, too, are trying some peculiarly difficult ' drama every now and then, and their friends como with smiles and bouquets, and generally swear because they could not get out of it, for otherwise they would have done so.

Adelaide business is aotually looking up. I don't know what it is looking up for, unless it is for an aerolite to fall on John F, Sheridan, who is playing " Dude Tom's Cabin " at the Royal. Mr Frank Park, and a variety company are at Garner's Theatre; and latherland Onnard is trying to make a curiosity show display some animation. ■■

It is stated that a number of leading Sydney professional people propose giving a great benefit to Mrs G. 0. Miln prior to her departure to meet her husband in Hobart, I think you know by this time that no further action will be taken with regard to Mr Miln's insolvenoy until he returni here. "Love or Money" is to be the next firebrand at our Royal, and we may be sure that Love will win in the end. This is where the modern drama is not true to life. It is money that gets there first always in any oaße, but money and a title strikes just like my friend the gymnotus, fcr everything gives way to it. The Reverend Obarles Clark has been doing well in Broken Hill and Adelaide. He preaobed in the latter place on Sunday (yeaterday) in aid of the Deaf and Dumb Institution. He goes on to Sydney for a farewell tour. He ia hot quite so popular this time, I think, as he expeoted to ba.

The Sydney theatres show no difference from last week if we exoept a brief revival of " Little Lord Fauntleroy "at the Gaiety. J* L. Toole is fading at the Royal, as it was generally expeoted he would ; " Sohool " pleases at the Oriterion ; and George Rignold has replaced Brother William in " After Dark " at Her Majesty's. I find, after careful consideration, that the above iB about all the news for this week, and maybe I am not disappointed. lam cold, my feet are wet, my temper is vexed, and I feel just aßif "What's that? A gentleman to see me 1 Tell him I've gone away to Japan, Bulgaria, anywhere, and will not be back for three years. Wants to ask a favour, does he No money to lend. Break that gently tc him and fire him down the elevator shaft. Wha-aa-t? Wants me to have a drink??? Stop him at once and tell him I'll be out in a second." The rest is not for publication.