Theatrical Notes.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13916, 29 May 1909, Page 2 (Supplement)

Theatrical Notes.

The Yiddish' Theatre in London has proved* an enormous success.. It is now being devoted exclusively to l'id.dish plays. It is said 15,000 peoyle a week attend. There is a -repertoire of 15,000 pieces, and a dnfcrent piece is staged each evening.

Queen, Le Brim and Co. (five in number), who came to Australia with Mr J. C. Williamson for six' months and stayed two years, are back in England. Mr George Queen is new running the great sporting absurdity "The Cockney Huntsman" entirely on his own, with a sx>ecially selected company in London.

Miss Olga Nethersole, in replying, to an American clerical criticism, that the stage was trained from top to bottom, reminded the critic that the inception of the drama took place in the church Passion plays. '' The greatest Englishman of Letters, the great English poet, William Shakespeare, was an actor," she added.

Avon Saxton, a one-time famous singer, died at Berwick, NIS. (U.5..A.) in March, aged 52. At the height of his career, he joined the Carl Rosa: Opera. Company in England, and had the honour of 'singing before oQueen Victoria and several of the Royal heads of Europe. He travelled and sang in South America, Australia, Great Britain, Europe, and all over North America in his time.. He is survived by. a brother and sister. '

Mr Edwin Geaeh lias made arrangements with the J. C. Williamson management to tour the provincial districts of Australasia with a specially selected company in "An Englishman's Home," commencing about the end of the month. The company will also tour the country towns in New Zealand, the Julius Knight organisation doing the principal centres in. the Dominion, and the Kolker-Humphrey organisation Eastern Australia.

A 500-acre ranch, with 15 -head of cattle, and homestead, at Rushville, Neb. (U.S.A.), has been 'purchased by Miss Alice Lloyd. Miss Lloyd was the feature at the New York Olympic in • February. The ranch will bo named "Lovelight." '' ,Miss Lloyd has instructed the manager of it, Alec Cameron, to visit Europe for the importation of Scotch cattle for breeding purposes. Miss Lloyd will make the Nebraska property her summer home.

"The Duke's Motto" produced by Mr Julius Knight, is known on the French stage as "Le Bossu." It was produced in Paris so long ago as 1862, when it was described as a dramatisation by MM. Anicet Bourgoise and Paul Feval, of the latter's novel, " Lo Petit Parisien." Some years later Jules Charetie, of the Comedie Francais, discovered that the dashing Lagardero in the piece was really the creation of Victorien Sardou. This dramatist, in his youthful days, approached Feval with a suggestion to, collaborate upon a play, the main idea of which, after refusing it, Feval incorporated with the scheme of bis novel. The Williamson version is an adaptation bv Justin Huntley McCarthy. The great motto in the piece is " I am here."

"An Englishman's Home" is not the first play that has roused a country. In "The Battle of Dorking it had its counterpart in England many vears ago. Published in story form originally it was adapted tor the stage, and created a great stir, and gave a great impetus to the Volunteer movement of that day and generation. The only' relic which remains of tins awakening is to be found on the top of Box hill, near Dorking. It consists of a fort, still unfinished, which was commenced as a consequence oi the plav. The points of similarity, too, between the two productions were manv. In it, as in Major du Alaiirier's' clever pieces, the foreign invaders made quick work of our brave, but inept, citizen soldiers; while nonuniformed combatants were given short •shrift, in accordance with the stern, but perfectly legitimate, usages of war. This incident of the military execution of a householder for daring to deieiid his own home was also used by Zo a in "La Debacle," another story which, dramatised, stirred France to its profoundest depth. In the United States of America, again, "Uncle Tom s Cabin," the play founded on Mrs. Beecher Stowe's famous novel, was directly responsible for the tremendous upheaval of public opinion which brought about the Civil War and the abolition of slavery. Just prior to the outbreak of hostilities it was estimated that over 800 separate companies were acting the drama throiurliout the towns and villages of the northern non-slaveholding States a record never even remotely annroached heforo or since, in matters theatrical.

As a ■ result, the ; horrors- of slavery,as : then. practised •' in the- South, '■■ weru brought' vividly. homo, to . the , peoplo of the North, so ■ that when • President Lincoln ; colled for..-volunteers .to .suppress them 4U0,000 men Hew to arms.

The London County Council's-.Thoat trcs and Music-halls' Committeo; recently -proposed Ihat no restriction, shall'he placed on the number of persons admitted in theatres and musichalls, provided that tho 'auditorium can bo emptied in three minutes. Tho intersecting gangways are kept clear. Sufficient room '.'or passing to and fro is'.maintained sido and rear gangways. Jf iose now regulations aro accepted by the Council, tho Lord Chamberlain will also adopt them, and a long-standing dispute will ho settled.

. Chung Ling Soo, tho Chinese- conjurer, says jugglers and illusionists .in China always perform in tho street in a roped space. In a Chinese theatre a. play generally lasts a month, sometimes two, a different portion of the play being seen on different evenings! The variety theatre is not known, and until a few years ago no woman had ever appeared on tho stage, all female characters being impersonated by men. When a man is killed in a play, he arranges himself in repose, and at the. end of the scene gets up and walks off. - ,

When Mr Spencer Barry first saw the one-act drama "After tho Opera/' in.Paris it had tho effect of reducing women to hysterics. In its English adaptation it was,' however, considerably toned down, but the original power was retained. In its New York premiere there" was among tho audience a woman who had figured prominently in a divorce case. At tho unfolding of the plot the audience turned to' this woman, who, when sho became conscious of tho scrutiny, fainted. For a time she was fascinated with the play, and did not notico the staro of • tho audience..

The principals of the Oscar AscheLily Bray ton Company, who will tour Australasia under Meynell and Gunn, include Gerald Kay Souper, Reginald lan Penny, Herbert Grimwood, Athol Forde, E. F. Anson (a son of Gl W. Anson, who was a member of the Brough Co. some years ago, .and who • also played with the local amateurs" as a youth), Caleb Porter, Tripp. Edgar, J. Fitz-Russell, Charles. A. Doran Ewan Brook, Arthur Trnnton, 15. A. Meyer,(manager), Misses Elfrida. Clement.. Muriel Hutchinson, and Constance Robertson. Mr Athol Fordo was •■ a member of Mr George Musgrove's Shakespearean company, which appeared some time ago. and Mr Caleb Porter was seen witK -the'late "William Barrett's Company. The company will total altogether about 26 people, with the addition of • an expert stage staff and wardrobe .staff, and the oerKonal'attendants of Mr. Asche and Miss Brayton.