STAGE GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2358, 4 May 1899, Page 47

STAGE GOSSIP.

SrECiAi^Y Written for the Otago Witxess.

Dear Pasquin, — Mr A. E. Greenaway is still meeting with success at Home. He is now with Osmond Tearle's Shakespearean Company, and when the mail left was at Edinburgh. In " Hamlet," Mr Osmond Tcarle, through illness, was unable to appear, and ""the part of the Prince of Denmark was undertaken by Mr A E. Greenaway, a young actor, whose artistic ( and thoughtful performance was cordially received by the audience." As Borneo, Mr GTeen■away is said to give " a passionful rendering of his part."

'■-The Lily of Killarney," performed in London us far back as 1862, was recently revived at London Lyceum by the Carl Rosa- Opera Company. When Sir Jviles Benedict's charming Hibernian opera was produced at Covent Garden 37 years back Charles Santley was Danny Mann.

O ] d W. F. Olitherow, as Zosimus, the srhoolinastpr, in " Claudiau,' 1 with Wilson Barrett's Company in the English prov'jics, gives "a good piece of p.cting."

A feature of F. A. Scudamore's play, " The Dangers of London, ' is the ingenious use which the author makes of that modern invention, the phonograph, this little instrument recording a conversation which ha 3an important bearing on the story oi the play.

iliss Zeal'j Sampson, '• a young lady hailing from New Zealand," is playing Germaine in " Les Cloches de Corneville " •through the English provinces. In the same company is Mr E. W. Royce ("Good old Teddy!"), who plays Gaspard. The manager, Mr W. Hogarth, has been touring with " Les Cloches 1 ' for the past L 6 vcars.

" The Tornado," ar. American scenic produc'iou in five acts, by Lincoln J. Carter, which recently received its first English production, is one of the most sensational pieces of recent years. In the first act a fierce tornado bursts over the scene, carrying all before it, till everything is in ruins. This scene is said to' be " a masterpiece of stage ingenuity." The second act contnins seven 'scenes. The first is on the dock of the s.s. Erma, an Atlantic liner, on the track of the runaway noroine rind her brother, who are in front on another vessel, which is wrecked, and the runaways rescued. Scene 2 takes-- place in the cabin, then, a storm coming on, changes to the rigging, and shows the sailors laying out on the yard arm furling the sail. In the fourth scene, on deck, a fog comes on, but the captain persists 'in going ahead at full speed, not even taking Hie precaution to sound the fog horn. A collision is the result; und in the fifth scone is seen the stem of another ship cutting through the deck of the Erma. Scene 6 shows a picture of the sinking vessel; and finally we see the lifeboat on the tossing billows, with a. view of a steamer standing by to give aid. In act iii a house, in which the heroine and her brother aio sheltered, is fired. In act v — a splendid view of Chicago Harbour by moonlight — the villain, Laving drugged the heroine, hands her over to some other villains to drown her, but they, to add to their gains, sell the body to a surgeon for dissecting purposes. Just then the husband arrives and recognises his wife, and all are happy except the -foiled villains.

Miss Lilian Stanbridge, " the Australian prima donna," is still touring the English provinces with Gus Hart's "The Yellow Dwarf" Company.

Poor old Charley Godfrey still " knocks 'em " at the London halls, and proves that he is worth a few " has beens." In the dramatic monologue " Dreams," says the Era, he held his audience spellbound by the realißin and power of hia performance, the variety and intensity of his style, his skill in effective pauses, and his capacity for illustrating more by gesture, facial expression, and general action than by words. Tremendous cheering greeted the efforts of the gifted artist.

Mr E. Lockwood, one of the " players of the period " in a recent Era, was very well Jrnown at one time in .the service of the New Zealand Government. Born in Kensington in 1855, he received hie education in France. Was destined for the army, but resigned in order to come to New Zealand. Spent six years in this colony, vißiting Australia, America, and his native shores between whiles. Was employed in this colony by the New Zealand Government in the Telegraph, Survey, and Construction department, which work necessitated hie roughing it in the bush. On his return to England in 1882 he joined the Militia Battalion of his regiment, but relinquished same owing to his theatrical duties claiming all his time. His first appearance on the stage was at a nmtinee performance of a new piece at London Gaiety Theatre. Theie was only one part of one single line to satisfy the ambitions of iwo single canriidMea lor his-

trionic hcnoixrs, so they agreed to to3s for it. Mr Lockwood lost, but the other debutant very generously let him have the lino (which was never heard), owing to the fact that ihe young actor had a number of his long-suffering friends and indulgent relations in front. He next •went to the Globe Theatre to play, a small part in a production of " The Flowers of the Forest," which had a consecutive run of one clear week. After touring with various companies an offer from Mr Charles Hawtrey to manage his B. Company of " The Private Secretary," the piece that was then taking London and tne provinces by storm, practically closed his career as an actor. Since that time he has devoted all his time to business management, and more recently to the management of his own ventures, which" now include two companies fouring with "La Poupee," one with " A Night Out," and one with " Falka." In a cricket match, Bland Holt's Company versus Belbridge, at Melbourne the other day, Mr Harold Cair (a Wellington " boy "), of the Holt Company, made 23 top score. The thespians lost by about 40 runs. Dame opened his Melbourne season on the 15th ult to a packed house, and booming business continued, so that there is every prospect of the Sydney run being equalled in Melbourne. Biand Holt has " struck it rich " 'n Melbourne with " Wine and Women," business being simply " enormous." " The Belle of New York," at Melbourne Princess, Williamson and Musgrove's latest importation, is only passable, and not doing too well. ■ " ," HaTry Rickards, with his first-rate Vaudeville . Companies at Sydney Tivoli and Melbourne Bi- ' jou, is, as usual, "' riding on the tide that leads io fortune." ' , > Herr Albert Friedenthal, a new pianist, has struck Melbourne. • His opening concert at the Town- Hall drew a packed house, and, like De Konski's, wa« a great success. Perhaps he will come this wny shortly; if so, he will be piloted by Hugo Fischer. Mies Ada Ward, at one time a fairly-well-known actress, delivered a lecture on the " Morality of the Stage " at Portsmouth Town Hall on a recent Sunday, anent which Mr G. R. Sims has the following in London Referee: — , Miss Ward dealt with her title very much after [ the manner of the gentleman who wrote a-chap-ter headed " Snakes in Iceland," . and commenced it : " There are none." Miss Ward declared that it is almost impossible for a woman to bo on the stage and to remain pure or re- , ligiotis. It is needless to say that such a ; sweeping statement did not pass without «, pro- i test from some members of the profession who were present. The stage has its temptations, its snares, and its pitfalls, but to say that it ia almost impossible for a, woman to remain good if she is an actress is an absurdity. There are plenty of good women upon the stage — clever," induetrious, domestirated Tromen who are honestly earning their daily bread, arfd liv- : ing lives free in every way from reproach. There are good and bad people in every calling, in every profession, and every trade, and it ia \ time that these sweeping charges were taken up and dealj> with seriously by those who have the interest of tho -stage " at heart. Slowly and surely the theatre in England has fought down its enemies, and the actor and the actreßS have taken a. recognised position, not only- in thq world of art, but in society. But the stage is not yet in a position to afford to disregard these sweeping attacks upon it made publicly before audiences which crowd town halls and lecture halls in ev<s:y part of the country. This sort of thing does harm. You have only to koep on. dinning it into tho ears of the public tbat all actresses aTe immoral to make the position of women vipon the stage' tinbearable. Miss Clara Lee, an old actress, who has lived in retirement for some years, died recently, aged 74, in London. Miss Lee was sister to tha late Mrs Leigh Murray and Miss Henrietta Lee, of Covpnt G-arden Theatre. She was the daughter of Henry Lee, the well-known manager, in whose company were Edmund. Kean, Liston, and Incledon. Miss Clara Lee had acted with, amongst others. Miss Helen Faucit and Macready. She was the original Mrs Micaw her, in Andrew Halliday's adaptation of " David Copperfield." Mr Edward Terry, the well-known English actor, who was out to Australia six years back, contemplates a world's tour. " His Honour " is the title bestowed by Mr Arthur Shirley upon hia adaptation from the French of " Corignan contre Corignan." " Two Kinds of Women," Mr J. M. Barries new comedy, has been successfully produced in New York. At 1 the big bazaar in aid of the Charing Cross Hospital to take place in London June 21 and 22, the whole of the companies performing at the West End houses .will give their assistance. At the " Musicland " stall Lady Randolph Churchill and the ') stars " in the Italian opera at Covent Garden will preside. Mrs Beerbohiu Tree, Mrs George Alexander, Mrs Kendal, and Miss Julia Neilson will be seen at the '' Stageland " stall. Mrs Brown-Potter will dispense refreshments at the American Bar, a Pictorjp.l souvenir album will be issued nnder the guidance of Mr Beerbohm Tree, with special articles by leading writers of the day, and original sketches by foremost writers. The dramatic profession of London evidently recognise the real claims Charing Cross Hospital has upon it, as, being in easy radius -of Wast End 'plaj--houses, all accidents that occur in* the theatres are at once taken to and attended to at Charing Cross. It is expected that closs upon £20,000 will be raised from the two. dayB 1 entertainment. Melbourne's musical world is just now mad with excitement over Miss Ann Castles, a young vocalist of 17 summers, who last week took the city by storm. She has a marvellous Voice, and the concert was a great success. " I stood outside the Town Hall, which seats 3000," writes a very reliable correspondent, " and saw thousands turned away at 7 o'clock." The concert was repeated the next night, and drew the same crowded audience. Another Bolid proof of the value of the Otago Witness as a circulating medium. In the issue of January 19 " Bis " inquired for the whereabouts of Mr Charles M'Keegan, a one-time member of the Charles Tnylor-Ella Carrington Dramatic Company. My inquiry reached Mr Charles Taylor, now touring India, who very kindly sent me the name of the company young M'Keegan was with when he (Mr Taylor) went East. This week I am in receipt of two more letters — one from Mr Harold Carr (of the Bland Holt Company) and one from a lady (now retired) member ol the profession, each giving the desired information. I thank each of my coirespondents for their letters. The personal estate of Mrs Charles Mathews, who died January 4 last, has been valued at £15,368 8s 2d. To James Turner Jay, manager of the City Bank, Mrs Mathewa bequeaths £100, leaving to her " dear, kind friend, Mr Edward Gibbons Mullins, as a souvenir, and as a slight, very slight, acknowledgment of his great kindness," £500; to Daisy Rose and Constance Fuller, £50 each; and to Colonel William Henry Biggs Baldwin, of Brighton, .£2200. The rest of her property was left tc her son , Charles Willie Mathews. " How London Lives," Bland Holt's latest production at Melbourne Princess, fetches the crowds. This five-act melodrama, adapted by Martyn Field and Arthur Shirley from "Le Camelot," by Paul Andry, Max Maurey, and Georges Jubin, was produced at London Princess December 27, 1807. M. Lean Caron, conductor of the Royal Comic Opera Comx^any, received a big beg-a-bit at Sydney on the 28th ult. CabJA n£ws has been, jfififiiifijj, _jjj, Brigbano

of the the death of little Alma Gray's niothe* in London, says the Sunday Review. She was professionally known as Miss Ruth Gray, and was the wife of Mr Alfred Boothman, the wellknown actor.

" Madame Sans Gene " has taken on so well in Sydney that Mr Brough states the receipts are the best he has had in that city. Mr Brough, however, decided .to take it off, and gave the first Sydney production of " Lord .and. Lady Algy" on the 22nd ult. Mr Brough.. ia a great believei in the " quick change " idea as it applies to the drama, and where other managers would hang on and catch a second tide, and so get a long run out of a piece, he changes quickly to another. And, after as the company has a unique repertoire, it is no doubt good policy, especially as the big run comes by way of frequent revivals. Still, there are managers who would have kept Napoleon and his washing bills on for a good time longer. It is the regular playgoer who benefits by "the quick change, for while it entails heavy "work on a company, the playgoer is able to see ever so many more tilings he wants to see in a given time. Thus Carton's comedy, " Lord and Lady Algy," which ran for 470 nights in London, will be given only a comparatively brief space, and it will be followed by " Tho Liars," " The Adventures of Lady Ursula," " The Briicton Burglary," and Pinefo's " Trelawney of the Wells," the crinoline drama in which Misß Spong appeared in London, arid for which th« dresses, facsimiles of the originals, are an, the Orotava. Miss Grace Noble, who was a popular member oi the " B."and B." Company, is to reappear in " Lord and Lady Algy." ? ' " The Price -of Wealth," the new comedy by Max O'Rell, is a satire on the modern greed ( for money. M. Blouet's.good-humoured hits ai English and American society — " John Bull and His Island " and " Jonathan and His Continent" — are familiar the world over. "The Price of Wealth " appears to be written very much in the same vein. The moral of the obtire play is contained in two lines spokev. ly the heroine, Dora Grantham : — " The rich don't possess their wealth; it is their wealth which possesses them." " The Geisha,'' , after a 10 weeks' run at Sydney Mer Majesty's, gave way on the 22nd ult 1 to a revival -of " lolanthe," previously played io ] Sydney in 1891. Here is the full caste : " lOLANTHE." Lord Chancellor .. . . Howard Vornon Phyllis „, .. r. Miss Florence Perry lolanthe .. . . ..> Miss Dorothy Vane ' Fairy Queen .. .. ... Mrs Henry Bracy Strephon Mr William, Paull Earl Tolloller „ .. Mr Charles Kenninghani Earl of Ararat ... .. .. Mr P. Bathurst Sentry Mr Stannis Leslie On the 29th ult. the Knight-Ferrar Company reappeared for a 3hort farewell oeison at Her Majesty's. " Grierson's Way," ia which our old friend Mr G. S. Titheradge played Grierson, does not seem to have pleased London critics. The piece was produced under the auspices of the New Century Society at a matinee at the HaymaTket, February 7. TKe author of the new four-act piece, Mr H. V. Esmond, played the part of Captain John Ball. " His rendering was in keen contrast with Mi George S. Titheradge's embodiment of James Gxierson. -The -make-up and manner were admirable, hut. more praiseworthy still was the style in which Mir Titheradge sustained to the ,end the keynota of soft, affectionate self-sacrifice." Speaking oi the play itself, one writer haß the f ollowing • -^ We left the theatre oppressed with a sense of the general, hopelessness of existence, of flic, awful amount of " fardels borne by poor humanity, of the futility of effort, and of the omnipotence of fate. Whatever other opinions may, be delivered respecting " Grierson's' Way," no one, we think, can deny the author's power. For thoroughly depressing an audience, for sending them home thinking of their sins a_nd contemplating sack cloth and ashes as evening dress, Mr H. V. Esmond's piece is as powerful as laudanum It would be impertinent to in,-, quire whether many people -will require to be thus depressed. The New Century Society* matinees are not for the many, but for the few ; for the student of experiments, not for the everyday atom of the population. " The Golden Ladder," originally produced at London Globe in December, 1887, is still coining money in the provinces. Mr Charles Warner, here in 1889, is playing " It's Never Too Late To Mend " round London. As a rule, the drama written with a purpose is not possessed of long life, but this cannot be said of Charles Keade's popular melodrama. Originally written and produced, I believe, in the sixties, with the avowed object o£' calling public attention to the horrors of the silent system then existing in English prisons, it created such a sensation that reforms were at once effected which put an end to the atrocities' committed in the name of the law in model' prisons. Sir Theodore Martin, X.C.8., has made ft gift of £2000 to the Royal General Theatrical Fund as a memorial to his doar and affectionate wife, the late Lndy Martin (professionally known as Helen Faucit), who always took a great interest in the fund. This reminds " Bin " that Miss Clara Lee, an old actressi who died in London two months back, was amember of the Royal General Theatrical Fund, , and although she had only paid "under -£60 iv. subscriptions, she had receiv«ct.altogether nearly £LIOO at the time of her death." '

" The Coquette," recently produced at London Prince of Wules's Theatre, comes^from the Spanish of G arrido-Lafrique's "O MeTiere' D'Alcala." The English title is not by any means new. A play of the 3ame name, taken from the French, was performed at London Haymarket Theatre over 30 years ago. Clevei comedian Tom Mead was the author. A piece of the same title, by Novelist Captain Hawlej Smart, -was produced at Cheltenham in 1885, and a Mr William Poel wrote a play of the sania title six years ' back.— Yours truly,