THE ANDERSON DRAMATIC COMPANY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2652, 11 January 1905, Page 61

THE ANDERSON DRAMATIC COMPANY.

The Anderson Dramatic Company continues with plays of melo-dramatic nature to attract large audiences to the Princess Theatre, and on Saturday evenijig that weird production " The Face at ihe Window " gave" place, to soniethiiig, speaking from a comparative standpoint, less exciting, in tlw> shape of " Through the Divorce Court," for which, as for other •such ' compositions, the responsibility is laid to Mr Max Goldberg. As indicated, " Through, the Divorce Court" pales a little in contrast to the* luridness of its predecessor, but will be found none the less quite sufficiently thrilling for the person who desires, a mental stimulation not altogether abnormal. 'A<s the title indicates the play deals in the main with troubles of a domestic character, and in it figures principally a jealous husband, a wrongly suspected wife, who xs under the usual vow to keep silence, art admirer of the -wife with guile enough for greater ventures, a jealous woman who would win the husband, a weak youth who is made a tool of, the family lawyer, and the invaluable old servant. The scene is laid in Spain,, and that is early apparent when the chief villain and bis friend enter in characteristic Spanish dress, dramatic especially as to cloak and sombrero, which it takes them all their time to manage The domestic trouble concerns Lord and Lady Penartb, the latter of whom has a natural brother named Leon di Valdiz, whose" relationship to her she has vowed never to disfelose. Juzman di Mendoza, a Spanish Creole, and former guardian of Lady Dolores Penarth, desiring to win the lady for himself, evolves some very creditable schemed to this-r-nd, which include two secret meetings of I/ady Dolores and her brother, at which" he contrives that Lo/d Penarth shall be present, and the_chauging hand* of a large sum of money. Mendoza makes things look se black for Lady Penarth, in short, that as she cannot explain matters. Lord Penarth, who is deceived as to the identity of di Valdiz, proceeds to the divoTce court, and after an interesting legal process, in which -Mendoza cuts a sotry figurejLady Penarth is oast off, losing husband and child at one stroke, for though in the .witness box she Teveals her secret, she has not the proofs,, which are in Mendoza's ' possession. , Thenceforth the play shows how the course of true villainy do/»» not always run smooth, and how the necessai-y proofs come into the hands of Lady Dolores, and how Mendoza is unmasked and gets his deserts, and how husband and wife axe again happily united. Tho play is capitally staged? and the company make the most of it. The scenery is exceedingly gped. especially so in the first anS second and last acts.' In the third act that very trying dramatic] situation, a presentation of the law court scene, is forthcoming, and what usually is a burlesque, it must be allowed is on this occasion managed better than usual, and should be of absorbing interest to those desirous of -observing how a decree pisi is or is not obtained. Such a scene, with the dramatic intensity of interest attaching, to ihe interrupted assignations of the preceding act® and the downfall of Mendoza in the last act, makes Mie theatrical fare provided in the play quite up to the melodramatic average, and the audience manifested entire appreciation of its happenings. Mr George Cross gave a manly and effective innaersonntion of the character of Lord Penarth, and Miss Ada Guildford was entirely successfvil in the role of Lady Penaith, stoting with a due restraint, and being quite jl. relief from the unduly lachrymose heroine cn-e so often finds in such parts. Mr Godfrey presented a gocd study of the villain Mehdwsa. and sticcessful!y imported, a feeling of plausible siibtlety to the part, earning the compliment of the odium of the audience. Mr "J. P. O'Neill as-Eatsy Eafferty, and Mr Crpsbie Ward as Algernon Fitzmaurice, an overgrown youth, were excellent in comedy parts, and never failed to keep the audience amused, while a word of praise is cTua to Miss Georgrie Leighford for a capital study of an orthodox housekeener. to Mr Edmund Duegan who imperson&.ten the indispensable family lawyer, to Mis? Kathleen Dugrgan who appeared as Lady Fitzmaurice who, jealous of Lady Penarth, assists Mendoza and to -Mr Wilton Power as Leon di Taldiz, a poor creature at best.