Theatrical Notes.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13733, 24 October 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

Theatrical Notes.

The bookings at the Theatre Royal. Tiniaru, are as follows: October 28th and 29th.— Timain Operatic Society. November 2nd.—Mark Hambourg. November 16th to 17th.—Allan Hamilton's Dramatic Company. November 20th.—J. C. Williamson. December 2nd to sth.—West's Pictures. December 6th. 7th. and Bth.—"The Kilties." December 18th.—J. and X. Tail. December 26th to 28th.—Spencer Morris. January 4(h.—Leo. Jan. and Michel Cherniavski. January 6th. 7th. and Bth.—J. ('. Williamson (pencilled'!. January 14th, loth, and 16th!—Maskelyn and Devani. January 25.—" The Scarlet Troubadours." It is said that Miss Lizette Parkes, of the Bearty-Mclntosh Company, who is 16 years of age. is the youugfst. actress who "has ever played "Xich'efte" in

"CamiHe" and 'Kitty Give." - a role she take.s in the production of •' Peg Woffington."

Mr Daniel Frohman says:" The time has come for theatrical managers to make a vigorous effort to protect themselves against an entirely new and qnite unexpected element which has entered into their business. Few people realise how great a part the representation of dramas in motion by the camera has taken in public entertainment, how enermottsly it has been developed, and what wonderful possibilities lie in its future."

That London is becoming year by year more and more the Mecca of the foreigner on pleasure or business bent. Lo-made evident in quite a number of ways. At many railway stations, directions for the guidance of passengeis but slightly acquainted with our language are given in French and .German, arid at more than our theatre the programme is published in the former language. The time is no doubt close at hand when the Polyglot Programme, iu a dozen languages, will be quite an ordinary feature of places of entertainment.

Miss Lilian Meyers, who enacts the leading role in "Two Little Sailor Roys." was understudy to Miss May Chevalier, Mr Cuyler Hastings' leading lady. During the Adelaide, season of "Sherlock Holmes," Miss/ Meyers took Miss Mabel Lane's part of Madge Larabee- at a few hours' notice, as there was no understudy for the -part. Mr Cuyler Hastings paid Miss Meyers « compliment for her clever performance. For some time Miss Meyers toured with' a company of her own. and played such roles as Juliet. Pauline. Catnille. and Rosalind. She is a Melbourne girl.

Mr.' Dudley Clinton, a member of Williamson's Dramatic Company, appearing at Perth, died recently from pneumonia and pleurisy, at the age of 50 years. The late Mr Dudley Clinton first came to Australia nearly four years ago, under management to Mr George. Musgrove, and supported Miss Nellie Stewart, as Percival in "Sweet. Nell of Old Drury," arid later appeared as Edward Ramsay " In the Bishop's Carriage." He supported Miss Stewart throughout her American tour' from San Francisco to Chicago in 1906. Two years were spent, in New York. Returning here, he appeared at the Sydney Theatre Royal in the revival of "The Prisoner of Zenda.'"

A family of acrobats that go under the name of the Austral St. Leons is appearing in America with success. The family was engaged in Melbourne for the Morris and Rowe Circus. There are seven members of the troupe, and among them .are performers that turn double twisters and double somersaults from the bare ground., a feat that has been very rarely accomplished. . In, their contract with Norn's and Rowe they agree to perform this act at every presentation of the show. During the run of the circus in San Francisco • the St. Leons made one of the biggest, distinct hits of the programme, which includes performers from everv countrv in the world.

"l.am continually being asked." says Mies Maud Allan iu the London "Mail." 'how my idea came to me. I will tell you. This new art, born of my great and passionate love for the beautiful, came very gradually while 1 was a student at the. Royal High School of Music in. Berlin. My every hour was given to study, my very holiday to visiting the great art galleries of Europe, and so it happened that from no other-out-ward help than the groat masters' works have I succeeded in uniting music and the plastic into a form which is not generally understood as "dancing.' but which is the dance in its noblest, purest, and most perfect form —the dance in its grand simplicity."

The old-fashioned belief that tin? drann wa.-> as serious a function at. jKietry or the other arts is again being recognised. Of latje- year* it has almost come to apliear that in Australasia the stage is considered useful only for the production of melodrama and musical comedy. 'Coo often the melodrama in crude and barbarous, product ire only of the excitement of night mar.... The musical comedy is generally a necklace of songs and dance* strung upon a thin thread of facet ioiu< dialogue-making, a wholet that is as alien to the Mile functions of th" theatre a* an exhibition of tumbling or a comic nong. Pure comedy, in the i>eusc of which it was understood by Shakespeare or by the eighteenth century a lit hols, or in modem days of Oeorge Meredith, ha:; gone largely out of fashion. Those modern comedies which are b>-st as plays too often rely upon a "isex" interest. The public i* given what it lik<;i. instead of what it needs, and ;u; it is rarely supplied with genuine comedy, it. '*.■> reasonable to supjwise that it does not want it. Kvery Jiiece of evidence, theiefore. which tdiowri that the public taste ;i, not yet < (iui|il-!elv spoiled is very Welcome.

Mine. Tetra/.zini. i.peaking lec-ently in relVreln-e to girls who are anxioi:.. to study singing a- a profession, .aid : "Th-'iv are many point- which imtet be considered carefully by the girl who iauxiou* Mo make a hje-cial .-tudy of -inning. In the |it.-,t place, she must have a voice, and a good voice. We •an all ialk -some of u- can sing-but the htudeiit niu-t sing well befoie the decide- to adopt th- probrhioii. Sec«mlly. she inu»l have an aptitude for her work. Sin- mui.'. love xinging for art'* sake. She luusi be filled with the eiithl'j-iasiii which in Italy we call 'holy tire." The third |Xiint i- that i-he nuu.t have a real low for the Mage. The work is very different in what people imagine i: !■■ lie. It is not >.i easy as it lonk.-. The arti-t iiiu-! make up ler unnd to i;nri lice herself for her work. During the tiii-l yeait. of her training -he ha- many thiti(;i> to tight againM. and li.i- to snuggle to induce people to give her work. i*< that sin- may Income known. The iinget's lib- js a very hatd one. and the •tud'-nt must ieali-e thii. lefoi. ~he be i? in - _ With l-g.ild to where to »tudy. I :-.!\ i : inly in every cottntiy. It i* not like learning to play tic- piain.. 1 lie von-.- tnu-: In .ib-olu;. ly natural. It i« nor with the tcniier that y..n make the in.et pro^r.ie."